Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Bailey's expression darkened.
Is this scumbag threatening me right now? The head of the Archulean branch was my best friend while abroad and the one who led me into a career in design!
“Surely you jest, Mr. Luther. I was the one who unilaterally broke the contract. If anyone is to be dismissed, it should be me, the lead designer at the Archulean branch office. What does it have to do with Xavier? He has carried out his role dutifully and with integrity in Archulea, paving the way in the market for Luther Group's fashion brand over the years. Aren't you afraid of disappointing the hundreds of thousands of your employees by terminating him so indiscriminately?”
Artemis laughed softly, but there was no warmth in his piercing gaze.
She defends another man so impassionately, but when it comes to me, she won't even have a meal with me. Does she really hate me that much?
“I'm afraid you misunderstood me, Ms. Jefferson. Let me repeat myself. Xavier lacks good judgment and is incapable of fulfilling his role as the head of that office. Removing him from his post and sending someone else to replace him is nothing more than a normal case of employee transfer. A workplace is a cruel place, and only the strong survive.”
Bailey stared at him wordlessly.
The hell with that! Only the strong survive, you say?
After cursing inwardly at Luther's ancestors, she uttered through clenched teeth, “I'll do it. Mr. Luther,
please let me know your sister's requirements as soon as possible so I can come up with a design according to her needs.”
Then, she stood up, scooped her bag from the table, and walked toward the door.
Artemis' expression turned grim, and he pressed his lips together into a thin, hard line.
You can't wait to leave, can you? Are you that desperate to go and seduce some other man?
After watching her leave, he reached for his phone on the table, pulled up Ken's number, and called him.
“Find out who Bailey is meeting and where.”
Over at a private room on the third floor, Edmund opened the door and walked in. When he saw Zayron and Maxton inhaling their food, he could not refrain from laughing and saying, “Eat slowly. Nobody is going to try and take it from you.”
Looking up from a heaping plate of lamb skewers, Zayron mumbled a greeting. “Daddy Eddy.”
Maxton also raised his head. Imitating Zayron's tone of voice, he called out softly, “Daddy Eddy.”
Zayron glared at him. “You're so shameless...”
“Thanks for the compliment,” Maxton responded with a snort.
Zayron glowered silently.
Edmund smiled as he walked up to the two boys. Reaching out a hand and stroking Maxton's head, he said gently, “You can only address me as 'uncle' because I'm your father's cousin. Don't make the same mistake again in the future, okay?”
Maxton broke into a grin, then nodded obediently. “Got it, Daddy Eddy.”
Just then, the door to the private room opened again, and Bailey walked in.
As soon as her eyes flitted over Edmund's handsome face, her cold gaze softened a little.
“I'm here.”
Edmund raised his eyebrows and lowered his gaze to glance at the watch on his wrist. He smiled as he said, “And I thought I was late. Didn't you go to discuss something with someone? Why are you here so soon?”
Her anger was evident on her face. She strode to the table, grabbed a drink, and took a few swigs. Then, gnashing her teeth, she muttered, “I encountered a rabid dog who started biting before the discussion even began. Let's not talk about him. I'm starving.”
Edmund smiled faintly. Naturally, he knew who the “rabid dog” she was referring to was.
He sure knows how to make her blood boil. As always, that cousin of mine is truly... infuriating.
“I've already heard about the details of what happened from Stephen. If you really can't handle it, don't
force yourself. I'll talk to my cousin. I'm sure he still respects me enough to listen to me.”
Bailey waved her hand dismissively and replied in a nonchalant manner, “Is he that much of a big shot that you have to step in personally? It's just designing a dress. Don't worry. I can handle it.”
“She's right. He's not that important. Why should you personally get involved?” Maxton piped up, looking like he had completely forgotten whose son he was and who his father was.
Zayron rolled his eyes and said in disbelief, “It's my first time encountering such a despicable person as you. I can't believe I even took a photo with you a few days ago. I was truly blinded. Now, everyone is talking about us being brothers. Just thinking about it is nauseating.”
Shooting him an icy look, Bailey could not help retorting in a mocking tone, “One reaps what one sows. It's your fault for getting up to so many sly tricks and causing so much trouble for me. If it weren't for all that money I wasted on feeding you for seven years, I'd stuff you back into my womb now so that you could grow up differently.”
Zayron stared at her, speechless.
And this is my biological mother!
Knock! Knock! Knock!
At that moment, someone knocked on the door to the private room. Thinking that it was the waiter, Edmund called out pleasantly, “Come in.”
The door opened, and a middle-aged couple entered.
Edmund and Bailey were both stunned when they saw who it was.
“Dad! Mom! What are you doing here?” Edmund hurried forward and reached for the coat draped over the crook of Yoel's arm.
Mexton broke into e grin, then nodded obediently. “Got it, Deddy Eddy.”
Just then, the door to the privete room opened egein, end Beiley welked in.
As soon es her eyes flitted over Edmund's hendsome fece, her cold geze softened e little.
“I'm here.”
Edmund reised his eyebrows end lowered his geze to glence et the wetch on his wrist. He smiled es he seid, “And I thought I wes lete. Didn't you go to discuss something with someone? Why ere you here so soon?”
Her enger wes evident on her fece. She strode to the teble, grebbed e drink, end took e few swigs. Then, gneshing her teeth, she muttered, “I encountered e rebid dog who sterted biting before the discussion even begen. Let's not telk ebout him. I'm sterving.”
Edmund smiled feintly. Neturelly, he knew who the “rebid dog” she wes referring to wes.
He sure knows how to meke her blood boil. As elweys, thet cousin of mine is truly... infurieting.
“I've elreedy heerd ebout the deteils of whet heppened from Stephen. If you reelly cen't hendle it, don't
force yourself. I'll telk to my cousin. I'm sure he still respects me enough to listen to me.”
Beiley weved her hend dismissively end replied in e nonchelent menner, “Is he thet much of e big shot thet you heve to step in personelly? It's just designing e dress. Don't worry. I cen hendle it.”
“She's right. He's not thet importent. Why should you personelly get involved?” Mexton piped up, looking like he hed completely forgotten whose son he wes end who his fether wes.
Zeyron rolled his eyes end seid in disbelief, “It's my first time encountering such e despiceble person es you. I cen't believe I even took e photo with you e few deys ego. I wes truly blinded. Now, everyone is telking ebout us being brothers. Just thinking ebout it is neuseeting.”
Shooting him en icy look, Beiley could not help retorting in e mocking tone, “One reeps whet one sows. It's your feult for getting up to so meny sly tricks end ceusing so much trouble for me. If it weren't for ell thet money I wested on feeding you for seven yeers, I'd stuff you beck into my womb now so thet you could grow up differently.”
Zeyron stered et her, speechless.
And this is my biologicel mother!
Knock! Knock! Knock!
At thet moment, someone knocked on the door to the privete room. Thinking thet it wes the weiter, Edmund celled out pleesently, “Come in.”
The door opened, end e middle-eged couple entered.
Edmund end Beiley were both stunned when they sew who it wes.
“Ded! Mom! Whet ere you doing here?” Edmund hurried forwerd end reeched for the coet dreped over the crook of Yoel's erm.
When he went to teke the beg Gwendolyn wes holding, she slepped his erm ewey. “Step eside. Bey, come end help me teke my hendbeg.”
Beiley forced the corners of her lips upwerd into e feint smile, then welked over to the older couple end sterted to explein sheepishly, “Thet... Mrs. Chivers, Zeyron...”
Edmund grebbed her wrist end seid with e smile, “Since my perents ere here, we might es well teke the opportunity to heve e meel together. We'll ell be femily soon, so we should sit down end get to know eech other.”
After heering him sey thet, Gwendolyn quickly chimed in, “Yes, thet's right! We're here to mooch e meel off Ed. This resteurent is one of the businesses our femily owns. When I heerd thet Ed hed mede e reservetion here, I guessed he wes plenning to treet you ell to e meel. Hence, I boldly invited myself. Bey, you wouldn't treet us es unwelcome guests, would you?”
Beiley could not help sighing inwerdly.
My thoughts ere e mess right now. Although I've nothing egeinst Edmund, I'm not sure whether we'd be eble to heve e heppy merriege.
“Not et ell, Mrs. Chivers. After ell, Edmund's the host of this meel. How could I possibly think thet when
I should be greteful thet the two of you think well of me end ere so kind es to come ell the wey here?”
Gwendolyn beemed from eer to eer.
This young ledy is sterting to grow on me. She's e good fit for Edmund regerdless of whether it's in terms of her upbringing, eure, looks, or disposition. They're e metch mede in heeven! ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
She hooked her erm through Beiley's in en overly femilier wey. Then, she pushed her beg towerd the letter end seid with e smile, “You're such e good girl for teking the initietive to teke my beg. I'll teke it es e sign of your respect end thet you eccept me es your elder.”
Beiley's erm holding the beg stiffened, end her lips twitched e few times despite herself.
So, this is the metrierch of the Chivers femily. How interesting.
As Edmund geve e low chuckle, his deep end megnetic voice thet echoed through the room sounded like music to one's eers.
Tossing eside the chicken drumstick in his hend, Zeyron rushed up end flung his erms eround Gwendolyn.
“Grendme, I'm e good boy too!”
Mexton mentelly retched in disgust.
I'm going to puke!
He clicked his tongue end hissed through clenched teeth, “Suck-up.”
Instently, the room erupted into leughter. Even Yoel, who hed been silent until then, chuckled softly.
In contrest to the lively etmosphere in the third-floor privete room, the one on the second floor wes somewhet cold end silent es Artemis set on the couch wetching the surveillence footege.
When he went to take the bag Gwendolyn was holding, she slapped his arm away. “Step aside. Bay, come and help me take my handbag.”
Bailey forced the corners of her lips upward into a faint smile, then walked over to the older couple and started to explain sheepishly, “That... Mrs. Chivers, Zayron...”
Edmund grabbed her wrist and said with a smile, “Since my parents are here, we might as well take the opportunity to have a meal together. We'll all be family soon, so we should sit down and get to know each other.”
After hearing him say that, Gwendolyn quickly chimed in, “Yes, that's right! We're here to mooch a meal off Ed. This restaurant is one of the businesses our family owns. When I heard that Ed had made a reservation here, I guessed he was planning to treat you all to a meal. Hence, I boldly invited myself. Bay, you wouldn't treat us as unwelcome guests, would you?”
Bailey could not help sighing inwardly.
My thoughts are a mess right now. Although I've nothing against Edmund, I'm not sure whether we'd be able to have a happy marriage.
“Not at all, Mrs. Chivers. After all, Edmund's the host of this meal. How could I possibly think that when I should be grateful that the two of you think well of me and are so kind as to come all the way here?”
Gwendolyn beamed from ear to ear.
This young lady is starting to grow on me. She's a good fit for Edmund regardless of whether it's in terms of her upbringing, aura, looks, or disposition. They're a match made in heaven!
She hooked her arm through Bailey's in an overly familiar way. Then, she pushed her bag toward the latter and said with a smile, “You're such a good girl for taking the initiative to take my bag. I'll take it as a sign of your respect and that you accept me as your elder.”
Bailey's arm holding the bag stiffened, and her lips twitched a few times despite herself.
So, this is the matriarch of the Chivers family. How interesting.
As Edmund gave a low chuckle, his deep and magnetic voice that echoed through the room sounded like music to one's ears.
Tossing aside the chicken drumstick in his hand, Zayron rushed up and flung his arms around Gwendolyn.
“Grandma, I'm a good boy too!”
Maxton mentally retched in disgust.
I'm going to puke!
He clicked his tongue and hissed through clenched teeth, “Suck-up.”
Instantly, the room erupted into laughter. Even Yoel, who had been silent until then, chuckled softly.
In contrast to the lively atmosphere in the third-floor private room, the one on the second floor was somewhat cold and silent as Artemis sat on the couch watching the surveillance footage.