Dear Sweetheart

Chapter 243

Chapter 243 Treating Me Instead

“That’s very kind of you, Mr. Montail.” Rayna took a moment to adjust, but she smiled gently and replied, “To get the bid today, we’ve really worked hard. Winning it will be a testament to our abilities as a company.”

“You’re capable and beautiful, Ms. Garland. People are easily enamored by you.”

“You’re exaggerating, sir. I’m nowhere near as capable as that,” replied Rayna.

Rayna had not intended on speaking to this man at all. Seeing that it was soon time to bid, Rayna politely excused herself. However, Arnaud took two steps forward and kept her from leaving.

With a very flattering smile, Arnaud bowed politely and murmured in a deep voice, “Ms. Garland, I’ll give you a gift in a few days. I hope it’s to your liking.”

Rayna could feel herself tremble unwittingly. When she returned to her senses, the man had disappeared.

She furrowed her brows tightly.

This man who suddenly appeared out of nowhere to chat with her made her feel very uncomfortable.

At ten sharp, the bidding commenced.

All major companies wanted to win the high-speed rail bid, and the competition was expected to be fierce. Apart from Rayna, the other companies have also sent out female representatives. A lot of them appeared to be formidable and smartly dressed.

Rayna had no confidence before. However, since Faymon Group had lent her some experienced team members who had won a few bids, she felt more confident this time. As such, she was not worried about not winning.

After some competitive bidding from all the companies, the project was finally awarded to Hatchair Group. The representatives from the companies who lost congratulated her heartily and provided her with their business cards.

Throughout the whole affair, Rayna maintained a gentle smile. When it was finally over, Rayna allowed her exhaustion to show. She gave her keys to another colleague and asked her to drive.

While in the car, Rayna took out her phone and texted Curtis excitedly.

Rayna: Thanks for loaning me some team members, Mr. Faymon. The bidding went beautifully, and Hatchair Group got the project!

Mr. Faymon: Bah. With that crappy company of yours?

Rayna: Mr. Faymon, do be civil even though you’ve done me a favor. My company is also one of the best in the industry! The company’s market value was anything but low.

Mr. Faymon: Very well. Congratulations on winning, Ms. Garland. Your hard work has paid off.

Rayna: Can you give Mr. Tylinski half a day off? I want to treat him to a meal as thanks. This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org: ©.

Mr. Faymon: Shouldn’t you be treating me instead?

Rayna: Didn’t I cook for you last week? Why are you so insatiable? If not for the materials Mr. Tylinski gave me, I wouldn’t have gotten this far. Besides, the man helped me tirelessly. It’s only right that I thank him properly.

Curtis was not very happy when he saw Rayna’s response.

What has Gabriel actually done, honestly? I was the one feeding her information tirelessly!

“Mr. Faymon?”

Coincidentally, Gabriel pushed open the door. However, he had not noticed that Curtis was in a foul mood. After placing several documents on the table, he happily asked, “Mr. Faymon, I need to bring Elizabeth to a cat convention. I’ve already taken care of your itinerary. Can I leave work at two?”

“I’m afraid not,” said Curtis.

Gabriel was stunned at how curt the response was. “W-Why not? Is something the matter?”

“One of the food factories in Hallsbay has encountered problems. I need you to look into it for me,” said Curtis coldly. “While you’re at it, please bring back their finance reports from the last quarter.”

“Mr. Faymon, I’m your assistant. I’m not working for the finance—”

“I’m well aware of that,” replied Curtis icily, cutting him off. “I didn’t ask you to look into the reports personally. Just ask one of the secretaries to book you a ticket for your departure.”

Gabriel was so upset that he could not quite respond. What did I do wrong? Why is he so offended that he’s taking it out on me? He wants me to get on a plane and go just like that!

Before Gabriel could leave, Curtis waved him over. He then picked up a pen and scribbled something on some paper before handing it to Gabriel.

“There’s going to be a cocktail reception for the executives organized by a friend of mine. Go check it out and get yourself a blind date. You’re not young anymore! You should stop being so obsessed with that cat of yours. People are going to think that you want to marry your cat!”

“Mr. Faymon, I’m a year younger than you are,” remarked Gabriel weakly.

“You look older than I do, however.”

This rendered Gabriel speechless.

Today is not my lucky day!

“Hey, Curtis!” Suddenly, the door to the CEO’s office was pushed open, and Wyatt strode gaily in. “Goodness! Are you okay, Mr. Tylinski? You look quite pale! Are you feeling ill?”

Gabriel forced out a smile and replied, “I might be coming down with something. I’ll be heading off, sir.”

“Curtis, aren’t you being a little mean?” asked Wyatt as he pulled out a chair. “The guy’s going to burst into tears at any minute.”

“Do I look like that kind of boss?”

Wyatt wanted to nod but decided to keep his thoughts to himself. The last thing he wanted was to invoke Curtis’ wrath. Instead, he pushed over a photograph and asked, “Have you seen this ring before, by any chance?”

The ring in the picture was set with a beautiful sapphire, showcasing its exquisite craftsmanship.

When Curtis saw the ring for the first time, he felt a sharp burst of pain between his temples that vanished as quickly as it showed up. There was something quite familiar about the ring. “Judging by the setting, it has to be pretty old, I assume?”

“I think this was made in the last twenty or so years,” replied Wyatt. “I wanted to buy a gift for Jessie and stumbled upon this ring by accident.”

Curtis was not happy to hear this. “Well, buy it then. Or are you here to show off?”

“That’s not what I’m here to discuss,” retorted Wyatt. He seemed to have a rather complicated expression. “Do you know that the ring is owned by someone who is also looking for the original owner?”

After hearing this, Curtis’ face sank. He seemed to realize that something was off as well.

“Do continue.”

“I followed that person’s tracks and found that the ring is part of a three-piece set made roughly twenty- five years ago by an Irushean jeweler. I sent someone over to look into this and found some interesting things out from the designer himself.”

Wyatt cleared his throat and added, “The designer said that it was commissioned by a young man who wanted an engagement gift using the gemstones he bought at an auction.”

Having said that, Wyatt pushed another photo toward Curtis.

The photo had a yellow hue, and the figures looked blurry. However, one could distinctly make out that they were a young man and a woman. As Curtis gazed at the man, his eyes suddenly narrowed.

“When the man brought his wife over to try out the jewelry, the designer took this picture of them. He had intended to develop it and give it to the man, but the man never showed up. Heck, they even decided on a time and everything.”

Seeing that Curtis had gone silent, Wyatt felt more depressed. He was unsure of how to continue.

“Where are they now?” asked Curtis.

“Dead,” replied Wyatt. “They were colleagues at a research institute. What they were doing remains unknown, and I have been unable to dig up anything. However, I did manage to find out their names.”

“What are their names?”

“Sylvester Faymon,” said Wyatt, giving Curtis a pointed look. “That’s his wife, Xandra Quaker.”

Curtis stared at the photograph and said nothing more.

“It is possible that they merely share a surname,” murmured Wyatt, having noticed that Curtis seemed to be mulling over something. “There’s one more thing. I’ve not managed to look into Sylvester’s ties to the Faymon family or Old Mr. Faymon himself.”

“Does anyone else know about this?”

Wyatt shook his head and replied, “No. I came over as soon as I received this picture. I never mentioned anything to Theodore either.”

“There’s nothing that needs to be said,” said Curtis. He picked up a book and inserted both pictures inside before placing them into his drawer. “There’s also no need to look into this matter.”

“Do you want me to get this ring back for you?”