Chapter 93
Liam quickly replied to Tessa, “Maybe next time. I’ve got some bus, & my discuss with Aurelia, so it’s not really right now.”
Tessa wasn’t expecting that response.
nvenient
She paused for a moment, then managed a forced smile. “Alright, we’ll head in then.
She turned to Cassian and said, “Let’s go in. We shouldn’t keep Mr. Youngkin waiting.”
Honestly, she didn’t need to say that at all.
But by saying it out loud, she was obviously doing it on purpose, trying to make a point.
‘Mr. Youngkin?‘ Aurelia thought, her heart giving a sudden jolt.
Her brow furrowed in surprise.
‘Wait, could it be Breon Youngkin from NaviTech?‘ she wondered.
Before heading in, Tessa gave Aurelia a quick, almost casual glance, just to make sure she caught it.
That glance, full of contempt and self–satisfaction, confirmed Aurelia ‘s suspicions.
‘Cassian finally made his move,‘ she thought.
‘For Tessa, he really is willing to go all out.‘
Aurelia eased up on Liam a little, seeing that he knew how to handle things.
Liam, who’d been stressing out the whole time, breathed a silent sigh of relief.
Throughout the meal, they kept talking shop, hashing out the details of their possible partnership.
Liam couldn’t help but notice just how sharp Aurelia was when it came to business.
It suddenly dawned on him that he’d always seen Aurelia in a certain way, never really fair to her.
He used to think she was just a pretty face, sticking around Cassian all these years with her looks and a few clever tricks.
So when he heard Cassian had left her for Tessa, it hadn’t come as a shock at all.
After all, relying on beauty to serve others was never a lasting strategy.
One really needed some genuine skills to succeed.
But now, Liam’s view of Aurelia had completely turned around.
Now, when Liam looked at Aurelia, there was genuine admiration in his eyes.
Halfway through the meal, Aurelia briefly left her seat, not to go to the restroom, but to ask the restaurant staff about something.
Sure enough, the person Cassian had invited was Breon Youngkin.
When Aurelia slipped back without drawing attention, she unexpectedly caught Tessa in the act of headhunting.
14:18 Mon, Dec 22 OM.
Chapter 93
This time. Nessa was trying to win Tyson over.
Tyson had come out looking for Aurelia, but ended up bumping into Tessa instead,
“Mr. Morris, I always thought your project had real potential. Tessa said, her voice smo, and a little / But by the m took over. Aurelia had already killed it off. I just couldn’t figure out why she’d shoot down something so good.”
“It wasn’t until she left Honoria Capital, set up her own firm, and backed your project herself that I realized she was playing her own game from the start.”
Aurelia couldn’t help but want to laugh at that.
So this is Cassian’s taste?‘ she thought, a hint of sarcasm in her mind.
‘Guess love really does make people blind.
But Aurelia stayed silent. She was curious to see just how shameless people could get when chasing after profit.
Tyson wasn’t buying Tessa’s story for a second.
“From what I remember, you were the one who shut down my project, Ms. Rowe. So why are you trying to pin this on Aurelia?” Tyson said, his voice steady but clearly skeptical.
Even when Tyson exposed her, Tessa remained calm and collected.
“Aurelia was the one who organized all the projects from Strategic Division Three and handed them over to me.” Tessa replied smoothly. “But the write–up for your project was so bare–bones that I just couldn’t see any promise in it, so I passed.”
“Ms. Rowe, do you really think I’d put my trust in someone I’ve barely spoken to, instead of Aurelia, who’s been in the trenches with me for years?” Tyson replied to Tessa, his voice calm and full of quiet confidence.
J
Tessa paused, then said, “I’m just laying out the facts. You can decide for yourself. I’m not here to make excuses. I’m here to talk business. Regal Investment is just a small–time firm. They can’t offer you the resources or the future you’re really after. But Honoria Capital can.”
She sounded even more sure of herself when she brought up Honoria Capital. You picked Honoria Capital in the first place because you saw what we could do. So why not consider teaming up with me?”
She showed her utmost sincerity, looking as if he was bound to agree, her face radiating complete confidence.
“If you’re willing to work with me, I can bring all of Honoria Capital’s resources to the table for you.”
“You know about my connection with Mr. Locke, right? If I want something, he’ll back me all the way. Together, we’ll both win big!”
‘She’s really good at talking, Aurelia thought, a touch of sarcasm in her mind. ‘Even I’m almost buying it.”
Tyson stood his ground, completely unfazed.
“Sorry, not interested,” he replied, his voice cool and unwavering.
“Not now, not ever. Ms. Rowe, please stop trying to rope me in.”
Tessa’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of irritation crossing her face.
She couldn’t believe Tyson was so clueless.
Anyone with a shred of sense would know which way to go,‘ she thought to herself.
Mon, Dec 22
Chapter 93
POM
Tyson had shot her down again and again, and she just couldn’t wrap her head around if
With
Tessa frowned, thinking it over for a few seconds, then suddenly blurted out, “Are you Aurelia?” Otherwise, why are you so devoted to her? Tessa wondered, the realization dawning on
“Yeah, so what?” Tyson shot back, totally unfazed.
He was upfront about it.
He just couldn’t bring himself to tell Aurelia, always careful to keep things balanced between them.
But that didn’t mean he’d hide it from anyone else.
Tessa let out a sigh of relief and gave a small smile. “It’s nothing.”
She felt a pang of regret that she couldn’t poach Tyson, but it wasn’t the end of the world.
If those two really ended up together, it would settle one concern for her.
Honestly, she’d actually be glad to see it happen.
When it came to the project, if she couldn’t win Tyson over, she could always go after the folks in his studio.
Not everyone would stick with Aurelia as wholeheartedly as Tyson did.
Aurelia had Tyson on her side, along with all his technical genius.
But Tessa had Cassian’s full support behind her.
Besides, feelings could change in a heartbeat.
Aurelia wouldn’t stay on top forever.
It wasn’t until Tessa and Tyson parted ways that Aurelia finally moved.
066
But she didn’t immediately return. Instead, she fixed her gaze on the person opposite her, not looking away for a second. Cassian showed up just a little while after Aurelia arrived.
It was like they had an unspoken understanding. neither said a word, just quietly listened in on everything without interrupting.
They heard the whole thing from start to finish.
The entire time, they just locked eyes in complete silence.
Cassian leaned back, his face hidden in the shadows, his features growing indistinct and unreadable.
Aurelia didn’t bother digging deeper. Before heading out, she tossed him a pointed reminder. “Mr. Locke, keep your own people in check. Stop trying to steal others. You might just end up tripping yourself. Trust me, it’s not worth it.”
Of course, she knew Cassian wouldn’t take her words to heart.
After all, love had completely blinded him.
Even if he saw Tessa’s true colors with his own eyes, he’d still make excuses for her.
Love really did make people blind.
19 Mon, Dec 22
Chapter 93
Aurelia found our firsthand just how true that was the very next day.
Breon called Aurelia for a meeting about working together, but when she showed up, she font out there was someone else in the room.
It was none other than Cassian.
This time. Tessa was nowhere to be seen.
They were probably afraid that her presence might influence Aurelia’s decision.
Even though Aurelia knew she was walking right into a trap, she still sat down.
She learned from Breon that this dinner was organized by Cassian’s team.
Her being invited was also Cassian’s idea.
If NaviTech wanted to partner up with InquireMind, they’d need some seriously high–performance chips to power their tech.
And when it came to the best chips in the country, Honoria Capital had them all locked down.
Henry spelled it out. If everyone pooled their resources, it’d be a win–win for all sides.
Aurelia didn’t really care. In the end, everyone was just chasing profit. If working together meant everyone walked away with more, she was all for it.
Even if it meant joining forces with a rival, she could accept it.
But deep down, Aurelia couldn’t help but wonder what Cassian’s real agenda was.
After all, with Honoria Capital’s size and clout, they didn’t need a deal like this to get anything out of it.
Aurelia asked Cassian straight up what he was really after.
Cassian said, “I’ll provide the chips, and Mr. Youngkin agreed to let AeroMind integrate with their office system.”
Out of nowhere, Tessa’s words popped back into Aurelia’s mind.
