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In that instant, Tessa’s look turned unpleasant. Kyler suddenly spoke up, “Ms. Rowe is an outstanding investor. She also holds a Ph.D. in finance from Whitvale School of Management.” It was clear Kyler was standing up for Tessa.
Kyler looked genuinely surprised. He quickly apologized and shook Tessa’s hand again. “My bad for judging you by your looks. I hope you’re not offended.”
Harvey chimed in, “Honestly, Ms. Rowe, you’re just too gorgeous. People tend to overlook how talented you are because of your looks.”
With renewed recognition, Tessa regained her confidence. She shot Kyler a grateful look before turning to Kyler. “You flatter me, Mr. Keith.”
Kyler, probably trying to make up for his earlier slip, kept the conversation going. “Whitvale School of Management is a top–tier institution. Beauty and brains, Ms. Rowe. That’s quite the combo. So, which company are you with?”
“Honoria Capital,” Tessa replied.
Kyler nodded approvingly. “That’s a solid company. Impressive!”
He didn’t forget to praise Cassian’s eye for talent, saying that with someone like Tessa on his team, Cassian’s business empire would soon outshine his father’s legacy.
Tessa was back in her element, weaving stories of her stellar career into the conversation as she chatted with Kyler.
Kyler was even more surprised when he found out she’d worked at Strive Bank. But as she started listing her accomplishments at Strive Bank, his smile began to fade.
“So, you were the mastermind behind the port sale for Everbright Industries?” Kyler remarked.
Tessa didn’t pick up on the chill in Kyler’s voice and continued proudly, “Yeah, that deal was worth 25 billion dollars! It was the biggest project I ever handled at Strive Bank.”
‘Aurelia thinks she’s all that just because she pulled off a 100 billion dollar port renovation project?‘ Tessa scoffed. ‘She’s getting ahead of herself. I closed a deal worth nearly 200 billion dollars a whole year ago. Aurelia’s peak is just my starting line.‘
But after a quick, indifferent nod, Kyler turned away and started chatting with Aurelia about InquireMind. As soon as the topic switched to InquireMind, he was all smiles and clearly enjoying himself.
Tessa couldn’t make sense of Kyler’s sudden change in attitude. She figured it had to be because their companies were partners, so he’d be extra friendly with Aurelia.
Her gaze drifted, instinctively searching for Cassian. He’d been gone for quite a while and still hadn’t returned. She had no idea where he’d gone.
The air conditioning inside was cranked up, and with Tessa in a strapless dress, the chill crept in. Without
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Chapter 148
thinking, she rubbed her bare arms.
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Kyler noticed and immediately shrugged off his jacket, about to drape it over her shoulders. But someone beat him to it. Someone had already draped a coat over Tessa’s shoulders.
Kyler looked up to find Cassian already there. When Tessa saw Cassian, her mood instantly brightened. She flashed him a smile, “Where’d you run off to?”
“Had to take a call. It’s raining out, got a bit cold,” Cassian said.
After checking on Tessa, Cassian gave Kyler a nod and headed out.
Kyler slipped his jacket back on in silence, then stood up to say goodbye to Kyler. There was no point in sticking around since Tessa was leaving.
Meanwhile, Kyler acted pretty indifferent, just told Harvey to see them out. He stayed behind to chat with Aurelia for a while longer. He seemed to admire Aurelua genuinely.
Tessa saw it, and the smile on her face faded noticeably. Aurelia and Kyler really clicked and ended up exchanging numbers.
By the time the event wrapped up, the rain outside had stopped. Kyler personally walked Aurelia to the door, saying they should get together again sometime. Aurelia agreed right away.
After Aurelia left, Harvey turned to Kyler. “You really seem to admire her.”
“Yeah,” Kyler admitted easily. “She’s smart and has real vision. One of those rare business talents. Where was she working before this?”
Harvey answered, “She was at Honoria Capital, but just working as Cassian’s secretary. Honestly, that was a total waste of her abilities.”
Kyler paused, surprised. “Cassian let someone like her go?”
“Maybe he just never expected her to achieve so much,” Harvey guessed.
But Kyler shook his head. “From what I know about Cassian, there’s no way he didn’t see her potential. If he couldn’t spot talent, Honoria Capital wouldn’t be where it is today.”
Harvey thought for a moment, then decided to share a bit of gossip he’d heard. “Word is, Aurelia and Cassian used to be a thing, but Aurelia didn’t have much of a background. So in the end, Cassian went with Tessa. She’s Daniel Rowe’s daughter, and Daniel just got promoted to deputy director last year.”
With that explanation, Kyler finally understood. Sometimes, who you are born matters more than how hard you work. Men are always calculating the pros and cons.
On the way back, Tyson asked Aurelia a question that had been bothering him all night. It was something he couldn’t figure out. “At the party, when Mr. Keith heard about Tessa’s background, he was clearly impressed. However, as the conversation went on, he seemed to lose interest. Why do you think that happened?”
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Chapter 148
He couldn’t see what the issue was, so he was left scratching his head in confusion.
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Aurelia explained, “Mr. Keith, along with his father and grandfather, has a strong sense of patriotism. The роп sale Tessa brought up with Everbright Industries touched a real sore spot for him. Probably the only reason he didn’t blow up on the place was out of respect for Cassian.
“Those ports Everbright Industries sold are vital to our country, so it’s no wonder Kyler deeply resents it. That’s why he suddenly turned cold.”
Aurelia only knew about Kyler’s background because Cassian had shared it with her. Back when Cassian hit a wall with his chip investment, he had no choice but to ask the Keith family for help. That was the only way he managed to weather the storm. That was how she was able to figure out why Kyler’s mood soured so quickly.
“So that’s the reason, huh? Guess that makes Tessa a total sellout,” Tyson blurted out. He never sugarcoated things.
“Let’s just keep this between us,” Aurelia cautioned him. Tessa had some serious backing. If she ever got pissed, she could wipe Tyson off the map in a heartbeat. Tyson always took Aurelia’s advice. If she said to drop it, he knew she was looking out for him.
Aside from that, Tyson also realized something pretty important that night. Aurelia seemed totally unaffected by Cassian. She was so calm, it was as if he were another face in the crowd, like he meant absolutely nothing to her. But Tyson knew all too well how much it had taken for Aurelia to reach this level of detachment
Tyson hadn’t had a drop to drink, so he drove Aurelia home himself. He knew she must’ve been wiped out because she crashed out in the seat on the way back.
When they got to her building, Tyson couldn’t bring himself to wake her up. She was always working herself to the bone, so getting a little shut–eye was a rare treat. He figured he might as well let her sleep a while longer.
Besides, with her asleep, he could unabashedly watch her, taking in every detail without restraint. But the enclosed space made him feel restless, his breath coming quicker, more heavily.
Tyson fought the urge bubbling up inside and hurried out of the car. Not far away, inside a silver Maybach, Cassian sat with a stone–cold face, his gaze sharp. Every line of his expression radiated chill.
He turned to Wesley and commanded, “Hit them.” Wesley froze, completely baffled.
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