Chapter 172
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Kyler thought, ‘Aurelia’s not as capable as Tessa, so she has to resort to these dirty tricks to get what she wants.
How could someone as innocent as Tessa possibly stand a chance against a woman this scheming and underhanded?
If it weren’t for the timing. I’d go over right now and warn Darren not to fall for Aurelia’s tricks!
Kyler pushed down his discomfort, went to Zofia’s assistant, and told him straight up why he was there.
He wanted to talk to Zofia about the merger deal.
The assistant apologized, saying Zofia was meeting with a VIP and couldn’t see him right now.
“No problem. I can wait, however long it takes,” Kyler replied, making it clear he was willing to stick around.
He’d come to Grendel City for one reason only: to land the MegaTech merger and make his move into the chip business.
MegaTech was a chip company right there in Grendel City.
Zofia held a stake in the company.
MegaTech hadn’t been doing as well as Ascend Group the past couple of years. Its market share kept shrinking, and it had been losing money for three years running.
Zofia was considering a merger to restructure the company and turn things around for MegaTech.
The news hadn’t been made public yet.
Kyler only found out about it through his dad’s connections.
He wanted to get a head start and convince Zofia to bring Evergreen Group into the MegaTech merger before any more competitors showed up.
He was sure he could make MegaTech a real success and go toe–to–toe with Ascend Group.
‘Maybe then, Tessa would actually give me a second look,‘ Kyler thought.
For some reason, as he thought about it, Kyler suddenly remembered Aurelia’s snarky comment.
“What’s with your outfit? You look just like Cassian. Trying to be a Cassian knockoff, Kyler?”
Kyler’s eyes darkened.
‘Why the hell am I thinking about Aurelia again?‘ Kyler thought, annoyed.
*****
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Chapter 172
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Aurelia was surprised to find that the person Darren wanted to introduce her to was actually Zofia, his wife.
But before he could even get a word out, Zofia smiled and said, “No need to introduce us. We already know each other.”
“Really?” Darren sat down next to his wife, casually draping his arm around her shoulders. “When did that happen? How come I didn’t know about it?”
“Well, Aurelia gave me a hand with it.” She pointed to the silk scarf at her waist. “Ms. Corin really saved me today.”
Darren joked, “I thought you were trying out a new style. I was just about to say it looks fantastic.”
“That just proves Ms. Corin’s got great taste,” Zofia added, clearly liking Aurelia.
Seeing how well they were getting along, Darren grinned and said, “You two go ahead and chat. I’ve got a few things to take care of.”
He gave them some space to talk.
Zofia didn’t waste any time. She cut to the chase and told Aurelia exactly why she wanted to meet.
To be honest, Aurelia was pretty surprised.
They’d only just met today and weren’t really familiar with each other yet.
But Zofia was already showing a lot of trust in her, which made Aurelia straighten up in her seat.
“Thank you for trusting me, Mrs. Keith. I’m not too familiar with the chip industry yet, so if you don’t mind, could you give me a bit of time? I’d like to look into things and put together a thorough business plan for you,” Aurelia said.
“Of course, and I know you can do it,” Zofia replied.
Zofia added, “Even though we just met today, your reputation precedes you. I know you’ve got the skills to turn MegaTech around. I’m sure MegaTech will be in good hands with you.”
‘Darren must have mentioned me to her,‘ Aurelia thought.
“I won’t let either of you down,” Aurelia promised.
They chatted for a while longer.
Seeing that Zofia looked exhausted, Aurelia took the initiative to end their conversation, gently suggesting she get some rest.
As Aurelia stepped out, she bumped into Kyler, who’d been waiting forever.
Neither of them looked happy to see the other, and they didn’t even bother to look at each other.
They both couldn’t stand each other.
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Chapter 172
But Aurelia walked off with a spring in her step.
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The assistant told Kyler that Zofia wasn’t feeling well today and suggested they talk another day if that was okay.
But Kyler wouldn’t take no for an answer. He insisted on seeing Zofia.
Reluctantly, the assistant went in to explain the situation to Zofia.
Two minutes later, Kyler finally got to meet Zofia.
“Kyler, sorry, but I’ve picked someone for the MegaTech merger. No need to waste your time,” Zofia said.
Kyler froze for a second. Then, thinking back to how Aurelia had practically bounced out of the room earlier. he suddenly got it.
Kyler’s eyes narrowed, but he decided to just ask straight out. “Mrs. Keith, the person you picked is Aurelia Corin, right?”
Zofia didn’t deny it.
Kyler let out a dismissive snort, his voice dripping with disdain. “Mrs. Keith, maybe you don’t know, but Ms. Corin’s not exactly talented, and her degree’s not even worth mentioning. Are you seriously thinking of handing MegaTech over to someone so useless?”
Kyler’s words dripped with prejudice and contempt, making Zofia frown. “Kyler, looks like you’ve got it out for Ms. Corin. Did something happen between you two?”
Kyler just scoffed, even more dismissive. “Nope, no misunderstanding. I barely know her. Just heard some stuff. Honestly, I just don’t think she’s a decent person.”
Zofia leaned back, tucking a pillow behind her waist, her eyes growing noticeably colder as she looked at Kyler.
“Kyler, what you’re saying sounds pretty contradictory. Since you admit you barely know her, that means you don’t really understand her. So how did you conclude that she’s not a decent person?” she asked.
Kyler hadn’t expected Zofia to be so firmly in Aurelia’s corner. Thinking maybe he hadn’t spelled things out enough, he decided to lay all his cards on the table.
“To be completely honest, when I came looking for you just now, I saw Aurelia in the hallway, a public space, trying something inappropriate with Mr. Keith,” Kyler said, his voice thick with accusation.
“Oh, really?” Zofia replied, still sounding unfazed. “Are you suggesting there’s trouble between my husband
and me?”
Kyler quickly shook his head. “No, not at all.”
Everyone in Grendel City knew Darren and Zofia were childhood sweethearts. Their love was legendary.
Kyler’s words were clearly meant to stir the pot between them.
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Chapter 172
But he’d seen it with his eyes that Aurelia had all but launched herself at Darren right in front of him
Since he’d already laid it all out, Kyler decided to remind Zofia to check the security cameras to back up his
story.
But Zofia was one step ahead. She asked her assistant to pull the footage.
The assistant was efficient. He got the footage in under ten minutes.
“Want to bet, Mr. Ackerley?” Zofia didn’t bother checking the footage yet. She just threw out an offer. “If Aurelia made a move on my husband as you said, the MegaTech deal is yours.”
Kyler was caught off guard.
He agreed right away, not even caring what the other option was.
He was that confident, totally convinced Aurelia was just as shady as he’d always thought.
“Alright, but if Aurelia isn’t the kind of person you say she is, you have to apologize to her in person, Zona said, her gentle look turning steely. She was all business now,
After all, she was the queen of a top–tier family. Her aura was impossible to ignore.
Kyler didn’t even blink. He was convinced he’d win. “Deal”
Zofia wasted no time and exposed the truth on the spot.
