Chapter 176
Hendrick’s recollection of Phoebe’s favor was precisely what she had hoped for.
Phoebe said. “I just did what I should do, as long as you don’t blame Elia
It was better not to mention Ophelia.
Upon hearing Ophelia’s name, Hendrick was reminded of the public humiliation he had endured. He remembered the curious and judgmental glances people had given him, which filled him with depression
Originally, Hendrick could have had a successful career at Huxley Fashion, doing import–export trade with enough benefits. to retire by forty. But now, he had to start over at another company from square one.
How could he possibly swallow that insult?
Hearing Hendrick fall silent, Phoebe gently reassured him, “Alright, just focus off working hard. And once you’re settled in, you should treat me to dinner.”
Phoebe’s gentle and understanding voice touched Hendrick.
He quickly agreed, “Yes, I definitely will
After finishing her tasks, Ophelia glanced at the time.
She said, “Chloe, I gotta head out for a bit.”
Chloe replied. “Okay.”
Then Ophelia grabbed the khaki trench coat from the rack, slipped it on smoothly as she walked out, and took the elevator down to the basement level.
As she entered the parking lot, she spotted a young man in black leaning casually against her black SUV.
The young man, slim and clad in a black hoodie adorned with letters, had his hands casually in his pockets while chewing bubble gum. His checks bulged as he blew a sizable bubble.
“Pifi…” The bubble popped.
With a frown and a questioning look, Ophelia asked, “What are you doing here?”
She wondered, ‘Did he escape from Kenneth’s base?”
Seeing Ophelia, Ray quickly put out his cigarette and greeted her, “Mrs. Sinclair.”
Only then did Ophelia notice Ray,
Ray donned a leather jacket atop a gray sweater. His black stubble covered his jawline and spread to the sides of his face, His skin had a rough texture.
His piercing. hawk–like eyes were accentuated by his permanently furrowed brows, etching deep lines on his forehead. “What are you two doing here?” Ophelia asked again.
“Caleb and Barrett have been assigned tasks, so Mr. Sinclair sent us to protect you for the time being,” Ray said. His voice was hoarse like the result of years of smoking. “Mrs. Sinclair, where are you going? I’ll drive,” said Ray
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Ophelia said. Timière Hotel
“Alright Ray said and moved to open the car door but received disdainful glance from Eric
Ophicha pullest a set of keys from her pocket and handed them over.
Only then did Ray halt his attempt to open the car door
He forgot he didn’t have the keys.
He chuckled awkwardly and turned to glare at Erie, saying, “You could’ve reminded me.”
Ray was driving, with Eric in the passenger seat.
After getting in the car, Eric handed over some lollipops. They all had foreign labels that Ophelia had never seen before.
Eric said. “They’re delicious. I found them during a mission in Dawnshire last time.”
He’d saved these few as if they were precious to him.
Ophelia took just one and said, “Keep the rest yourself.”
These days, she seldom indulged in candy or sweets.
Ophelia used to feel life was too bitter, so she constantly sought comfort in sweets.
But now, she felt like she no longer needed that comfort.
Eric quietly withdrew his hand.
Suddenly, a rough, large hand grabbed two pieces.
One was stuffed into Ray’s jacket pocket, and the other was unwrapped roughly with his teeth and popped into his mouth.
Ray said, “Man, your prized candy is really good. Next time I get to Dawnshire, I’ll get you more.”
All three of them in the car were sucking on lollipops.
Ray’s driving mirrored his personality: direct and aggressive. He completed a drive that usually took half an hour in less
than fifteen minutes.
Ophelia would have thrown up if she hadn’t had a lollipop in her mouth to distract her.
He was driving as if his life depended on it.
“Mrs. Sinclair, we’re here,” Ray said.
As Ray spoke, Ophelia had already swung the car door open and stepped out.
She moved over to the passenger side, tugged on Eric’s hoodie, pulled out a piece of bubble gum from his pocket, quickly unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth.
“What are you doing at the hotel?” Eric asked with curiosity, glancing at the hotel sign.
Chewing the strawberry–flavored gum, Ophelia tried to ease the churn in her stomach.
“So now you can even recognize the word hotel?” Ophelia felt a moment of satisfaction, but the next moment, she realized
she was wrong-
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Chapter 176
Frie said. “I may not be able to read, but I’m not stupid You just mentioned you were heared to Lumière Hotel
Additionally, he could discern from the building’s architectural style that it was indeed a hotel
Ophelia was rendered speechless.
It appeared that she was unable to think clearly after suffering from car sickness,
Ophelia had thought she’d be late, but now she found she had over ten minutes to spare.
Today was the property auction day of the Hastings family.
In the hotel conference room, Ophelia casually took a seat in the back row, with Eric and Ray sitting behind her.
Gradually, people trickled into the conference room, but it never really filled up.
On the large screen, a continuous loop displayed properties that once belonged to the Hastings family.
There were houses, cars, securities, shares, and so on.
The auctioneer announced, “We are now commencing the auction for a 35% stake in the Hastings Group’s entertainment company, which holds a five–year operational license. Bidding begins at 400 thousand dollars.”
If Owen had been present, he might have felt offended by the price.
That was an exceptionally low price.
When Ophelia initially purchased the rest of the shares of Sungate Entertainment, she spent a significant amount of money. People slowly raised their bidding paddles.
However, this company had a minimal roster of signed artists, and those who were once profitable had already ended their contracts. It did not even match the standards of an average studio, so in the eyes of most people, it held no value for them. Amidst the sporadic bids, Ophelia finally raised her bidding paddle.
The auctioneer announced, 150 thousand dollars, first bid, second bid, sold!”
Ophelia bought the 35% shares that Emily once took pride in, at an amazingly low price.
Next was the Hastings Villa; the luxurious mansion appeared on the big screen.
The villa, which once displayed the owner’s prestige in every blade of grass and tree, now seemed dull and desolate, a mere echo of its former splendor.
“The starting price is 1.5 million dollars,” stated the auctioneer.
“This house looks pretty nice,” Ray remarked, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. “If I retire someday, a house like this would do just fine.”
Eric yawned out of boredom.
“Didn’t sleep well? What did you do all night if you were not sleeping?” Ray’s voice was not too loud or too soft, and since they were in the back row, nobody was paying attention.
Eric popped a mint candy into his mouth.
“Hey, kid! I’m talking to you!” Ray gave Eric a light tap on the back of his head.
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Erie’s head jerked forward–and the mint candy slipped from his mouth before it even touched his tongue.
He turned his head slightly, his eyes narrowing with a dangerous threat
Ahem Ray quickly looked away and sat up straight.
The house was auctioned off for 3 million dollars.
Next up were some cars and shares in a mutual fund, among other things.
They were auctioned off at various prices, with some fetching high amounts and others going for lower surns.
The auctioneer announced, “Up for bid next is a real estate company affiliated with the Hastings Group, featuring an operational lease of ei
