“I don’t care who she is. If she had a strong background, she wouldn’t work for your low-end magazine company,” he said to Bella, then turned his gaze back to Estelle. “Get out of here now and keep quiet about this. Got it?”
“Mind your manners!” Bella snapped and stood in front of Estelle to protect her. “You fool! Let me introduce her to you. This is Ms. Hudson, the president of the Hudson Group.”
Mr. Jones frowned in disdain and said impatiently, “I’ve never heard of her.”
“Okay, let me share another secret about her. She’s Cristofer’s wife, the lady of the Hans family!” Bella revealed.
In an instant, Mr. Jones’s expression changed. Panic filled his eyes as he asked in disbelief, “When… When did your magazine collaborate with Cristofer?”
“It’s none of your business. You never care about what I do; all you think about every day is your other woman!” Bella retorted. She walked to the desk, swiftly signed the divorce papers, and tossed them at Mr. Jones. “I’ve signed it. We’ll finalize the divorce tomorrow morning. Now get out of here! You disgust me!”
“Get lost!” The secretary put her hands on her hips and added, “Why are you still standing there? If you don’t leave, I’ll tell Mr. Hans everything you just said to Mrs. Hans.” She said this to intimidate Mr. Jones.
“Fine, fine. I’m leaving now. See you in court tomorrow morning. Don’t regret it!”
“I only regret not seeing your true colors and divorcing you sooner!” Bella retorted.
Mr. Jones hastily exited. After the heated argument, the meeting room finally fell silent. With an embarrassed look, Bella said, “Estelle, I’m sorry for making you wait. Thanks to you, he didn’t cross the line.”
Hearing this, Estelle smiled wryly, “I didn’t do anything to help you. Cristofer’s name was the one that came to your help.”
“Mr. Hans is incredibly sharp, known by everyone in Hadale. He bought nearly all the small jewelry companies in town back then. Many small business owners, like Roman, were terrified that Cristofer would acquire their companies,” Bella explained.
“When did Cristofer start buying those companies?” Estelle asked and was a little bit stunned.
“About two years ago,” Bella replied, her eyes showing a hint of confusion. “You didn’t know about this?”
“I…” Estelle smiled sheepishly and admitted, “I was overseas during that time, so I wasn’t aware of what he was up to.”
Seeing an opportunity, Bella winked at her secretary and said, “Please prepare two cups of coffee for us.”
Understanding the request, the secretary nodded and left the room. Bella then led Estelle to her office and closed the door. Once they were both seated on the sofa, she asked, “Did you have any issues with Mr. Hans back then? No wonder…”
“No wonder what?” Estelle asked, curious.
“No wonder Mr. Hans had a fearsome reputation during that time. He was known as one of the most intimidating figures in the business world back then,” Bella explained.
Estelle had a rough idea of what Cristofer had been up to in recent years. She had heard from Eva that Cristofer had dismissed over a dozen secretaries during that period, and some others, despite being well-paid, had resigned due to his strictness.
“It doesn’t matter. He’s not like that anymore because you’re back. You two seem to get along well, and your kids are adorable,” Bella said, sounding emotional. “That’s wonderful. Besides, Mr. Hans respects your career and doesn’t hold you back. He’s much better than many men. Successful men don’t mind their wives having their own careers. It’s only the insecure ones who want their wives to be homemakers because they fear their wives might outshine them.”
Estelle decided not to dig into the topic of Bella’s husband and their relationship. Instead, she nodded and said, “You’re absolutely right. Cristofer has always been supportive of my career.”
‘When Cristofer and I were together in the past, we talked about my future career. Being the only child of the Hudson family, I was expected to lead the Hudson Group. I had strong design skills, but I wasn’t confident in managing a company.’
‘I still remember what Cristofer told me when I expressed my concerns about running the company. He said, ‘Don’t worry. Just give it your all, and I’ll support you if you face any challenges.’
‘Back then, Cristofer was only around twenty years old, but he was already making a name for himself in the business world of Hadale. Meanwhile, I was living a carefree life. Cristofer pampered me a lot, and I used to leave everything I didn’t want to do to him. With Cristofer supporting me in everything, I had an easy life and didn’t really understand the challenges of life until I had to stand on my own.’
“You’re smiling so warmly. Are you reminiscing about the good times with Mr. Hans?” Bella asked, bringing Estelle back to the present with her voice.
It was only then that Estelle realized she had been smiling unconsciously and felt a bit embarrassed. “No,” she replied.
“Why are you being so bashful? You two are a married couple, after all.”
‘We used to be, but not anymore. We’re divorced,’ Estelle thought to herself.
Seeing Estelle’s silence, Bella changed the topic and said, “Well, let’s get down to business. Did you bring the design sketches with you?”
“Yes, I’ll show them to you right now,” Estelle said as she powered on her laptop and displayed the design sketches.
Bella looked at the sketches with some surprise. “These… These are actual charcoal pencil sketches?”
“Yes,” Estelle confirmed.
“It’s quite unusual to see traditional sketches like this nowadays. Most designers use digital tablets for their drawings, but you still prefer charcoal pencils.”
“I’m just more comfortable with them,” Estelle explained.
Bella nodded in agreement and said, “These designs are quite unique. They don’t have an overly luxurious feel, and the gemstones are relatively small, but they exude a delicate and stylish charm.”
“This jewelry set is suitable for all ages, and it’s not too expensive. People won’t have to worry about attracting thieves when wearing it,” Estelle remarked humorously.
“You’re absolutely right,” Bella chuckled.
“Jewelry is meant to enhance one’s appearance. If a piece of jewelry is too heavy or costly, and people don’t wear it after purchasing it, then it serves no purpose. This set is meant for everyday wear, plus it’s cost-effective. I plan to adopt a strategy of small profits but high turnover once it’s released,” Estelle explained.
Bella quickly caught on and asked, “Is the Hudson Group facing working capital issues at the moment?”
Estelle reluctantly confirmed, “… Yes.”