“We love each other very much, please don’t misunderstand.”
As Jane finished speaking, she looked at Patrick with confidence. He returned her gaze with equal assurance.
The couple’s sweet photos were quickly taken and shared online. After all, their public displays of affection were not uncommon.
Overnight, the pictures of their love spread rapidly on the internet and many people expressed envy in the comments section.
“I can’t believe two CEOs can be so sweet together! It’s making me sickly sweet!”
The comments continued to pour in and for a while, this news overshadowed Katherine’s recent hiring at the company.
After parting ways with the reporters, Patrick escorted Jane back to Star Entertainment before heading to his office alone.
To his surprise, he found Katherine sitting in his chair when he walked in.
Patrick immediately scowled and turned away from her. “What are you doing here? Leave now.”
“Patrick! You’re back,” Katherine said without any intention of leaving. She approached him and lightly placed her hand on his shoulder while standing on tiptoe to whisper into his ear. “I’ve been waiting for you for so long… are you going to make me leave?”
Katherine’s voice was full of innuendo that made Patrick feel uncomfortable. He gently pushed her away without looking at her directly. “Miss Maltz, please behave yourself.”
“Don’t be like that,” Katherine protested as she reached out again towards him. “Where did you go? I’ve been waiting for you.” Her hands roamed over Patrick’s body until they rested on his perfectly toned abs.
“Surprisingly, after all this time, your figure still looks so good,” said Katherine, causing Patrick’s gaze to turn cold as he bypassed her. “Don’t take advantage of the situation.”
“Oh come on, I just missed you,” Katherine replied.
Seeing Patrick’s unfriendly tone, Katherine stopped what she was doing and sat half-sitting on Patrick’s desk, twisting her alluring body.
Patrick closed his eyes, unwilling to look.
“As the Miss of the Maltz family, you shouldn’t be doing such things,” Patrick said, facing away from Katherine, with thoughts of Jane constantly in his mind.
If she were to witness this scene, who knew what she would think.
If it weren’t for Mike owing a favor to the Maltz family, Patrick wouldn’t have tolerated her like this repeatedly.
The moment Katherine entered the company, he had planned to remove her from it.
“Really?” Katherine said pitifully, which only disgusted Patrick even more.
He closed his eyes, refusing to look at Katherine.
“If there’s nothing else, please leave.”
“If it weren’t for you, why would I do such a thing?” Katherine found Patrick’s behavior boring and resumed her usual demeanor.
“That’s not necessary,” Patrick directly refused, leaving Katherine speechless.
“Fine, don’t regret it!” Katherine gritted her teeth, adjusted her clothes, and stormed out of the room.
“Replace all the furniture in this room.”
Once Katherine left, Patrick, with a stern expression, called his secretary to have everything replaced.
A few days later, Mike arranged a special banquet to catch up with old friends in the business world.
The banquet took place at the old mansion. Despite Mike retiring from the business world for many years, he remained a well-known figure, with many elders being his old friends, and many new CEOs came to pay their respects.
Mike sat at the head of the table. Despite his old age and relying on a cane, people still felt hesitant to approach him.
This was the style and aura instilled in the Pansy family from a young age, and everyone was already accustomed to it.
“Grandpa, why did you personally host the banquet? If you just say the word, we can arrange it for you,” Patrick said as he entered with Jane.
Jane wore a smiling expression, celebrating with Mike, which brought a smile to Mike’s face.
“Well, you’re considerate, but this time it’s fine. Next time, I’ll let you handle it for sure.”
Mike was very happy and had Patrick and Jane sit beside him.
Many business people wanted to approach Patrick to discuss business matters, but today was Mike’s banquet, and no one dared to brazenly approach.
The guests had gradually arrived, and as the banquet was about to begin, Mike instructed the doors to be closed.
For this celebration, Patrick had specially decorated the old mansion. However, as the old man had grown older, he didn’t like anything too flashy, so this time they focused on elegance and modesty.
Just as the doors were about to close, a crisp voice caught everyone’s attention.
“Wait!”
Katherine was seen wearing a purple evening gown with a carefully styled curly hairdo, which made her look elegant and sophisticated. Her broad shoulders added to her sense of high fashion.
Her attire undoubtedly caught the attention of the crowd, and many secretly compared her to Jane.
Jane, on the other hand, was a reserved beauty and opted for a simple dress, which paled in comparison to Katherine’s glamour.
Jane didn’t think much of it, as today was Mike’s banquet, and the old man always preferred a low-key celebration. She didn’t want to compete in this aspect.
“Miss Maltz, you’ve kept us waiting for so long,” someone spoke up, and the others followed suit in agreement.
Katherine faintly smirked, clapped her hands, and someone behind her carried a ceremonial tray covered with a red cloth.
“What’s this?” Mike pointed to the item behind her and asked.
“This is the gift I prepared for you today. Although the banquet is for the upper class, I have also joined Patrick’s company, so naturally, I should attend,” Katherine explained with a persuasive tone, impressing those around her with her thoughtfulness.
No one expected Katherine to be so well-prepared this time, and many glanced at Jane, who stood empty-handed on the stage.
Katherine clapped her hands again, and the red cloth was unveiled.
A sparkling and translucent jade ring appeared before everyone, shining a deep green under the light. It was evident that the cost of this ring was not cheap.
“This is the jade ring I repurchased at a high price at the auction. I was immediately captivated by it and thought it would be a perfect match for Mike’s temperament, so I bought it,” Katherine explained.
The valuable ring caught everyone’s attention, and it was surprising that Katherine had made such a generous gesture for Mike. She had truly put a lot of thought into it.
“Very well, my dear. You’re thoughtful,” Mike expressed his happiness and asked someone to keep the ring safe.
“This ring was crafted by Dax and took 81 days to create. Every detail is meticulously carved,” Katherine added.
Upon hearing the name Dax, the crowd exclaimed. Dax was a top-tier craftsman in the world, and owning one of his creations was considered remarkable. It was unexpected that Katherine had managed to acquire something from him.
“I heard that Jane is Dax’s apprentice, but it seems she hasn’t received his personal teachings yet.”
“Who knows the authenticity of her identity? It’s hard to say,” someone whispered.