Tristian, on the other hand, refused to back down and went head-to-head with Patrick. The two companies fought over business resources and found themselves in a heated battle.
A week passed without either side emerging victorious. Patrick sat in his office, furrowing his brow as he tried to come up with a strategy.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Patrick thought it might be his secretary with some news and motioned for her to come in. To his surprise, it was Katherine.
Patrick’s face darkened at the sight of her – she had clearly dressed up for this occasion, wearing a bright yellow dress and flower crown reminiscent of Jane’s style.
“What are you doing here?”
After their last encounter in the office, Patrick was wary of Katherine’s intentions.
“I heard about Pansy Group having some trouble so I came to check on things.”
When Katherine went to visit Mike, she overheard the servants discussing the matter. That was why she took great care to dress up at home.
Remembering her embarrassing performance in the office last time, Katherine was fully prepared this time. She specifically studied Jane’s every expression and even her walking posture, all to make a good impression on Patrick.
“What’s the use of it?”
Patrick’s tone became more irritable. The recent troubles with Tristian had been disturbing his thoughts, and even the top professionals were having difficulty handling it. What could Katherine, an outsider, possibly know?
“I… I know I can’t be of help.”
Katherine completely lost the coquettish confidence she had before, and now she put on a pitiful appearance. If anyone else saw her like this, they would definitely soften their hearts.
But Patrick was not just anyone. Since Katherine entered, he hadn’t even glanced at her.
“Last time it was my fault, it happened suddenly. Are you still angry with me?”
Katherine blinked her almond-shaped eyes. Today, she had deliberately applied a cunning makeup look, making her appear more lively and interesting.
“I’m not angry.”
Apart from Jane, Patrick had never cared about any other woman. He naturally wouldn’t keep remembering such a disturbance.
“Good to know.”
Katherine’s voice grew smaller and smaller, sounding as soft as flowing water.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave.”
Katherine had been standing next to him the whole time, and Patrick felt extremely stifled. He stood up directly and walked out of the office.
But Katherine didn’t back down at all. She chased after Patrick and confronted him in front of everyone. “You said you’re not angry, so why are you avoiding me like this?”
“I just don’t want to be around you.”
Patrick showed no mercy to Katherine, his gaze cold and his expression warning her to stay away.
But Katherine didn’t give up. As more and more people gathered around, she directly confronted Patrick in front of everyone.
“Why? I’m from the Maltz family. Even your grandfather dotes on me. Can’t I be by your side?”
Katherine tried hard to squeeze out a few tears from her eyes, making her eyes turn red. It made her look even more lively.
“Don’t be like this.”
Seeing more and more people around them, Patrick realized it wasn’t good. He waved his hand, trying to get Katherine to leave.
But as more people gathered, Katherine decided to go all out. She reached out and grabbed Patrick’s hand. “If you’re not directly rejecting me, does that mean you have feelings for me?”
As soon as she said this, the surrounding people erupted in a commotion.
They whispered to each other in low voices. They were all aware of Patrick’s marriage, and now this scene was unfolding. What did it all mean?
Patrick’s face turned dark, and he pulled his hand away. But one thing was true, Katherine was right.
She was Miss Maltz, and the power behind her was well-known. Moreover, Mike treated her with great care.
Just based on these two points, Patrick knew that he couldn’t directly reject her in public.
“You shouldn’t behave like this. There are so many people here; it’s beneath our status.”
“I’m not afraid!”
Seeing Patrick’s lack of rejection, Katherine’s joy grew even stronger, and she almost collapsed onto Patrick’s body.
This scene was undoubtedly captured by many people present, but Patrick, entangled by Katherine, remained oblivious.
“Can you understand my feelings? Last time I came to see you, the way you treated me made me sad for a long time.”
Katherine repeatedly tried to show her affection to Patrick, which only gave him a headache.
The surrounding people didn’t consider it a big deal, and some even wanted to stir up trouble but were scared off by a glance from Patrick.
Patrick pulled his hand away directly without even looking at Katherine, then proceeded to walk into his office, paying no further attention to her.
Leaving Katherine alone, the surrounding employees flocked to see the commotion.
Before long, photos of Katherine entangled with Patrick were posted online. Because Patrick didn’t directly reject her, it attracted a large group of shippers.
Suddenly, the rumors about Patrick and Katherine spread like wildfire and quickly reached Jane’s ears.
She looked at the photo of Katherine leaning on Patrick on Twitter, wearing a satisfied and indulgent expression. It was evident that Patrick was reluctant, even to the discerning eye. How could someone still stir up such a hot topic?
The comments clearly stated that Patrick didn’t directly reject Katherine and even said some ambiguous words. The shippers couldn’t believe their luck.
Jane smiled faintly, stood up directly, and had her secretary take her to Pansy Group.
Meanwhile, Katherine was still surrounded by employees, a few of whom had gleaming eyes, asking her some ambiguous questions.
Seeing Katherine’s coquettish expression, it infuriated Jane even more.
Jane approached directly, grabbed Katherine’s collar, and the canary-yellow dress instantly deformed.
“If you continue with your nonsense, be careful; I won’t be polite to you.”
Jane’s gaze was sharp and cold, leaving Katherine somewhat at a loss.
“What are you doing? Let go of me!”
Katherine said fiercely, gritting her teeth and glaring at Jane.
To her surprise, Jane showed no retreat and still refused to let go of Katherine’s collar. “As a daughter of the Maltz family, you come to a married man’s company to fawn over him. If people didn’t know any better, they’d think you had a broad mind and wanted to give every married man a home.”
Jane’s words undoubtedly angered Katherine, and she pushed Jane away directly. “What nonsense are you spouting? Don’t slander me. Patrick and I have nothing between us!”
“Nothing at all? Then why are you pulling and tugging at him? You don’t look like a proper young lady at all.”
Jane half-closed her eyes and looked down at Katherine. In terms of momentum, Katherine was far weaker.
“You… You’re talking nonsense!”
But Katherine didn’t admit it at all; her eyes narrowed. “I really don’t know what Patrick sees in you. You grabbed my collar right off the bat; anyone would think you were some uncultured woman!”