Callie was a unique splash of color among the dull crowd.
Everyone watched as she carefully walked over to Ahmad and poured him a glass of wine. “Mr. Ellison, your wine.”
Her fingers were long and slender, and as she bent over to pour the wine, her hair fell gracefully, exuding an enticing charm. Everyone present thought it was just a trivial act; Ahmad never fell for such tricks.
Surprisingly, Ahmad stared at her face, his lips tight and something flickering in his eyes.
“Is it you?”
Callie feigned ignorance. “Mr. Ellison, have we met before?”
Perhaps the lighting in the room was better, so Ahmad saw more clearly. Callie, however, was unsure of herself. She didn’t know who she resembled so much that Marilyn was so certain, and Ahmad indeed seemed moved.
“Stay,” Ahmad said, taking a sip of the wine, his expression unreadable.
The crowd began to respect her more; she was someone to watch.
“Mr. Ellison, it’s your turn,” someone prompted.
Ahmad glanced at the cards and then turned to Callie. “You play.”
“Me?” Callie chuckled. “I don’t know how to play.”
“Just play; if we lose, it’s on me.” Ahmad’s tone was commanding.
Callie looked around and picked a Jack of Hearts, tossing it out. The crowd burst into laughter. “Mr. Ellison, it seems we must accept our winnings today.”
Ahmad didn’t get angry; he smiled and pushed all his chips forward.
Callie realized something was wrong and whispered, “Sorry, Mr. Ellison.”
“It’s fine, sit down.”
As the game ended, everyone tactfully started a new game on the side, leaving only Ahmad and Callie. She didn’t dare sit and quickly spoke up. “Mr. Ellison, forgive my boldness, but I followed you here to ask you to reconsider the project Shamar brought. I’ve reviewed it; it’s a guaranteed profit.”
Ahmad played with his wine glass, his eyes never leaving her face, making her uncomfortable with their intensity.
After a long pause, he finally spoke. “Were you the one with Marilyn during the factory incident?”
He knew. Callie nodded. “Yes, it was me.”
“No wonder,” Ahmad chuckled softly. “No wonder Nelson risked everything.”
Callie quickly responded, “Mr. Oconnor risked everything for Miss Ellison; it has nothing to do with me. You misunderstood.”
Flattering his daughter should make him happy as a father.
“No,” Ahmad raised his hand. “Even if it was for you, you are worth it.”
This sudden affirmation made Callie stiffen. Unsure of Ahmad’s intentions, she poured him another glass of wine, wondering who she resembled so much.
Could it be Maeve? But her age when she went missing didn’t match Ahmad’s timeline.
“Recently, the Oconnor Group and Scott Group clashed; you were involved,” Ahmad quickly deduced the entanglement, leaving Callie unsure how to respond.
“I’m just a small fry in the big companies’ battles.”
“Whose side are you on?” Ahmad posed a sharp question. Under his gaze, Callie couldn’t lie and gave a middle-ground answer. “I’m insignificant; naturally, I side with the weaker party. Clearly, Shamar is the casualty in this battle of giants, so I’m willing to fight for him.”
“You are quite perceptive.” Ahmad smiled approvingly. He sighed softly and then said, “Go back and tell him I’ll invest in this project.”