Aurora entered the elegantly designed room with Jason and Eric, each detail exuding an antique charm.
“Miss Montgomery, please,” Jason said with chivalrous deference, always yielding to Aurora.
Julian scoffed inwardly, labeling him a clown.
As the trio took their seats, Jason offered, “Miss Montgomery, please take a look and see what you’d like to eat. It’s your choice today.” He handed the menu to Aurora.
“No need, Mr. Gilpin can decide; I’m not picky,” Aurora responded politely.
“Then I’ll order a few things,” Jason said as he began to order. Aurora hadn’t found anything odd initially, but she subtly changed expression as Jason ordered dishes-all of which were her favorites. What was going on?
Although it was strange, Aurora wasn’t about to outright ask why he only chose her favorite dishes.
“Miss Montgomery, is there anything else you’d like to add?” Jason asked after placing the orders.
“No, this is fine,” Aurora replied, waving her hand dismissively. She was indeed hungry, especially after the rough time she’d had earlier with Julian.
“Eric, would you like to add anything?” Jason asked, turning to Eric after Aurora had responded.
“A banana split,” Eric requested.
Aurora glanced at him, amused that a grown man would favor such a sweet dessert, though she kept her thoughts to herself.
Waiting for the food was always the hardest part, especially since she was not very familiar with Jason, and Eric, a competitor, was also present.
The atmosphere was somewhat awkward; Aurora decided to offer some coffee she had bought earlier to Jason and Eric.
“This is Blue Mountain coffee, a friend brought it back for me from abroad. Try it, see how you like the flavor.”
“You have great taste, Miss Montgomery. I love Blue Mountain coffee,” Jason said, proving to be quite conversational, humorous, and witty.
Initially wary, Aurora gradually relaxed and the conversation flowed more freely. “Eric mentioned that you attended the same university as us. What a coincidence,” she noted.
“Since that’s the case, perhaps we should look out for each other?” Aurora steered the conversation towards business.
“How do you expect us to look out for you? Back in the States, Luminary did give you quite a few contracts,” Jason hinted knowingly.
He was aware of Aurora’s past dealings in America. There were times when Luminary seemed to compete with her for contracts, often when she was about to give up, Luminary would cancel them.
Though unsure of Luminary’s intentions, Jason’s tone suggested their actions had been deliberate.
“Our company owes its success to Luminary’s mercy in the past. Since you’ve always been so kind, about this new contract…” Aurora hinted intelligently, knowing a smart person would understand.
“Are you trying to secure the steel and other materials contract for Montgomery Group?” Jason asked with a sly smirk.
“Could you perhaps help us out?” Aurora softened her tone, clearly aiming to please.
In the suite, Julian was infuriated, his nose almost crooked with anger. How could his woman demean herself by begging others?
He thought about her journey from starting her own company to taking it public, about how many people she had to plead with. Being a woman in business was not easy; she had endured much to reach today’s success.
The thought alone pained him immensely; he hated himself for not being by her side.
“If it were anything else, it would be fine, but my good brother needs this order too. You say you are all family, wouldn’t it be enough for one of you to gain the inheritance rights? Why must two of you fight over it?”
Jason spread his hands, feigning difficulty.
Aurora patiently explained, “Since both of you are so familiar, you should also know about our wager. The board will decide who gets promoted to the next Vice President based on this order.”
“Eric has told me about it, but you already own a publicly listed company in America, and I hear you’re also preparing to open a branch in Clothville. How could such a minor position as Vice President catch your eye? Why not just let Eric have it?”
It was unclear whether Jason was sincere or testing the waters, but his words seemed to favor Eric.
The reason Aurora initially wanted the Vice Presidency was because of Paul. After all, Eric was his son, and Paul’s downfall had been orchestrated by Aurora herself.
If Eric harbored resentment towards her, securing the Vice Presidency would not be so straightforward; Paul, at least, had vulnerabilities.
Eric was seemingly perfect, refined and hardworking, without a single fault to criticize, which made Aurora uneasy.
After meeting with Eric today, she found him to be very learned and seemingly without any hatred towards her, which dissolved her previous hostility.
Yet, her nature was to never admit defeat, whether her opponent was good or evil. Now that it had come to this, she would not give up.
“Mr. Gilpin, just like in love, work is not something you simply give up on. I am stubborn and will persist until the last second,” Aurora said earnestly.
“In that case, then…”
“Sir, here is the banana boat you ordered,” the waiter said, handing over a beautifully arranged ice cream fruit plate.
Eric, who had been silent, placed the ice cream in front of Aurora. Surprised, she asked, “Did you order this for me?”
“Don’t you have hypoglycemia? A dessert might help, and I remember you liked banana boats as a child,” Eric said casually, without making a big deal of it.
Among so many desserts, he still remembered her childhood favorite. His memory was indeed impressive; she had no recollection of him.
“Thank you…” Aurora said, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed. She had been so cautious and defensive around him, while he seemed to be very considerate.
Julian was on the verge of bursting out several times, thinking, unsolicited favors are either sinister or thieving!
The dishes were quickly served, and Jason said, “Come on, let’s not talk business during the meal. Let’s see how you like the food.”
With that said, Aurora felt it was inappropriate to continue speaking. Just as she began to eat, Jason’s phone rang.
“Baby, what are you up to now? I’m just having a meal with Eric! The light’s broken? Call maintenance, my dear, I’ll come back after I eat, alright?
Hey, don’t fuss, I’ll be home soon, within half an hour,” Jason said in a rush as he hung up the phone.
“It seems I must apologize again; my little tyrant at home won’t stop bothering me, and I need to go back.”
“You’re busy, go ahead. We understand,” they replied.