“Miss Picton, please forgive Areli for my sake. She’s sharp-tongued but essentially kind. She didn’t mean it.”
“Areli, apologize to Miss Picton now and make peace.”
David, dressed in black, followed by a group of over ten men and women, gracefully mediating the situation.
The swelling on his face from being slapped by Darnell yesterday had mostly subsided, with the remaining redness concealed by expensive skincare products.
Darnell watched him with a smile but didn’t greet him. As long as David didn’t provoke him, Darnell had no interest in engaging with him.
Behind David was a small group of two men and two women. One was a young man with glasses, another a tall, handsome man in military boots. The other two were the woman in sneakers and the girl in pink that Darnell had seen earlier in the morning. They were all dressed elegantly and carried themselves with an air of superiority.
Their haughty demeanor surpassed even that of David.
They formed their own little circle, pointing at the golf course and occasionally glancing over at David’s group with arrogant eyes.
David didn’t introduce them to the others, seemingly feeling it unnecessary or perhaps not daring to reveal their identities. It was clear he held them in high regard. Darnell guessed these people were significant. With this thought, he curiously glanced at them.
His gaze was caught by Bella, who instantly glared at him with fierce eyes, recognizing him from their earlier encounter.
Unexpectedly meeting Darnell here, Bella felt a surge of anger mixed with pride in her smile.
Darnell nonchalantly looked away, uninterested in the girl. His eyes briefly skimmed over the chest of the woman in sneakers, silently noting her impressive figure.
David continued to mediate. “Miss Picton, be more forgiving. And Areli, it doesn’t hurt to apologize, does it?”
While Areli cursed her luck for running into David, Jazmine’s eyes lit up as she softly said, “David, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been here today.”
“There are plenty of people waiting to do business with the Harmony Hospital.”
Despite her anger at Darnell, Jazmine managed to conceal it well in front of others.
Darnell sensed something, and observing Jazmine’s demeanor, suspected that she and David must have had some sort of intimate relationship. However, his focus wasn’t on that.
He noticed Tia hiding behind the crowd in black sportswear.
She stood aloof like an iceberg.
Darnell watched her for a while. Tia didn’t glance back but stole a look when he turned away.
At that moment, Areli stopped and coldly stared at David. “Did you arrange this meeting?”
Jazmine sneered, “Oh my, what an accusatory tone is that? Acting like you’re so wronged.”
“If it weren’t for David mediating and persuading me to work with Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, do you think I’d have time to see you?”
“Areli, you might be somebody, but to me, you’re nothing.”
“David, this woman doesn’t appreciate your kindness. Why waste your precious time and feelings?”
Jazmine’s eyes were sharp. “If it were me, I’d kick this woman as far away as possible.”
Several glamorous ladies chimed in disdainfully towards Areli. “Exactly, a woman without self-awareness is laughable.”
Bella and her group also glanced over before shaking their heads indifferently and sitting down on sun chairs to continue discussing the golf course.
Bella occasionally glanced at Darnell but didn’t come over to provoke him.
“Miss Picton, please don’t fight,” David smiled and gestured for Jazmine to calm down before turning to Areli with a smile.
“Areli, I did arrange today’s meeting. I wanted to confess my feelings last time at the restaurant and repair our relationship.”
“But that jerk disrupted everything and made you angry. I felt very guilty and wanted to make amends.”
“So when I heard about your trouble from performance pressure, I contacted Miss Picton for potential cooperation opportunities.”
David tried to display his charm. “Miss Picton has always been righteous. She immediately agreed to help when she knew you were in trouble.”
“Areli, if you stay with me, I’ll get you more orders so Spectrum Pharmaceuticals can catch up with Pioneer Properties sooner.”
“I’ve done so much for you. Don’t you feel moved?”
David looked deeply into her eyes. “Areli, give me a chance. I swear I’ll cherish you deeply.”
Everyone applauded David’s affection for Areli.
Jazmine looked at Areli and snorted heavily through her nose. “I’m giving face to Mr. Kemp. Otherwise, why would I care about you, Miss Fanshaw?”
“It indeed has nothing to do with Miss Picton,” Areli responded calmly before turning to David. “Mr. Kemp, thank you for your kindness, but I can’t accept this favor.”
“I’ve already told you not to bother me anymore. If I have to get these orders through your connections, I’d rather not have this business.”
“And I won’t apologize to her. Let’s leave it at that.” Her eyes were calm. “Thank you again for your kindness.”
She had thought about confronting David for sending people after Darnell but decided against it since he was being polite now.
“Areli, I really want to help you.” David instinctively blocked her path as she tried to leave, looking displeased.
“To help you out this time, I visited Miss Picton seven times before gaining her approval for today’s meeting,” he said angrily while glaring at Darnell.
“You gave up a billion-dollar deal because of a lunatic?”
Bella also looked down on Darnell disdainfully as if saying Darnell wasn’t worth even a hundred dollars.
At this point, Darnell spoke leisurely, “Mr. Kemp, isn’t it legal for lunatics to hit people?”
He took two steps forward menacingly.
Seeing Darnell like this made David stumble back instinctively but was steadied by his companions before shouting angrily,
“Areli, keeping someone like him around embarrasses you. You’d better fire him!”
He wanted his men to rush up and beat Darnell but hesitated after remembering how Tia and Garrett had suffered earlier.
He couldn’t reveal that slap either.
Tia raised an eyebrow but didn’t step forward against Darnell.
Jazmine taunted, “My offer still stands. Apologize and fire this jerk for a billion-dollar deal.”
She hoped Areli would bow her noble head.
“First off, no thanks. Secondly, even ten billion wouldn’t make me fire Darnell.” Areli remained unmoved.
“Mr. Kemp, thank you for the meeting you arranged and your love, but I won’t change my mind,” she said firmly while holding onto Darnell’s arm, “Let’s go.”
This action drew everyone’s attention. David glared maliciously at Darnell while Tia’s usually gentle eyes turned cold too.
“Areli, you’re Spectrum Pharmaceuticals’ general manager, a businesswoman! Giving up such deals over one man, is it worth it?”
David asked angrily, “He’s just an assistant, a chauffeur, and a salesperson! Is he worth that much?”
Frustrated by his persistence, Areli blurted out, “Yes! He’s also my boyfriend.”
Boyfriend?
Silence fell. The crowd stared incredulously at Areli and Darnell. Bella laughed hysterically.
“Kendra, it’s hilarious! Beauty and the Beast in reality! What a lucky dog!”
Her laughter was harsh.