Callie could sense the sarcasm in Nelson’s tone despite his words.
Nelson remained calm, making it hard for her to tell if he was suppressing his anger, but the pressure was palpable. After a moment, he said, “Come out with me later.”
Callie wanted to say something, but as she opened her mouth, she couldn’t find the words.
She had been hiding her affair with Jaquan, which was indeed her fault. She had even planned to keep it a secret indefinitely.
That night, in the Porsche, Callie sat in the back seat, keeping some distance from Nelson. She took the initiative to speak, “I’m sorry.”
Nelson didn’t look at her, instead fiddling with a lighter in his hand. “You went out on New Year’s Eve because someone died at the construction site, didn’t you?”
He had figured it out.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me afterward?”
Callie recalled her thoughts from that day and couldn’t help but curl her lips coldly. “Actually, I did. You just didn’t listen carefully.”
Nelson frowned slightly, seeming to think back but finding no memory of it.
“No.”
Callie leaned back. “Yes, I did.”
She had said, “If I am honest with you, will you be honest with me?”
But Nelson hadn’t told her the truth, so she didn’t bring it up again.
When they arrived at their destination, it turned out to be Sky Pavilion. Callie was surprised. “What are we doing here?”
Nelson’s tone was unreadable. “Get out.”
Callie was almost dragged out of the car, stumbling slightly. Her skirt fluttered, catching the eye of the waiting attendant, who looked somewhat amazed.
“Mr. Oconnor, this is…”
“This is my wife. Pardon us.” Nelson held Callie’s hand firmly. She quickly composed herself and forced a smile.
“Mrs. Oconnor… Seeing is believing.” The middle-aged man who spoke had an air and attire that suggested he wasn’t an ordinary person, more like someone from within the system.
Nelson introduced him calmly. “Mr. Corey Woods from the city government.”
Callie nodded. “Hello.”
Anthony had reserved a large private room at Sky Pavilion in advance. As everyone took their seats, the room felt empty and not fully occupied.
Corey seemed a bit uneasy. “Regarding this matter, we really didn’t have the conditions to catch Scott Group’s handle; we discovered it too late.”
Nelson placed a dish in Callie’s bowl. “How many days until Director Jenkins of the office retires?”
“No more than half a month.”
At this moment, Anthony entered and stood aside to report. “Mr. Oconnor, Director Jenkins and several others are in the next private room, hosted by Mr. Scott.”
Nelson chuckled lightly. “A celebration banquet.”
No one dared to respond.
Corey looked at the man in the main seat. “Mr. Oconnor, without concrete evidence, the higher-ups won’t intervene. It’s a pity we spent several months setting this up.”
Callie sat still, pondering secretly. It turned out that since Scott Group took on this project, they had fallen into Nelson’s trap.
She wasn’t sure how much Nelson’s people were involved in this.
“Who said there’s no evidence?” Nelson suddenly smiled and beckoned a waiter over. “How old are you?”
The young man approached timidly. “… 22.”
“Would you do something for me?”
The young man had seen such scenes before and knew that everyone present was important. Unsure how to refuse, he hesitated.
“What are you afraid of? It’s just serving a dish.” Nelson said calmly.
Anthony stepped forward at the right moment, putting a watch on the young man’s wrist and slipping a card into his pocket. “If you do it well, there’s more payment; if not, you can leave Sky Pavilion and go work at Kenker Hotel.”