The internal phone rang abruptly, interrupting their train of thought.
Charlotte picked it up. Miranda could only watch as she struggled to suppress a smile, trying to maintain a serious tone. “Alright, I understand. Let him wait for now.”
As soon as Charlotte hung up, Miranda’s curiosity got the best of her. “What’s going on?”
Charlotte couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. “Miranda, you’ll never guess-your ex-husband wants to see me!”
“What? He’s coming here?”
“Exactly!” Charlotte’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she raised her brows dramatically. “I told my assistant Sarina to let him wait for a few hours. Let’s see how determined he is.”
Miranda narrowed her eyes knowingly. “I know him too well. Broad must be fuming. He can’t stand waiting; he’ll want to see you immediately.”
“Well, he’s in for some disappointment,” Charlotte replied, feigning regret. “I’m swamped these days. No time for small fries.”
—
In the Westbrook lobby, Broad had lost track of how long he’d been waiting. He paced back and forth, glancing anxiously at the clock on the wall.
Sarina, clearly dizzy from his restless movements, approached him with a glass of water. “Sir, you can have a seat on the sofa,” she offered.
Broad ignored the water she held out and checked his watch again, his irritation showing. “It’s been three hours. Is Ms. Charlotte still in her meeting?”
Sarina maintained her signature polite smile and repeated the same vague response she’d given earlier. “She’ll be ready soon. Please wait a little longer.”
Left with no other choice, Broad reluctantly took the glass and sat down. He sipped the water, soothing his parched throat. It was only then that he realized how sore his legs were, as if they’d been beaten.
He pulled out his laptop and began contacting suppliers one by one, silently praying someone would take the tons of eco-materials sitting idle in his warehouse.
Finally, a supplier replied: “What’s the price?”
Broad hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and typing out a low offer. For him, taking a loss was better than leaving the materials unsold.
The supplier’s response came back, uncertain: “These are outdated materials, Mr. Broad. I’ll need to think about it.”
Broad typed mechanically, “Alright.”
Closing the chat window, he instinctively opened a business forum, searching for any updates that could turn his situation around.
A headline immediately caught his eye: “Sora Group Secures Rights to Host Skiing Competition.”
Broad’s pulse quickened as he clicked on the article, eager for details.
The piece was short, mostly discussing Sora Group’s preparations for the event. But one line stood out:
“Sora Group’s CEO, Gale Norris, announced that competition winners would be invited to a private dinner with the company’s top executives.”
Broad’s furrowed brow smoothed as a spark of hope reignited within him. He saw this as fate handing him another chance.
In his mind, he was an exceptional man who had simply been unlucky at the auction, missing the opportunity to collaborate with Sora Group. Surely, even destiny couldn’t bear to see him fail. This competition was his second shot!
Moreover, Broad had recently become obsessed with skiing, thanks to the influence of five-time champion Starlis. He considered himself an expert, convinced no one understood the sport better than he did.
He swore to himself: this time, he would win the competition and secure Sora Group’s attention!
Determined, Broad opened a new document and began drafting his plan to enter the ski competition.
Just as he was fully absorbed, Sarina approached him again. “Sir? Sir?”
Broad looked up, visibly annoyed. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”
“Apologies, sir,” Sarina replied calmly. “But everyone’s already left for the day. If you don’t leave now, the security guards will lock you inside the building.”
Broad froze. “Left for the day?”
Looking around, he noticed workers in suits and ties heading for the exit, laughing and chatting with their bags in hand.
He turned back to Sarina, his voice tinged with desperation. “But I haven’t even seen your CEO yet!”
“Well, you can always come back tomorrow… and wait again,” Sarina said with a shrug.
It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over Broad. He finally realized that Charlotte had no intention of meeting him.
But he couldn’t understand why. Why had the deal fallen through?
As he walked to the parking garage, the question gnawed at him. He replayed every possible scenario in his mind, only to reject them one by one.
Then, he heard a familiar laugh ahead.
Looking up, he saw Miranda and Charlotte walking arm-in-arm toward a McLaren parked nearby.
Charlotte twirled her key ring playfully before unlocking the driver’s door. Miranda climbed into the passenger seat, both women laughing and smiling without a care in the world.
For a moment, Broad’s mind went blank, unable to process what he was seeing. By the time he snapped out of it and tried to rush over, the McLaren roared to life and sped off, leaving him choking on exhaust fumes.
Suddenly, everything clicked. He believed he had found the reason Westbrook had terminated the deal.
Miranda!
It had to be her!
He couldn’t believe it. Miranda and Westbrook’s CEO were clearly close. She must have sabotaged him, ruining yet another business opportunity.
Before anger could fully consume him, another thought struck him like lightning.
Miranda.
How could a simple divorcee have connections with so many powerful figures? From Eric Wilson and Tony Clark to Charlotte Holland, every one of them was someone an ordinary person couldn’t easily approach.
His suspicions growing, Broad dialed his private investigator, Lauren. This time, his tone was sharp, brimming with impatience. “Lauren, what’s the progress on the person I asked you to investigate?”
Lauren replied respectfully, “Mr. Broad, the investigation is moving steadily. However, your ex-wife’s information is exceptionally difficult to obtain. It seems her records are heavily encrypted, possibly due to her special status.”
“What?” Broad froze. His hunch was right-Miranda wasn’t ordinary!
“But rest assured,” Lauren continued confidently. “Our firm is the most professional in the country. There’s no one we can’t track down!”
After hanging up, Broad’s thoughts spiraled further into chaos. But all he could do now was wait.
He had barely taken a few steps when his phone buzzed again.
This time, it was Stephen, one of his board members, shouting furiously on the other end.
“Broad, get back to the office NOW!”