"Sweetheart, good afternoon..."
No matter how gloomy the weather is, a single sentence can make one feel drenched in sunlight.
"Ethan, there’s sothing I’d like to discuss with you. Actually, I want to recomnd a suitable assistant for you. You’ve t her—it’s President Shaw’s female secretary, Miss Annie Gray, who has already resigned." Since returning, they’ve been continuously recruiting, but Ethan Baird’s assistant position has always been vacant. When she was around, she would do so assistant work, but now Atlas Hallow certainly wouldn’t agree to her leaving the Hallow Clan, so she can’t assist Ethan Baird at the mont.
"It shouldn’t be that simple. Sweetheart, do you have ti for dinner tonight? We’ll talk more when we et. I’ve got a big client now, so I don’t have ti to discuss it thoroughly with you." Ethan Baird glanced at the guest in his office, unable to justify keeping them waiting just to finish chatting.
"Alright, let’s chat tonight." Hearing Ethan Baird say this, Charlotte Miller knew he was busy and wisely didn’t delay, promptly hanging up the phone.
Having dinner together, and with Ethan Baird—how could she bring that up with Atlas Hallow?
Especially after such an unpleasant incident this afternoon.
Running off recklessly wasn’t that just giving Atlas Hallow a perfect excuse to reprimand her?
She’s soone who values personal freedom, yet he declared complete control over her, even scheduling her ti, a feeling that could make one unravel, like being tied up with countless invisible threads, leaving her powerless and with no autonomy.
She wished she could be like those brave won in TV or movies, gulping down a few drinks before going to confront him to demand back her autonomy, but now wasn’t the ti.
Atlas Hallow harbors an enormous secret deep in his heart, a secret related to their marriage. Until this secret is unveiled, discussing anything is pointless, even though Atlas Hallow has sowhat special feelings for her now.
"I’m eting with Ethan Baird for dinner tonight." Charlotte finally said it, thinking if Atlas Hallow refused, she could just discuss things with Ethan Baird over the phone, with no need to have dinner together. Actually, those dinner appointnts were more of a habit; when abroad, after work, they’d often say let’s have dinner together, but the al wasn’t significant—what mattered was the content of their conversation.
Atlas Hallow chuckled lightly looking at Charlotte, her small face cold with a dismissive expression, making her deanor awkward when speaking to him.
How long did she need to contemplate before bringing up this request?
"et him for what? To introduce Annie as his assistant?" Atlas Hallow sat behind his desk, legs crossed as he patiently watched Charlotte across the table.
"Annie said she wouldn’t return to work for President Shaw. She’s a talent, and I can’t just let her go to waste." Charlotte, when speaking to Atlas Hallow, stripped away all interpersonal relationships, focusing solely on work considerations, to be more convincing.
"If she doesn’t go back, can she really avoid it?" Atlas Hallow could already envision Joseph Shaw storming in to create trouble.
"Do you have to argue with today? Must it co to this?" Charlotte bit her lip looking at Atlas Hallow: "I’m not without temper or principle, but Atlas Hallow, I’m yielding, just hoping we can get along well. Must you act like this?"
Enough is enough...
There’s no way to stop it. Annie ntioned that such a life was like dying, so she must leave; she said if she wasn’t afraid of dying, she wouldn’t fear Joseph Shaw causing trouble, so this ti Annie is determined to go.
"I’ll bet you Annie will definitely work in Currency City. You don’t need to negotiate anything, let President Shaw deal with , it doesn’t matter, tell him not to hold back." Charlotte spoke each word clearly, with eyes burning like they could scorch.
"And the wager?" Atlas Hallow’s interest piqued, Charlotte always challenging his understanding of her. From their first eting to this mont, she truly wanted to confront Joseph Shaw, without holding back?
"You decide the stakes, I have no preference." She was already his, what else couldn’t she afford to lose?
"But you can’t interfere," Charlotte warned.
"Am I that bad?" Atlas Hallow stood up, stepping towards Charlotte as she took a step back.
"You know if you’re bad better than anyone." He could even say such a thing; wasn’t using soone’s weakness to coerce them harmful enough?
"I’ll give you three hours, is that enough? I’ll pick you up at nine. Just let know which restaurant..." Not wanting to discuss whether he was bad, in truth, Charlotte eting Ethan Baird for dinner wasn’t anything serious. He now truly believed Ethan Baird was just Charlotte’s close friend, eliminating any potential for transformation.
Today she’s in a bad mood, if pressed too much, she’d get angry, a kitten can scratch too, so let her relax a bit.
"I’ll just take a cab myself." Charlotte thought it unnecessary to complicate things further; if worst cos to worst, there’s always a chauffeur, and if she’s out with Ethan he’d drive her ho anyway.
"Pushing your luck." Atlas Hallow couldn’t help but pinch Charlotte’s cheek, his voice carrying a hint of danger.
Charlotte didn’t say anything further, quickly leaving his office when Daniel Parker ca in for Atlas Hallow’s signature.
Ethan Baird booked a place for dinner, they’re having hotpot.
"Sweetheart, I need to tell you sothing about the Hallow Family. It’s very strange, but you need to be cautious..." Even in the private room, Ethan Baird’s deanor was sowhat unnatural, his voice softer.
About the Hallow Family?
The Hallow Family has always been odd, from the elders to Ava Walker, to Atlas Hallow’s cousin—the entirety is peculiar—did Ethan discover sothing?
"Today, I t a client who wanted to set up a fund to be handed to his son when he turns twenty-five. He’s in perfect health; why establish such a fund now? His son is only fourteen—the fund is essentially a will." Ethan Baird spoke of the client he dealt with today.
Worldly matters are often strange, going round and round, this client turned out to be an enigmatic private investigator, privy to too many secrets. These secrets made him a fortune, despite violating his conscience—knowing trouble would find him, trouble had already arrived.
So things are destined not to remain secrets.
"Atlas Hallow has an apartnt..." Ethan Baird glanced at Charlotte’s calm face before continuing: "A woman nad Hailey Hill lives in the adjacent neighborhood to your current apartnt."
Charlotte flinched, her ears ringing, feeling like she heard nothing, yet everything was crystal clear, as the na Hailey Hill etched deeply in her mory.
"Sweetheart, I know hearing this might be uncomfortable, but you absolutely need to know, otherwise you might get entangled in the Hallow Family’s vortex, unable to escape," Ethan Baird knew what Charlotte would endure hearing this, but withholding such information would be more harmful to her.
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