âWhat?â Lucinda responded.
She was utterly confused.
âWhat do you mean?â
Etta assumed Lucinda was just being modest, so she wore a understanding expression and said, âIn Aldoria, weâre quite open about these matters between men and women.
Thereâs no need to be shy, Miss Simmons.
â
Lucinda didnât respond.
What on earth was Etta saying?
Lucinda turned her head to cast a sharp look at Nathan, who was trailing behind her.
What had Nathan said to Ellsworth to delay the meetingâs start?
Nathan sported an innocent smile.
Lucinda stared at him coldly, silently warning him.
Etta pulled Lucinda closer and whispered in her ear, âMiss Simmons, Mr.
Payne must be quite strong, I assume? Otherwise, how did you get injured?â
âMiss Simmons, you are so fortunate.
Iâm quite envious of you!â Etta added.
Lucinda didnât know what was going on and was at a loss for words.
Throughout their walk, Lucinda didnât utter a word, making it seem as though Etta was conversing with herself.
They eventually arrived at the entrance of the main hall.
Their private conversation abruptly came to an end.
The entire venue was unusually quiet, with occasional hushed conversations among the guests.
Under the puzzled gazes of the attendees, Lucinda and Nathan were led by Etta to the front row.
Once all the guests had arrived, the bidding meeting officially commenced, and the initial unrest caused by Lucinda and Nathanâs late arrival faded.
Ellsworth took the stage and delivered the necessary opening remarks.
After Ellsworthâs speech, the room resounded with enthusiastic applause.
Subsequently, the eventâs organizing team took the stage.
They collected USB drives containing planning documents from the representatives of each company and ensured they were properly labeled.
The entire process was impeccably organized and precise.
In the spacious meeting hall, it took approximately ten minutes for the team to record the various business proposals presented by the leaders of the different groups.
Ellsworth returned to the stage and addressed the audience again.
âLadies and gentlemen, it will take our Foreign Affairs Department at DoWeier Group at least an hour to thoroughly review all the business plans.
In the meantime, feel free to move around or enjoy live music from the Aldoria band.
â
As Ellsworth spoke, the staff swiftly arranged shelves and musical instruments, including drums and pianos.