Chapter 28

Chapter 28

It appeared that Gideon had given the restaurant Instructions before Margaret’s arrival. As she walked in, an attendant greeted her and led

her to Room 302.

Margaret’s mind, however, was preoccupled with her plan to gather information tomorrow for the news report. Once she exposed the dark sides of the Lambert family, her relationship with Gideon would come to an end.

The Lambert family was closely tied to the Compton family. Any tarnish on the former’s reputation would inevitably affect the latter’s stocks and operations. Gideon would likely resent Margaret for her role in it.

Unsure of how long the social gathering would last, he had thought ahead and ordered her food in advance. Mere minutes after she was seated, a table full of her favorite dishes was served before her.

Margaret couldn’t deny that she was touched by his gesture. He remembered her habits and her favorite things, which was something she never expected from him.

The resentment she had been holding toward Gideon slowly started to melt away. Maybe the harsh lessons of war had taught Margaret to let go of what was beyond her control. Life was fleeting and unpredictable–someone could be smiling at you at one moment and gunfire could turn that smile into a final farewell at the next.

Margaret no longer wished to remain trapped in this relationship, with her mind made up, she thought a calm conversation with Gideon was possible.

For now, she just wanted to treat herself, so she happily picked up her cutlery and began to dig in,

While Margaret savored her meal, Gideon appeared gloomy. Over the years, he hadn’t divorced Roxanne because their marriage shielded him from people’s attempts to set him up with women. However, Gideon wasn’t closed off to the idea of being with someone new.

His reputation had been tainted by scandal after scandal, and some saw him as an easy target to introduce their daughters to.

Marco Lascano’s attempt to set his daughter up with Gideon was painfully obvious. When Roxanne handed Gideon his car keys, he saw right through Marco’s motives. As Marco smiled awkwardly, Gideon said nothing, and it was the politest response he could give.

If Marco knew when to back off and respect boundaries, Gideon may not have been so glum. While he was attracted to women, Margaret was the only woman he wanted, and no other woman stood a chance against her. Gideon stood firm in his principles when it came to dating. He would never get involved with any of his business partners‘ daughters.

The experience with Roxanne and the Lambert family had taught him that lesson over six–long years, and he vowed never to allow himself to

repeat history.

Gideon couldn’t stand listening to Marco endlessly praising Bianca. No matter how hard Marco tried to convince him that Blanca was the perfect woman for him, Gideon was uninterested. “Marco, I know that your daughter’s remarkable in many ways, but let’s not forget about our partnership in the next quarter. Can we please discuss that first?”

Bianca’s fake gentleness made Gideon feel utterly sick.

“Oh, of course!” Marco exclaimed, hitting his forehead as if suddenly remembering his purpose. “I get carried away when speaking of my child. Please forgive me, Mr. Compton. Here, allow me to apologize with a drink.”

Gideon took a glass himself, hoping to steer the conversation back to business. It wasn’t his problem if Bianca was upset.

However, after what Marco did to him, Gideon was set on sabotaging that man’s plan. He couldn’t let someone who plotted against him off the hook so easily. As he had told Margaret before, he wasn’t one to forgive easily.

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Marco didn’t want to upset Gideon. Even as Blanca pulled at his clothes to get him to set her up with Gideon, Marco pretended not to notice

her.

Gideon’s expression turned serious as they discussed business. He proposed two new demands, which made Marco’s face sour.

Gideon was determined to get his demands to be met. Despite knowing Gideon was unlikely to agree, Marco still tried to negotiate. “Mr. Compton, a five percent profit margin is far too high. How about a two percent instead?”

“Marco, if I was satisfied with just two percent, I wouldn’t have personally come here to discuss this with you. This project is not exclusively for the Lascano family. I owe you a favor, and this partnership is my way of repaying that. However, I have my limits. If you cannot agree to a five percent increase in profit margin, then let’s just consider today a casual meal between ordinary friends.” The implication was clear- there would be no partnership if he didn’t agree to Gideon’s terms.

Marco looked at Gideon with a pained expression, realizing the deadly consequences of not meeting his demands. He finally recognized what Gideon was capable of. Marco now understood why the mere mention of his name made the other older businessmen squirm.

“Mr. Compton, give me one night to think about it. I’ll give you an answer by 9 a.m. tomorrow.” Marco gave in. He knew that agreeing to earn less would be a difficult decision, but it was better than ending up with nothing. However, he couldn’t let Gideon see his willingness to compromise. Giving an immediate answer would only fuel Gideon’s arrogance.

Marco looked troubled, but Gideon knew he had won again this time. The next morning would undoubtedly bring him good news.

“Of course,” Gideon responded immediately. Since Marco was the elder in this situation, he naturally had to show some respect.

Gideon checked his watch and realized that the social gathering had dragged on for 40 minutes longer than what was initially planned. Worried that Margaret might be bored from waiting, he exchanged a few polite words before excusing himself to leave. Gideon couldn’t help but smile as he imagined her sitting alone and cursing him for being late.

Bianca was taken aback to see him smile so charmingly. She found herself in a trance as she stared at him. She recalled the day she saw Roxanne. Roxanne’s beauty was undeniable, but Blanca was much younger, and she thought her youth was her greatest advantage.

Just as Gideon stood up to leave, Bianca suddenly called out,

“Gideon!”

Over an hour had passed before he finally looked at her. Bianca mistook his impatience for captivation. Confident that she had captured his attention, Bianca struck a seductive pose and flipped her hair back to expose her smooth neck. She had purposely chosen an off–shoulder dress to wear to this meeting

“What is it now?” If he wasn’t worried about offending Marco and jeopardizing their cooperation, he would have left without another word.

“I’m in my final year of university and I’m looking for a company to intern at, so I was wondering if I could do my internship at Compton Group for three months,” Bianca boldly requested.

Her mother had taught her that successful men like Gideon were attracted to the adoring, gazes of young women. Relying on this advice, Bianca tried to appeal to Gideon’s ego, looking weak and vulnerable, hoping he would feel the urge to protect her and be drawn to her admiration for him.

While Bianca’s ways might work on superficial men, Gideon was immune to tactics like that. He couldn’t help but wonder how Marco had raised his daughter to resort to stooping so low

“Lascano Group’s a great company. It would actually be more convenient for you to do your internship there, since it’s your family’s Company,” Gideon said, essentially refusing her request. But Blanca seemed determined to make her case.

“But, I don’t want people to think I’m relying on family connections,” she insisted.

Gideon’s expression turned serious as he responded, “Compton Group does accept interns every quarter. You can go ahead and apply, but

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our standards are high, Ms. Lascano. And I won’t help you take any shortcuts through connections. If you want to work at Compton Group. you’ll need to rely on your own capabilities.”

Il Blanca had the guts to join his company’s Internship program, he would have a way of making her leave in tears and regret ever crossing his path.

“Mr. Lascano, I’ve got things to attend to. I should get going now,” Gideon said before walking out without caring about the looks on Marco and Bianca’s faces.

As he left the private room, Gideon quickened his pace even more, not even bothering with the slow–moving elevator, and took the stairs instead. He could already picture walking in to find Margaret giving him a disapproving look.

Little did Margaret know that every time she looked at him like that, it only made Gideon want to tease her more.

But when Gideon opened the door to Room 302, he was met with a surprising scene. Margaret was not upset at all. In fact, she was thoroughly enjoying her spicy shrimp. The plate was almost completely cleaned, with only a few scattered chilies left behind.

Gideon took a seat across from Margaret, who briefly looked up at him before returning to her meal.

Margaret finally understood why a single meal in Cerulean cost the same as an ordinary white–collar worker’s monthly salary. The chefs were true masters of their craft who cooked each dish to perfection.

As a foodie, this meal alone was enough for her to forgive Gideon for being late.

Catching the sadness on her face as she looked at her empty plate, clearly not satiated, Gideon asked, “Want me to get some more shrimp?”

“Make that thrée servings, to go,” Margaret said greedily, knowing Gideon’s deep pockets could afford it.

“Okay,” Gideon agreed right away.

Gideon patiently waited for Margaret to finish her meal before going back to what they had been discussing earlier. “When are you going to

move in with me?”

His directness caught Margaret off guard and made her choke on her drink. She hadn’t expected that topic to come up tonight.

“I thought I’d made myself clear,” Margaret began. “I will not, and never, move in with you. Gideon, we’ve been going around and around on this for so long. Is even worth our time arguing over it?”

“Is it that hard to admit you still have feelings for me?” he asked boldly.

Margaret froze, but eventually answered honestly, “No, it isn’t hard. I still have feelings for you.”

After five

or five long

years, she finally said something that made Gideon happy. However, Margaret quickly stripped away that joy and didn’t let it last for more than a few seconds. “But…” she said.

“I’ll never go back to you, Gideon. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life being a homewrecker and face moral criticism, no matter how unhappy your marriage may be. I don’t want to hide in the shadows and never feel proud and free. I want a life where I can walk hand in hand with my husband in public without fear or shame, where I can share my joy on social media and have children of my own. That’s the life I want,” Margaret spoke so calmly that she almost applauded for herself.