Chapter 29
When Madelyn heard Thea mention that she had organized the dinner using Nicolas's name, a brief flicker of panie flashed across her eyes before she quickly masked it.
Turning to Jake, who was visibly upset, she forced a bitter smile as tears welled up in her eyes. "Now I see. Ms. Rowland set it up on purpose. Jake, I'm not feeling well. Can we go home?" she said, her voice trembling.
Jake, his face hard with anger, glared at Thea "Just because you lost out on Ms. Maddox's deal doesn't give you the right to take it out on Madelyn. What has she ever done to you?"
Madelyn shook her head as tears streamed down her cheeks, looking helpless and pitiful.
Growing tired of the escalating drama, Joyce frowned. "I don't want to get caught up in your company's internal issues. 1 have other things to handle. If there's more to discuss, we can reschedule. She turned to leave with her assistant Before she could go, Thea gently grabbed Joyce's wrist. "Ms. Maddox, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience."
Then, she shifted her focus to Jake and Madelyn with a sharp, challenging gaze. "Do you know why I invited you both here. when I could have just met Ms. Maddox on my own?"
Furious, Jake snapped, "Obviously, you wanted to humiliate us.
"Is that what you think?" Thea raised an eyebrow and smirked, her eyes locking onto Madelyn, who was turning pale. "And you, Miss Terell? Care to guess? There might be consequences if you get it wrong.
"I... I... Madelyn stammered, visibly shaken, sweat forming on her forehead as she struggled to meet Thea's gaze.
Noticing the shift in the atmosphere, Joyce frowned, sensing something was amiss.
Thea's smirk vanished as she stared intently at Madelyn. "It's because she spread lies to Ms. Maddox. She told Ms. Maddox that I was interfering in your relationship and bullying her at work and ruined this deal" Jake's shock quickly gave way to disbelief. "What are you talking about? Madelyn would never say something like that!"
Ignoring his outburst, Thea stepped closer to Marielyn. "I dated Jake for seven years. You were the one who came between us. He gave you the promotions and bonuses I worked hard for, all to keep you happy, and I put up with it. "But now, you've crossed the line. Why did you have to go and spread more lies? Did you even hesitate when you made up
those stories?"
Madelyn, who had initially been stunned, quickly adopted a wounded expression. "Ms. Rowland, Jake and I do love each other, I know you're angry that he chose me, but you can't just try to ruin me out of jealousy, and I never said you interfered or bullied me. Joyce's face darkened. She realized that while Madelyn might not have explicitly said those things, she had certainly implied them and manipulated her emotions to
Thea as the villain Joyce now understood she had been played.
Madelyn's face turned ashen, and she looked as though she might faint at any moment.
"Madelyn!" Jake cried, rushing to her side and gathering her into his arms.
He shot Thea a look of disgust. "What has she done to deserve as from you? I'm beyond disappointed in you."
With that, he hurried past then, carrying Madelyn in his arms.
Thea watched them go, her expression indifferent.
After her anger subsideel, Joyce felt awkward. "You really dated that guy for seven years, huh?"
Thea admitted frankly, "Yes, I was blind back then. But now I see everything
She then smiled at Joyce. "Ms. Maddox, now that everything's in the open, may I have another opportunity to properly present our mining project?"
Joyce was momentarily taken aback by her smile and paused. She had seen plenty of beautiful women in her field, but Thea's charm was different subtle yet captivating
"No need for that. I'll sign, Joyce replied, her tone decisive.
After dinner, Joyce insisted on sending The back. As they waited for their cars, Joyce broke the silence with curiosity. "Your ex-boyfriend and that homewrecker treated you like that, and you just took it without pushing back, huh?"
Thea smirked mischievously, her eyes gleaming with a sly confidence. "Who said I didn't fight back? I already reported to headquarters about how Madelyn almost jeopardized this crucial project because of personal grudges. The report was sent before I even came here Joyce's eyes lit up with approval. She grabbed Thea's hand. "Keep me updated on how that unfolds! Let's exchange contact info. I like your style, and consider me a friend from now on.
"By the way, since it's still early, how about I take you somewhere fun? I know a place with some seriously hot guys who know exactly how to sweet-talk. They are way better than that idiot ex of yours."
Just as Joyce finished her sentence, a loud car horn blared, interrupting their moment.
Irritated. Joyce looked around. "Which idiot is honking like that?
Thea withdrew her hand with an awkward smile. "Sorry, but maybe next time. My ride-share driver is there."
Joyce shot her a curious look. "You expect me to believe your ride-share driver drives a Maybach, huh?"
Just then, the car window rolled down, revealing a strikingly handsome man with an aloof expression in the driver's seat.
Thea's heart skipped a beat- she hadn't expected Nicolas to pick her up.
"Get in." Nicolas said in his usual cool, controlled tone.
In the back seat, Thea fidgeted nervously. Unable to bear the silence any longer, she finally mustered up the courage to ask, "Mr. Hendrix, maybe I should drive instead?"
Nicolas glanced at her in the rearview mirror and changed the subject. I heard you used my name to arrange the meeting with Ms. Maddox. Why didn't I hear about this beforehand?"
His voice was calm, but it still made Thea's heart race. She lowered her gaze, trying to avoid his eyes. "It all happened quickly. I found out Ms. Maddox was flying out tomorrow, and couldn't reach you in time.
"This was the task you assigned me, and I didn't want to let you down. I know I acted rashly. If you think I deserve to be punished, I understand."Content © NôvelDrama.Org.
There was a touch of dejection in her voice. Amused and exasperated at the same time, Nicolas shook his head. "You do need to be punished. You were too rash."
She got lucky this time, but if her opponents hadn't been as clueless as Jake and Madelyn, things could have gone south quickly. She could've ruined the deal and faced serious consequences,
But Nicolas kept his deeper concerns to himself and simply made a turn, guiding the car in a different direction.