The air felt fresher now, and the place warmer too–just like this old house on Trinity Lane.
When Niamh left, the decor at Jade Peak Pavilion hadn’t changed a bit, but somehow the warmth vanished. It felt hollow and cold, stripped of its former
coziness.
Niamh had expected Jonathan to get straight to the point after coming in. Instead, he took his time, surveying her living room with a careful eye, before fixing a long, unwavering stare on her couch.
At first, his gaze was calm, almost indifferent. But the longer he looked, the sharper his eyes became, and his brow furrowed with growing intensity.
Niamh couldn’t for the life of her figure out what Jonathan was holding against her poor couch.
Had she accidentally bought it from one of The Thomas Group’s rivals? Some competitor’s brand sneaked in through online shopping?
The thought made her want to laugh and cry all at once.
At last, after a long and awkward silence, Jonathan finally turned to her and broke
it:
“Aren’t you even going to offer me a cup of coffee?”
Niamh shrugged. She had no idea why Jonathan was stalling.
Did he think if he lingered here another minute, The Thomas Group’s stock would magically skyrocket again?
Still, out of politeness, she went to the kitchen and poured him a glass of water.
Jonathan thanked her, glanced down, and realized it wasn’t coffee at all–just plain
water.
He took a small sip. To his surprise, it tasted oddly sweet.
Better than coffee, actually.
Niamh sat back down on the couch, watching Jonathan stand there, drinking water as if he’d discovered a new delicacy.
“The water in my kettle is from last night, by the way.”
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Chapter 4TU
Jonathan paused, cup halfway to his lips.
“So what’s this really about? Spit it out already.”
If she didn’t hurry him along, Niamh suspected Jonathan might just stand there drinking day–old water all night.
Jonathan hesitated, then finally spoke. “Next month… The Thomas Group’s centennial gala. Don’t forget to come.”
Niamh blinked, taken aback, then it dawned on her–she was still a shareholder, after all.
“Alright, I’ll be there,” she replied.
Yet Jonathan just kept drinking his water.
Niamh tilted her head. “Anything else?”
“No, that’s it.”
Niamh stared at him in disbelief.
So Jonathan would rather walk all the way here, freezing his ears off, just to remind her–in person–to attend the centennial gala?
Did this invitation suddenly become unspeakable over the phone? Or was it too confidential for a WhatsApp message? Or even a quick word at the door?
She studied him, utterly puzzled. “You’re sure there’s nothing else you needed to say?”
“Mmm…”
“Did Marina not mention that I tore up her invitation tonight and had security escort her out?”
Jonathan’s hand froze midway to his mouth.
“She did mention it.”
Niamh let out a cold laugh As she suspected, this little visit was absolutely about
Marina.
“So the gala invite was just bait. What you really want to talk about is Marina, right?”
Right now, Marina had been blacklisted by the jewelry association, and whatever clients she had left had already abandoned ship.
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Chapter 410
Niamh’s next move was to cut off Marina’s bank loans and persuade every remaining investor, except Jonathan, to pull out.
With Jonathan’s protection, Marina would never go completely bankrupt, but there’d be no mistaking the damage.
Jonathan stood silent, eyes locked on Niamh.
Her expression was as transparent as ever.
“Marina isn’t a threat to you anymore. You don’t need to hate her so much, or go out of your way to ruin her. All she wants is to be an ordinary jewelry designer. If you keep targeting her like this, her company won’t last much longer.”
