Chapter 19
“Forget it. You’re so busy with work. I’ll go alone,” Rachel said.
What good would it do if he came with her? If her mother knew what was going on between them, she would be turning in her grave, angry and upset.
But William, who had always respected Rachel’s mother, firmly replied, “No, it’s her death anniversary. I’ll make sure…”
“Do whatever you want,” Rachel said flatly, turning to leave.
She was almost out the door when she glanced at Samantha. Her eyebrow raised in silent question.
“Aren’t you leaving, Ms. Judd?”
Samantha pointed to a file she had brought in. “I still need to talk to William about the Oasis Project.”
Rachel barely stifled a smile, the edge of her lips curling in a sarcastic twist. “Oh, really? You two take your time.”
Just as she was about to close the door, she heard Samantha’s voice–whining, almost pleading.
“William, you said that bracelet was for me. You promised it would have both our names on it. So, why does Rachel have one?”
William’s expression turned sharp as he waved his hand, signaling her to keep quiet. “Keep your voice down.”
Samantha didn’t stop. “What’s the big deal? Rachel can’t hear anyway. Why would you lie to me…”
“The Eternal Heart is around your neck, isn’t it? It’s just a bracelet–let her feel a little better, no need to be so petty, right?” William said.
Samantha’s shy laugh drifted into Rachel’s ears.
“Well, you’re the one who spoiled me,” Samantha said.
Rachel sneered.
As the saying went, love wouldn’t disappear–it just shifted target.
When she returned to her office, Cecilia quickly stepped in, looking anxious.
“What’s going on? I overheard some things from the office…”
Rachel didn’t look up as she calmly stacked the files on her desk. One of them slipped out, and she bent down to pick it up. It was the file she had spent late nights working on, the one she had taken to Tyler’s company for negotiations.
Having poured her all into it, she felt confident about it. If Tyler really wanted to control the Oasis Project, he wouldn’t find a better proposal than this.
Was she really going to break her promise to her mother?
Rachel gripped the corner of the file tightly, feeling a wave of frustration. She couldn’t stand the thought of Samantha, a complete rookie, being given the Oasis Project. The woman couldn’t even handle the data correctly. How could she possibly manage such an important project?
But Tyler was like a wall—impossible to break down.
Rachel couldn’t do anything about it.
Cecilia noticed Rachel wasn’t saying anything and waved her hand in front of her face. “What are you thinking about? What was everyone talking about?”
Rachel sighed. “Nothing. Just a small issue. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
Even if she hadn’t run into Tyler yesterday, it didn’t matter. She would rather break than bend. If Howard even dared to touch her, she would make sure he couldn’t be a man for the rest of his life.
Cecilia leaned in closer, lowering her voice as she said, “You’re really not going to do anything? The rumors about Mr. Lewis and Samantha are everywhere now. They’re saying she’s his first love, that there’s a crack in your relationship. And some people are even saying you’re just her replacement!”
Rachel didn’t seem bothered.
She placed the proposal on the desk, tapping her fingers lightly on it. “Instead of worrying about that, we should focus on how to win over Tyler.”
Cecilia sighed, shaking her head. “If you want to get to Tyler, you’d have to get something on him. But he absolutely hates being threatened. I heard some woman once tried to blackmail him with some… intimate photos, and he turned right around and sued her for harassment. Like, come on–what’s a woman harassing him for, right? Totally ridiculous.”
Rachel rested her chin on her palm, staring at the proposal with a troubled look. Suddenly, a thought flashed in her mind, and she jumped out of her chair.
“I know where I’ve seen Tyler before!”