Chapter 130

I answered while still chewing. Jared’s voice was low and calm as he asked, “Where are you?”

“At the hotel,” I replied.

“You’re back?” His tone went up a notch.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Did you have fun?” Jared asked, his concern obviously just for show.

My heart thudded twice in my chest. What was he getting at? Did he actually have someone tail me to Showtown Bay and catch me hanging out with Nathan? I wondered.

“I just finished a meeting in the hotel conference room. We’re heading out for dinner soon. Come join us,” Jared finally spoke up when I stayed silent.

I tried to read his tone, and it seemed like he really didn’t know about me meeting up with Nathan. That was a relief.

“Alright, I’ll come over in a bit.” Since I was here to learn the ropes of business from him, I might as well go along. You never know. Watching and learning more could always come in handy.

I changed into something a bit more proper, not flaunting my body like I used to, but it was nothing like my old baggy, casual clothes either–this outfit was fitted enough to show off my shape, but still kept things classy.

When I arrived at the place Jared mentioned, they were still in the conference room, discussing business. This time, it was Jared’s team talking things over. The door was open, and Jared sat at the head of the table in a slightly more formal suit, listening intently. He was elegantly spinning a pen between his fingers. When he saw me, he waved me over.

I walked in right away and spotted Tracy in her professional attire. The moment she saw me, her eyes sharpened, like she was ready for a fight. Jared pointed to the seat next to him, and I sat down. The people in the room didn’t pause their conversation at all because of my arrival.

It turned out that the whole reason we were here was to invest in a real estate company, and the investment was no small sum. That’s why Jared and all the other execs looked dead serious.

I listened in on their discussion, learning a ton just by being there. Tracy was as professional as they come. Her analysis and numbers were seriously impressive. I could tell that Jared clearly admired her. Tracy just oozed superiority. Whenever she spoke, her eyes would sweep over me, but always ended up lingering on Jared. She lived for those moments when he nodded at her, giving his approval.

It was already after six when Jared and his crew finally got up and headed to the restaurant. On the way there, it was just Jared and me in the car, no one else around.

“Did you understand?” Jared asked, sounding a bit tired after a long afternoon of work, but still turning to look at me.

“Yeah, I understood,” I replied. I’m not stupid. If I actually try to understand something, I usually get it, well, except for math. That was the one thing I just couldn’t do.

Jared suddenly laughed, “I thought you’d find meetings like that totally boring.”

“I used to, but not anymore,” I said, shaking my head.

Jared nodded and then went quiet for a long moment.

I gazed out the window at the night–this forest of steel and glass, all those city lights merging into one, like a giant fire dragon snaking along the ground. It was so breathtaking I couldn’t even put it into words.

“Victoria, how long has it been since you actually cared about me?” Jared asked offhandedly, just as I was getting lost in the neon lights outside.

I blinked in surprise, turning to look at him. I really hadn’t expected him to ask me something like that. Jared kept his gaze locked on me, a stubborn look in his eyes, and pressed on, “And you haven’t called me in ages. Like today, you went out to have fun, and I had no idea where you were. You didn’t even bother to check in or tell me what you saw, where you went. You used to be so excited to share everything with me. Did you forget?”