Chapter 288

The news of my transfer to Shaville caught me off guard for a moment.

I glanced at Jared. He had a calm expression, speaking in a strictly business-like tone, “We’re planning to turn the hotel into a brand. We need you to go all in on this. If it succeeds, you’ll be rewarded as a key contributor.”

Amy gave me a flash of jealousy before she masked it with a smile. “Ms. Murphy, Mr. Holcomb trusts you with this project. Congrats, you really proved yourself.”

Flattery like that was just for show. I didn’t take it seriously.

I thought Jared’s real motive was to get me out of Hachester, and Nathan was the reason why.

Jared, with his feigned calm eyes, looked over with excessive attention. “You’re welcome to share your thoughts.”

Amy looked at me, a hint of mockery flickering in her eyes. She seemed to think, “You keep saying you’re getting divorced, but you’re still entangled with Jared.”

“Alright, I’ll go to Shaville,” I said. For me, it was a whole new environment and a brand new challenge.

If I could make this branded hotel work, it would lay the groundwork for my future career. It would allow me to explore further in this direction.

Jared was willing to invest and give me a real chance to prove myself. I would take it.

Anyway, things between us were over emotionally. We only had a professional relationship left.

“Alright, meet us at the company tomorrow afternoon,” Jared said to me, then instructed Amy, “Send a copy of the documents to Victoria.”

“Yes, Mr. Holcomb,” Amy answered with a gentle smile.

After Amy left, I followed suit. I had been thinking about bringing up the idea of working at the hotel, but it seemed unnecessary now.

I would go to Shaville tomorrow. Maybe I’d end up settling down there someday. There’s just something magnetic about that city.

Back at the hotel office, I saw a small box on my desk with a note attached. The note had no writing, just a hand-drawn rose and a seal underneath. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to be a seal with the character for “R“.

I called my assistant and found out that Ryan wasn’t coming to work today.

Ryan had always been there just for fun, so his sudden departure didn’t really faze me.

I opened the box he’d left. Inside were several hand-drawn drawings–all of me. I was shocked. Ryan was actually a great artist. The drawings were vivid, capturing every detail of life.

After taking out the drawings, I noticed a few more gifts underneath. One was wrapped in a blue silk box. When I opened it, I found a stunning emerald green bracelet, which looked valuable.

There was also a bottle of rose-scented perfume and a set of high-end lipsticks.

I hadn’t expected Ryan to be such a thoughtful guy. All the gifts were practical.

I snapped a photo and sent it to him. Ryan replied right away with a cute, goofy emoji.

[Thanks for the gifts, but I can’t accept the bracelet,] I replied. I knew good things when I saw them.

In my previous life, I’d been to plenty of luxury jewelry shows, but I’d never seen an emerald green bracelet this nice. It must be extremely rare.

Ryan replied right away: [Just take it. Consider it a little gift between friends.]

[This gift is way too expensive. I can’t take it,] I replied. Now that I knew how he felt about me, I was being careful. If it meant a token of his affection and I accepted it, I’d feel like I owed him something.

He sent over a bunch of crying emojis and said, “I’m already at the airport. Just keep it, will you?”

[I’ll keep it for you. I’ll give it back to you next time we meet,] I replied.

He sent a few more innocent, pitiful emojis, so I just ignored him after that.

I checked out his drawings again. They had a real artsy vibe. My apartment could use some decor, so I decided to get them framed and hang them in my room.

That afternoon, I asked Nathan to meet me. He seemed a little surprised but still showed up on time at the restaurant I’d chosen.

Nathan pushed open the door with a smile. “We’ve been here before. Last time, you rushed straight from the airport just to have dinner with me.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I really like the atmosphere here. It’s got a romantic feel to it.”