Chapter 165

Grace desperately tried the number. The phone rang unanswered. She called again, a second time, a third…

Meanwhile, several senior executives sat silently in Mr. Reed's office, their eyes fixed on a cheap, old cell phone. All the company's high-level managers knew Jason carried two phones: his usual one and this older, cheaper model. Only Jason and Terrence knew the phone's origin. Terrence always smiled and remained silent when questioned.

The executives had speculated extensively about the phone. Usually, Mr. Reed answered it immediately. Today, however, he simply stared at it, his handsome face impassive, as the ringing continued. Their curiosity turned to Terrence.

Terrence, standing beside Jason, also watched the ringing phone, his own worry growing. Only Grace would call this number. Since her rejection of Jason, Terrence had noticed a significant worsening of his boss's mood. Mr. Reed wasn't answering Grace's call. What did it mean?

"Has Mr. Reed stopped caring for Grace?"

No, Terrence thought Mr. Reed cared even more than he'd imagined. If he truly didn't care, he would have discarded the phone. Instead, he kept it. Could it mean Mr. Reed couldn't let Grace go? It was unexpected. Who would have thought Mr. Reed would be captivated by Grace, only to be rejected by her?

After fifteen minutes, the ringing stopped. Jason lazily looked up. "Okay, you can continue your report," he said to the executives.

A few executives shivered before resuming their report.

Grace gritted her teeth, staring at her phone. Five unanswered calls. "Had Jason… already disconnected the number?" If so, no number of calls would reach him.

"Grace, what's wrong? You've been on the phone forever, and you haven't eaten. The food's getting cold," Claire urged.

"Claire, I… I have something to do. I need to leave at 3 p.m. I'll clean up the street before I go, but you might have a little extra work. Is that okay?" Grace asked. Street cleaners needed to coordinate leave requests, finding someone to cover their shifts.

"Why wouldn't it be okay? You covered for me last time," Claire replied readily.

Grace smiled gratefully, her heart still heavy.