Chapter 54: Running Into an Old Friend

Seeing Rupert's long face, Annabel reluctantly agreed.

"Okay, fine. You're the boss."

After all, she was an employee of Benton Group, and Rupert was the president. If he asked her to work overtime, she had to comply. It was the law of the office jungle.

Immediately after leaving Rupert's office, Annabel called Marcel to cancel their dinner plans. Marcel sounded disappointed.

"Annabel, didn't you just say yes? Why are you suddenly unavailable?"

"I'm so sorry, Marcel. Something urgent came up. We'll go out another time; my treat."

Annabel felt helpless. If not for Rupert, she wouldn't have had to work overtime. With a resigned sigh, she returned to her desk and carefully reviewed the plan. Before she could begin revising it, she received a call from Rupert.

"Yes?" Annabel answered promptly.

Rupert's voice boomed from the other end.

"Didn't you say you'd send me the meeting minutes? I've been waiting for half an hour."

Seriously? Only half an hour? Annabel silently cursed him. When would this man stop playing games? Did he have a grudge against her?

Aloud, she said through gritted teeth, "I haven't finished them yet."

"What have you been doing?" Rupert snapped impatiently.

Annabel took a deep breath to calm herself.

"I'll show you the minutes and the plan when I'm done," she said flatly.

"Fine," Rupert replied curtly.

It was time to leave, but Annabel was forced to stay. She finished the meeting minutes and perfected the plan. Once satisfied, she took them to the CEO's office.

"Are you finished?" Rupert asked, raising his head and glancing at her indifferently.

Annabel nodded, approached him, and handed him the documents. Rupert skimmed the minutes.

After a while, he asked, "Won't you explain them in detail?"

"I've written everything clearly. The meeting agenda was to discuss next steps in the mass production of the Ice and Fire series." Pointing at the minutes, Annabel explained each item. This man was clearly doing this on purpose. She remembered that a few days ago, Heather had brought the Norman Group cooperation plan to Rupert, who hadn't even glanced at it, simply asking her to leave it on his desk. Why did he now want her to explain everything? Was he still angry about her actions yesterday? What a child! Annabel thought.

After explaining the minutes, Annabel began to explain the plan, but Rupert interrupted.

"Have you had supper?" he asked flatly.

"Not yet," Annabel replied; she'd been busy all day. Suddenly, Rupert stood up.

"Let's go." Annabel was stunned.

"Where?"

"To a restaurant, of course," he said, as if it were obvious. He didn't want to overwork her; she deserved a nice meal.

Rupert put on his jacket and left without waiting for her. Annabel hurried after him.

"Your treat?" she asked cautiously.

"Of course!" he replied immediately.

Still unconvinced, Annabel asked, "Why do you suddenly want to treat me to dinner?"

Rupert paused and looked at her. "Do you think I'm a mean boss?"

Annabel wanted to say yes, but his icy gaze made her swallow the words.

They drove to a high-end restaurant.

"Ah, Mr. Benton! Welcome back!" The manager greeted Rupert enthusiastically. There was a private room reserved for Rupert; he sometimes worked late there or met clients. This was the first time he'd brought a woman. The manager couldn't help but steal glances at Annabel. She was tall, slender, and pretty, with bright eyes and a lovely smile. Noticing the manager's stares, Rupert frowned and gave him a cold look. The manager quickly looked away.

"Mr. Benton, this way, please." The manager escorted them to the top floor.

As Annabel stepped out of the elevator, she was blocked by a tall figure. Rory Kelly, a top star from Star Entertainment (and one of her suitors), stood before her. What was he doing here?

Before Annabel could speak, Rupert said, "Rory, what a coincidence!"

Rory smiled, his eyes flitting between Annabel and Rupert. "What a coincidence indeed."

"Aren't you filming in Madison? When did you return?" Rupert asked politely. The Kelly and Benton families had been neighbors, making Rory Rupert's childhood friend. They had grown up together and remained close. The Kelly family's business was in entertainment, film, and television. Two years ago, Rory became an actor; his good looks and melancholic temperament made him popular. He'd made great progress, even being dubbed the best actor of his generation.

"I just got back." Rory's expression softened when he looked at Annabel.

Seeing this, Rupert frowned. "This is my fiancée, Annabel."

"Fiancée?" Astonishment crossed Rory's face. Rupert nodded. "Annabel, this is my friend, Rory."

Annabel nodded politely. "I've heard a lot about you." While maintaining a neutral expression, she felt confused and surprised. Why was Rory back? And what if he told Rupert about her? Would her identity be exposed?