Chapter 237 We Must Win
“I’m not making excuses. I really did check it thoroughly,” Madelyn said, feeling extremely aggrieved and baffled. How could that page have just disappeared!
Not only had she meticulously checked earlier, but she was also sure she hadn’t dropped any papers along the way. Why, then, was she missing a page?
Upon hearing the commotion, the colleagues standing nearby craned their necks to look over.
Harriet remained firm and scoffed, “Ms. Thornton, I suggest you stop showing up if you’re only here to mess around. Let’s not waste each other’s time. We’re busy and have no time to entertain you.”
“L…” Madelyn muttered, unable to give a convincing explanation.
Just then, a loud and piercing voice rang out. “What are you guys doing?”
When Madelyn looked up and saw Sebastian, she felt even more aggrieved as a wave of emotions washed over her.
Alas, before she could say anything else, Harriet stepped in. “Ms. Thornton just delivered a document to me, Mr. Lockhart. I pointed out some discrepancies, but she refuses to acknowledge her mistakes!” the latter exclaimed, emphasizing her dissatisfaction so everyone could see how incompetent Madelyn was.
“No, I did check everything. Malcolm is aware of it, too,” Madelyn rambled, feeling lost and helpless.
“In that case, why did it disappear? You can make all the excuses you want, but ultimately, you’ve failed to do your job!”
For a moment, Madelyn was speechless.
After all, Harriet was right. Regardless of the reason, she was the one who had lost the document, so it was only natural that the responsibility fell on her.
Calm as always, Sebastian picked up the document and glanced over it.
After a while, he casually said, “There’s no major issue, Ms. Thornton. Just add the missing page immediately and hand it over to the finance manager.”
Surprisingly, his tone was devoid of blame and even carried a hint of reassurance.
Upon hearing his instructions, Madelyn felt her grievances instantly dissipate and nodded emphatically.
Harriet, however, turned pale with anger.
Oh, come on! That’s just blatant favoritism!
After work that night, Madelyn bought some dinner and brought it to the office to eat with Sebastian.
The man remained impassive as he ate a spoonful of food. “I have to work overtime later. Be safe on your way home.”
Madelyn hummed in response and headed home first after finishing her meal.
Chapter 237 We Must Win
...the black market investigation.
Next, she reached out to Josiah, and the two agreed to make a trip to the black market together.
Twenty minutes later, Madelyn and Josiah met up at the entrance of the black market, having once again disguised themselves as problematic youngsters in black leather jackets.
At the same time, Dracon and Tigra emerged stealthily and reported everything to Harriet.
“They’ve gone there again?” Harriet uttered, somewhat taken aback as her gaze darkened. “All right, I got it. Keep watching them.”
Meanwhile, at the casino, all eyes instinctively focused on Madelyn when she entered the venue.
After all, she had made quite a splash when she won the “King of Gambling” the previous day.
“Quick, look! That woman is back again!”
“Who knows how much she’ll win today. Tsk…”
“She’s here, Mr. Septimus,” a black-clad subordinate murmured to Septimus in a conference room on the second floor.
Having chosen a bright yellow casual outfit for the day, Septimus looked more vibrant and refreshed than ever. His mature and resolute face even seemed to radiate a hint of warmth.
“Invite her over,” he instructed, with a slight smirk on his lips and a hint of amusement in his tone.
“Understood,” the subordinate replied and did as instructed.
Within seconds, he had made his way to Madelyn. “Mr. Septimus has invited you to join him upstairs, miss. Would you do us the honor?”
Needless to say, Madelyn and Josiah were both slightly surprised.
According to Tattler, only people of high status could access the casino’s second floor. How could they have been invited upstairs when all they did was win some money and hadn’t even revealed their identities yet?
After some hesitation, the two eventually accepted the invitation and headed upstairs.
“Welcome. Please have a seat,” Septimus greeted warmly upon seeing the duo, his lips curled into a smile.
Madelyn, however, felt an inexplicable sense of unease and refused to sit down. “What is this about?”
Septimus couldn’t help but chuckle. “You two needn’t worry. I just thought that since you’re here to play, it would be quieter upstairs, wouldn’t it?”
Even though Madelyn found the situation rather strange, she had to admit the man had a point.
With the crowd below causing such a commotion, she knew her mood would inevitably be affected, so she nodded in agreement.
A short while later, the gambling began.
Chapter 237 We Must Win
Madelyn and Septimus took their seats at opposite ends of an intricately carved wooden table, both appearing equally calm and composed.
Once the impeccably dressed dealer had checked and verified the deck, he began dealing the cards with an expressionless face.
Meanwhile, Josiah stood behind Madelyn and silently cheered her on. No matter what, they had to win the game!
However, it didn’t take long before the two realized that Septimus had ulterior motives.
He held a few cards in his hand, but instead of revealing them, he casually asked, “Miss, it’s rare to see someone with gambling skills as extraordinary as yours. Do you think I can have the honor of becoming close friends with you?”
As it turned out, the people he had sent to follow Madelyn the previous night were all shaken off, which left him rather shocked.
There were certainly ways to track individuals based on their appearances, but Madelyn’s makeup was so elaborate that none of the faces they found matched hers.
Because of that, he decided to probe into her background personally.
“Of course, we can be friends,” Madelyn said with a chuckle. “However, there’s also the saying that true friendship need not be overly demonstrative. Since you’re asking to be close friends with me, are you hinting that you want to be my boyfriend?”
Septimus' expression changed instantly.
My goodness… Why is this woman making such an absurd joke?
“In that case, don’t you think I should at least know your name? If we’re going to be friends, that’s one thing you shouldn’t hide,” Septimus asked tentatively, a glint in his eye.
With that, Madelyn laughed and playfully replied, “Since everyone calls you Mr. Septimus, why don’t you call me Lyn? After all, a name is just a form of address.”
For a moment, Septimus was at a loss for words. Lyn? Ha… This woman is obviously skirting around the issue. Judging by the looks of it, I doubt I can get her to spill any more information.
With that in mind, Septimus decided to be straightforward. “I won’t beat around the bush anymore, miss. You must have a reason for coming here, don’t you?”
Madelyn was instantly filled with embarrassment.
However, she also knew that Septimus had vast experience in reading people, so it wouldn’t be difficult for him to realize what she was up to.
“To be honest, Mr. Septimus, I did come here to inquire about something,” she answered frankly.
“Oh?” Septimus remarked, looking rather intrigued as a smirk tugged at his lips. “I know pretty much everything in this establishment. I could divulge a little if you’re sincere enough.”