Chapter 329 Leverage
Meanwhile, Malcolm helped Sandra out of the car.
With a hint of guilt in her eyes, Sandra glanced at him. “I’m so sorry for taking up your time. If you have things to do, don’t worry about me. I can deliver these flowers to Mrs. Cole myself.”
Since getting involved with Malcolm, Sandra had used his connections to open a flower shop. She primarily catered to the wealthy, leveraging Malcolm’s network to secure high-profile clients. She had little interest in casual customers, unlike the rich kids, who never had to worry about money and loved to indulge in romance, spending lavishly on flowers. Sometimes, during occasions like birthdays, she could rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars for a simple party setup. Over the years, Sandra had saved enough and built a solid network, ensuring that even if Malcolm stopped supporting her, she and Lydia would be well taken care of.
This time, for David’s wife’s birthday bash, all the floral arrangements were sourced from Sandra’s shop. As the owner, she personally wrapped a bouquet to deliver to the Cole Villa. Her motives were twofold: she wanted to meet Julia, and having heard that Malcolm would also be attending the birthday party, Sandra was curious to see if Malcolm had any plans to introduce her to everyone.
In their world, having a legitimate wife while keeping a mistress was quite common. No one would dare confront the main partner since everyone was in the same boat. So, Sandra had conveniently claimed her car had broken down and hitched a ride with Malcolm.
Watching Sandra struggle to carry the large bouquet, Malcolm gently offered, “Need a hand with that?”
She shook her head, a hesitant expression crossing her face. “If we go in together and someone sees us, it might raise eyebrows.” As she spoke, she subtly shifted a couple of steps away from him, pretending to avoid any association.
Malcolm chose not to press the issue further. Today, he was attending Julia’s birthday party as a business associate. Their families had business dealings, and such social niceties were unavoidable. Turning slightly, he said, “Once you deliver the flowers, just head back to the car. The driver can take you home.”
Sandra’s gaze darkened.
It seemed Malcolm had no intention of publicly acknowledging her.
Once inside the Cole Villa, they parted ways. Malcolm was led by a servant through a garden, only to find a crowd gathering in a frenzy. He stood at the edge of the garden, watching as Harvey got back on his feet.
Seeing his old classmate, Malcolm was taken aback. He thought, “Harvey has been part of the elite for quite some time now, rarely dealing with us regular businessmen. David must have quite the pull to invite him. So many people would love to connect with him, and here’s my chance, especially since we used to be classmates!”
However, it was the sight of Meryl standing beside Harvey that truly astonished him. He thought, “So, Meryl was the one who saved Harvey? This is a stroke of luck! With such a significant favor owed, how could I not leverage this connection? Once I’m in with Harvey, it’ll be like having one foot in the elite circle. Celestial Ventures Group’s business is bound to flourish.”
As the crowd dispersed, Malcolm quickly made his way over to them.
Meryl was momentarily taken aback, thinking, “Malcolm? He’s here at Julia’s birthday party?”
Noticing the confusion in her eyes, Malcolm quickly explained, “Mr. Herty reached out to me not long ago, saying he was impressed with your cello playing and wanted to take you under his wing. Didn’t I mention this to you?”
That was true, but Meryl had turned down the offer back then.
Hearing Malcolm’s words, Harvey looked equally surprised. He thought to himself, “No wonder she seemed familiar when I first saw her; I’ve watched her play the cello in videos before.”