Leila Jennings glanced toward Nathaniel Cole’s office, knowing her resignation process was most likely stalled with him.
She turned and went inside.
Zachary opened his mouth to call out to her, but he was too late.
"President Cole." Leila Jennings stood ramrod straight in front of Nathaniel Cole, conveniently blocking the view of the gossiping trio outside.
"I’d like to ask where things stand with my resignation. How much longer until I can officially leave?"
Nathaniel Cole looked up. "What for? So you can resign and go back to being a housewife?"
"Absolutely not." The two words were spoken with resounding finality.
First, it was Sean Sinclair trying every which way to keep her trapped by his side as a housewife. Now, it was Nathaniel Cole stalling her resignation and refusing to let her go. Both were acting completely against her will.
Leila Jennings felt a heavy weight in her chest, as if a boulder were lodged there. She retorted, "Whether or not I beco a housewife is none of your concern, President Cole. I simply want to resign within the standard one-month notice period."
Her voice was calm and asured, carrying the detached tone one would use with a stranger.
Nathaniel Cole didn’t like that tone. His sharp brows furrowed slightly.
"You’re set on resigning?"
"Yes."
eting Leila Jennings’s resolute gaze, Nathaniel Cole scoffed. "And what if I decide to refuse?"
"There’s no such thing as a job you can’t quit. The mont I submit my resignation, the one-month clock starts ticking. When it’s up, I can walk away." Leila Jennings t the man’s deep, dark gaze. "President Cole, my continued employnt here brings no benefit to The Cole Group."
The leader of the proprietary chip project is the secretary to the president of The Cole Group. If The Cole Group doesn’t win the bid, it’s no big deal. But if it does, it will definitely trigger an investigation.
Nathaniel Cole knew her background was mysterious, but he hadn’t managed to uncover anything by keeping her at his side.
He retracted his scrutinizing gaze. "Is President Sinclair threatening ?"
"Then let him try."
Leila Jennings took a deep breath. She felt the man before her was being a shaless rogue.
’Whether Nathaniel Cole agrees or not is irrelevant. When the ti is up, I’m leaving on my own.’
"President Cole, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave." She turned to go.
"Stop." Nathaniel Cole called out, stopping her. He pulled a bid invitation from a drawer and tossed it onto the desk, gesturing for her to look.
Leila Jennings knew what it was with a single glance; she had already seen it with her own eyes.
She didn’t move.
"The proprietary chip project was originally spearheaded by Mr. Thorne. Now that it’s been developed, don’t you want to participate in your ntor’s project? It’s in your field of expertise, after all." Nathaniel Cole’s voice paused for a mont before he continued, "If you think the position of secretary isn’t enough, I can give you special approval to transfer to Lantech’s R&D center."
An R&D center at a tech company held no appeal for Leila Jennings.
"I’m not going."
"..." Nathaniel Cole felt as if Lantech, the company he had founded, was being scorned.
He tried to entice her. "Lantech’s R&D center has the second-largest laboratory in all of City A and the finest experintal equipnt."
The largest laboratory was the very research institute where Leila Jennings worked.
Her answer was the sa. "I’m not going."
Nathaniel Cole: "..."
"Cherry Cole will be joining Lantech’s R&D center after she graduates next year." He resorted to bringing up his sister.
Leila’s gaze flickered.
Thinking he had an opening, he asked in a level voice, "How about it?"
"That’s great," Leila Jennings said, analyzing the situation earnestly. "Cherry can use Lantech as a stepping stone. Once she has so achievents under her belt, she can have Elder Alden recomnd her to the research institute."
’Of course, I could also make the recomndation,’ she thought.
’But since we aren’t in the sa field of research, my recomndation wouldn’t be of much help to Cherry Cole.’
Nathaniel Cole slowly let out a frustrated breath and bit out two cold words: "Get out."
"Yes, President Cole." Leila Jennings turned crisply, walked out, and pulled the door shut.
Her movents were seamless.
Nathaniel Cole’s knuckles CRACKED.
「...」
When Sean Sinclair received the bid invitation, he was beaming. He imdiately called a eting, established a project team with himself at the helm, and laid out the next steps. He also presented the proposal and bid docunts that he had already been preparing for so ti.
Everyone praised his foresight.
Chairman Forrester was particularly full of praise for him. As he left, he made a point of patting Sean’s shoulder in front of all the senior executives.
"I knew I wasn’t wrong about you, Sean Sinclair. If we win this bid, you’ll get a stake not only in Stellaxis, but in Forrester as well."
Sean Sinclair’s pupils trembled. An imnse wave of joy crashed over him, and he nearly forgot how to breathe.
"Chairman, I will do my absolute best."
"I have high hopes for you, young man."
As soon as Chairman Forrester left, the senior executives flocked over to offer their congratulations. Sean Sinclair smiled politely, his heart set on victory.
Once the crowd dispersed, he excitedly pulled out his phone to share the good news. The first face that flashed through his mind was Leila Jennings’s, but he quickly shook his head.
’Leila wouldn’t understand,’ he thought. ’If I told her, she’d just say sothing bland like, ’Not bad.’’
Sean Sinclair called Sarah Lynch instead.
Over the phone, Sarah Lynch’s voice was full of excitent. "Sean, I knew you could do it! If there’s anything at all you need my help with, I’m here for you."
"Sarah, I don’t want to put you in a difficult position. You can leave the rest to ."
"Okay." Sarah Lynch asked, "Have you told your family yet, Sean? This is fantastic news. If you win this bid, you’ll have a much brighter future ahead of you."
"You’re the first person I told. I’ll tell them in a little while."
"Why don’t I tell Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair for you? You should focus on work. The tiline for this bid is pretty tight, isn’t it?" Having signed a confidentiality agreent, Sarah Lynch couldn’t be too direct and had to phrase it carefully.
Sean Sinclair smiled. "It’s short. I’d better get back to work."
"Okay." Sarah Lynch hung up and imdiately dialed the Sinclair family to share the good news.
"Sean is just too busy, so he asked to tell you. I was thinking, how about we celebrate for him tonight? I’ll book the restaurant."
Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair were overjoyed, praising Sarah Lynch for being so sweet and considerate.
Finally, Sarah Lynch asked tentatively, "What about Leila Jennings? Should we invite her, too?"
"Why bring her up? She wouldn’t co anyway," Mrs. Sinclair imdiately shot down the idea.
’They’ve already signed the divorce papers, so why on earth would she co?’ she thought.
’If only they didn’t have to wait for so cooling-off period,’ she fud silently. ’My son could divorce Leila Jennings at once and marry Sarah Lynch right away.’
Sarah Lynch booked the restaurant and sent the location to them. Sean Sinclair also got the ssage: a celebration dinner tonight at Eden Restaurant.
Eden Restaurant had just recently opened.
Cherry Cole had also been called over by her mother.
"My beautiful, kind, gentle, and generous mother, shouldn’t you be coming to a restaurant like this with Dad? If Dad finds out you only brought and not him, he’ll get mad! And when he gets mad, he’ll cut off your daughter’s allowance!"
"You can’t fully enjoy a al at a beautiful restaurant when you co with a man. You have to be all prim and proper. No, I’d rather not invite your father," Ms. Neville said with a gentle smile. "Besides, your Miss Ellie opened Eden. We’re here to show our support."
"Show support, huh? In that case, can I invite soone else?" As Cherry Cole spoke, she was already pulling out her phone. Ms. Neville glanced over and saw the contact na displayed on the screen: the two words "Beautiful Sister."
"Is that Leila Jennings?"
"Huh? Mom, how did you know?"
"You generally only call her type ’beautiful.’ The sweet-looking girls you call ’cute,’ and the dazzling ones you say are like ’a flower.’"
Cherry Cole grinned. "Mom, why don’t we swing by The Cole Group and pick up Leila Jennings on our way?"
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