Drowning Him In Regret novel Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Maybe it was Ewan’s warning; Jude’d been unusually quiet lately.

Even when we crossed paths at the office, he would look the other way like I wasn’t even there.

For a moment, I almost believed the storm had passed. Then Vivian reminded me who I was dealing with.

林念29%會

Elitara Group had people coming in today. Not only did she “forget” to inform me, she actually left them sitting in the meeting room for over an hour.

I only found out because Dorian messaged me on WhatsApp–he and his team had already been waiting ages.

I rushed over, yanking open the door, and exclaimed in surprise, “Dorian–you’re with Elitara Group?”

“I’m sorry, no one told me you were here. If you’d messaged me earlier, I’d have come straight to the meeting room.”

The way he was seated–center of the room, everyone else flanking him–told me one thing: he wasn’t just part of the team. He was leading it.

415

And suddenly, I felt a little spark of relief. If Dorian was handling the project, everything just got easier. He was definitely more reasonable than Cassian.

A young woman beside him shot me a glare and snapped, “Seriously? Name dropping the second you walk in?”

Another chimed in, arms folded, and questioned, “First you made Mr. Merritt wait, and now it’s Mr. Huxley. Are we supposed to take this as some kind of power play?”

I put on my best corporate smile, bowing my head slightly as I apologized. Dorian helped smooth things over, which eased the tension–just barely.

Then Ellen swept into the room with two trays stacked high with coffee cups.

“Apologies, everyone–Mrs. Carson insisted on this specific café. Said it’s all the rage right now, so I had to queue,” she explained.

“I got all the trending drinks, plus pastries. Please, help yourselves while we talk,” she added with a friendly tone.

I gave her an appreciative nod. She dabbed the sweat off her brow, then winked at me behind the trays.

Elitara’s team, mostly younger professionals, warmed up instantly. Once the coffee and sweets were on the table, the energy in the room shifted.

“This place is impossible to get into. It’s too popular,” one of them/commented between sips.

“See, this is why it’s easier dealing with people our age–no generational gaps, no stiff nonsense,” another chimed in.

“Mrs. Carson really did her homework. I haven’t seen some of these pastries in–store at all,” a third one remarked.

Just when I thought we were finally transitioning into the actual meeting, the door opened–and Vivian walked in, the queen of bad timing,

She took one look at the table, then curled her lip and sneered, “Really? Is this a meeting or a brunch?”

She scoffed, eyes landing on the pastries, and taunted, “Ada, this is what you’re serving our guests? Supermarket cake? You’re not even trying to hide the fact that you’re cheap,”

I took a slow, deliberate sip of my coffee, savoring the moment before replying coolly, “Well, you’re welcome to foot the bill for luxury desserts now.”

Vivian’s jaw twitched, but before she could snap back, Dorian cut in, his voice polite but laced with disdain, “You’re the assistant, right?

“We’ve been here over an hour, and all you’ve done is tell us Mr. Carson’s too busy.”

“So what’s this sudden appearance supposed to be? A threat?” he questioned.

1/3

Chapter 40

stood, calmly brushing down his suit and buttoning his jacket.

Around him, the rest of his team put down their coffee and followed his lead.

He declared, “If this is how Carson Group handles its partnerships, we’ll take our business elsewhere.

“Ada,

וויר

you i for the refreshments–just so no one accuses you of misusing company funds.”

29%

+15

I barely had time to respond before the door opened again, and Jude stepped in, trying to mask his awkwardness with a forced smile. “Carson Group can handle a few pastries. No need for your charity, Mr. Huxley.”

Clearly, he hadn’t known Dorian was Elitara’s lead either.

He glanced at me, tone sharp, and demanded, “What’s going on? You left a client waiting?”

Vivian jumped in before I could speak and lied, “It’s Ada. I already told the design team, but she insisted on sending someone out to stand in line for coffee. That’s what delayed everything.”

“She did the same thing with Mr. Merritt last time. I think she’s doing it on purpose,” she added, continuing her act.

Her performance was as subtle as a brick through glass. Even the Elitara girls rolled their eyes.

We’d all been in this game long enough to recognize a petty little power grab when we saw one.

But Jude? Jude lapped it up like gospel.