Charlotte looked at her daughter then.
Kendall proceeded to empty the bowl in a few big gulps.
"Daddy, I have finished the soup." She stood up to go wash the tiffin box. "I will avoid meeting him."
"Kendall, give me the tiffin box. I will have it washed at home. Why don't you get busy now?" Charlotte stopped Kendall from washing it.
Unable to win against her mother, Kendall could only hand over the tiffin box to Charlotte, and the former proceeded to go out to work.
Since Charlotte was the president's wife, it was fine for her to stay in the president's office.
As soon as Kendall walked out of the room, she saw Benjamin and Brian strutting over with a few bodyguards surrounding them.
She didn't have any recollection of Benjamin.
She hadn't even met Benjamin in her past life. All she knew of him were the rumors that he was the successor of the Zorn Family, and that he was capable at work despite him being a cunning person.
Kendall did attend Yasmine's birthday banquet, but a man of Benjamin's status wouldn't possibly personally welcome the Kendall from back then. Today was the first time she would be meeting Benjamin.
The Zorn siblings all looked alike. Yasmine was as beautiful as her brothers were handsome.
Compared to Brian, Benjamin exuded a much more domineering aura.
Naturally, Kendall stepped aside to let Jessie bring the brothers into the president's office.
It certainly did surprise her when Benjamin came to a stop right in front of Kendall.
Realizing this, she instinctively looked up at him. She saw the coldness in his gaze when their eyes met.
"Young Mistress Coleman."
A smile had appeared on his face despite his cruel eyes.
"Please call me Miss Parker, President Benjamin."
Kendall didn't like it when Benjamin addressed her as Young Mistress Coleman. It sounded off coming from him.
"Sure. Where are you heading, Miss Parker?"
"Nowhere in particular."
Her reply made Benjamin let out a small cough. He then smilingly asked again, "Could you lead us to President Parker, Miss Parker?"
Kendall only replied politely, "Miss Holmes is President Parker's secretary. Since she has brought you here, you will be able to enter the president's office as soon as she knocks on the door and informs President Parker."
Benjamin's smile stayed on his face, and he stopped beating around the bush. "I am actually here to meet you as well, Miss Parker. I hope you don't refuse me."
After exchanging knowing looks with Jessie, Kendall stopped rejecting, and instead turned around and knocked on the door. She pushed the door open after getting her father's approval. "President Parker, President Zorn and Mr. Brian Zorn are here."
"Let them in," Adam's voice rang out.
Hearing that, Kendall stepped aside and gestured to the brothers to head in.
Benjamin then signaled for his bodyguards to stay outside as he and his younger brother went into Adam's office.
"Mr. and Mrs. Parker." As if they were close, Benjamin immediately greeted them with a bright smile on his dashing face.
Adam also smiled as he took two steps forward and shook hands with Benjamin. "I wonder what made you come all the way here, President Benjamin."
"The wind blew me here," Benjamin answered, resulting in laughter from everyone in the room.
After Adam invited the brothers to take a seat, Charlotte poured a glass of water for each of them, and then quietly brought her daughter to sit next to her husband.
"I didn't know that Mrs. Parker was here, Mr. Parker. I hope I am not interrupting something with my sudden visit."
"You are our honored guest, President Benjamin."
Adam didn't exactly answer, but him only saying that Benjamin was a distinguished guest had let Benjamin know that their sudden visit did indeed disturb the couple.
After a few more exchanges of pleasantries, Benjamin finally announced, "Mr. Parker, I came here today to apologize to you. I didn't know that you and Mr. Gleeson had discussions about a collaboration. I tried hard to sign with him because their project had potential, but I ended up robbing you of your business. I am the reason for the misunderstanding that Zorn Holdings is an enemy of the Parker Corporation's. I sincerely apologize for that, Mr. Parker. Even though we haven't come in contact much in the past, Yasmine and Kelly are, after all, close friends. I have always treated Kelly like my own younger sister. For Yasmine and Kelly's friendship, I hope you forgive how eager I was in earning money and taking your business opportunity without finding out more about the business beforehand."
Benjamin was sincerely apologizing.
Hearing this, Adam already knew the reason the man suddenly dropped by.
Apologize?
He is only apologizing after he learned about Kendall and Master Dylan. I am sure he knows that the Zorn Holdings could never win against Coleman Empire Holdings now.
It wasn't like it had only been recently that the Parker Corporation and Liam had talks of a collaboration. As the president of Zorn Holdings, Benjamin had always been well-informed about everything. It was just that he had never intervened. He only started taking business from the Parker Corporation after Yasmine started trying to make trouble with Kendall, only for the former to end up being the one left infuriated.
It was obvious that he was intentionally going against the Parker Corporation as a means to avenge his sister.
Even Kendall couldn't help the laugh that slipped after hearing Benjamin apologizing in all seriousness.
The businessworld was a place that had anything and everything. It was filled with people who had different masks on as they dealt with others.
Everyone would react unpredictably according to the situation, and it all was solely for profit.
"Dear Kendall, what has tickled your funny bone?" Humored, Benjamin asked as his eyes darted toward her. Unlike earlier, his gaze now was gentle.
She immediately felt nauseated by his endearing way of addressing her.
After exchanging a glance with Adam, she suggested, "Oh, I am not your 'dear Kendall', President Benjamin. Miss Zorn might rip me apart if she were to hear you call me that. Please just call me 'Miss Parker' as you did earlier. And the reason I laughed is because I have never seen anyone lie so seriously with such a solemn face on. You didn't sound like you were apologizing, President Benjamin. You are obviously making fun of us by making us seem stupid."
Kendall had no reservations in tearing down the fake mask he had on.
"You took our business? So be it. It is common for the other party to go back on their words and refuse to collaborate before the contract is signed. We might be angry, but we have no choice but to accept the fact that the Parker Corporation indeed falls short of Zorn Holdings. But now you are saying that you didn't know that the Parker Corporation and Mr. Gleeson were supposed to work together? Even a newbie like me knows that that is impossible. You said you are sincerely apologizing, but all that you have told so far are lies. I wonder what you truly mean, President Benjamin."
After her unrestrained babbling, Kendall immediately said to Adam apologetically, "I am sorry, President Parker. I misspoke."
Adam's face was stiff as he reprimanded her, "Don't act like a child and shoot your mouth off. Get out and do your work."
Hearing that, Kendall swiftly darted out of the room.
As soon as she left, Adam grumbled to Benjamin in an embarrassed tone, "That was an embarrassing display. Kendall has always been the straightforward kind who says anything that comes to mind. For Kelly and your sister's sake, I hope you don't hold a grudge against Kendall if she has offended you in any way."
"It is alright. I like people who are straightforward. Miss Parker's personality is my style."
Adam would have stopped Kendall from the moment she wanted to say something if he was trying to prevent her from spewing offensive words. Instead, he didn't stop her, and had let her figuratively slap Benjamin in the face. It seemed that Adam was letting Kendall say those honest words on the grounds that Kendall was still an 'immature child'.
It was all so blatantly obvious to Benjamin.
After all, Adam and Benjamin were both veterans of the businessworld. They were both shrewd and cunning in their own ways.
Adam didn't mention anything about Kendall unhesitantly exposing Benjamin, and Benjamin, too, didn't continue with that topic of conversation.
However, they were both clear about the fact that the Parker Corporation and Zorn Holdings would never truly come to friendly terms.
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