Betrayed and Dumped She Rose Stronger Than Ever novel Chapter 278

The big conference room had walls of glass on three sides, so you could see everything going on inside. While Caleb and his group were still getting things set up, the three men filed in and took their seats. Stephen had the highest rank, so he naturally got the seat at the head of the table.

Representing NovaStack Cloud today was Shawn. He was the lowest in rank among the three, so technically, he should have been making small talk with Stephen and Paul, trying to break the ice. But Shawn had other things on his mind. His attention kept drifting to the glass door. He just knew something had happened here before they arrived, and he was almost certain it involved Rebecca.

Shawn leaned back, rubbing his forehead, lost in thought. What could it have been? Sonja had been busy planning her engagement lately, so she shouldn’t have had time to stir up any drama.

Paul finally broke the silence. “Mr. Duncan, this is Shawn, the new R&D Director at NovaStack Cloud,” he said, introducing him when Shawn didn’t speak up himself. Larson Group had invested in NovaStack Cloud, so their success was beneficial to Paul as well. Helping them out was as good as helping himself.

Stephen glanced over, his expression cool and unreadable. He gave Shawn a polite nod. “We met at the product launch. Good to see you again.”

Shawn nodded back. “Likewise. Sunforge Tech’s last launch was a real hit. Congrats, Mr. Duncan.”

Paul smiled. “That was mostly thanks to Rebecca’s patent. Honestly, I never would have guessed…”

“You never would have guessed?” Shawn cut in easily. “She’s never exactly kept her talent a secret.”

Paul looked a little surprised. “You know her?”

By all logic, Shawn and Rebecca shouldn’t have been close. But the way Shawn said it, so casual, it was like he was talking about an old friend. Something about that made Paul uneasy, a tight feeling settling in his chest. He knew what it was. Jealousy, plain and simple.

Shawn didn’t bother hiding anything. “We’ve met a few times.”

By the time Rebecca came in, all the good seats were already taken. She glanced around, realized her options were limited, and headed for the other side of the table. She took a breath and started walking over.

Before she got close, both Stephen and Paul pulled out the chairs next to them, making it very clear they wanted her to sit beside them.

Rebecca hesitated, feeling awkward as everyone watched. Shawn just leaned back, crossing his arms, a teasing smile on his lips like he was watching a reality show. He was waiting to see what she’d do.

But Rebecca wasn’t about to follow anyone else’s script. She took a detour and slipped quietly into the empty seat right beside Shawn.

Shawn’s smile disappeared in an instant. He stiffened, caught off guard, and glanced up to see Stephen and Paul both staring at him, their gazes sharp. He just raised an eyebrow, showing he had nothing to do with it.