Betrayed and Dumped She Rose Stronger Than Ever novel Chapter 96

Bruce froze for a moment, his brows knitting together. What was Rebecca doing here?

Then it hit him. Of course. The people at this bid opening were all top names in fintech. Rebecca was here to check out job prospects. Typical Rebecca, always one step ahead.

But she was in for a rude awakening.

Right after Rebecca quit, Bruce had quietly put the word out to the other big players in the industry. He’d made it clear she was still under a non-compete. No one should hire her. And after running into her at the forum that day, he’d gotten even more anxious. At the dinner afterward, he’d pulled a few people aside and told them Rebecca was just having a spat with NovaStack Cloud and would be back soon. Who would take the risk on someone who might run back to her old company at any time, no matter how talented she was?

Still, how had she managed to get in today? Bruce couldn’t help but be impressed. Rebecca always knew how to get what she wanted.

Lottie spotted Rebecca too, but her eyes landed on the woman sitting next to her. Wait a second... Wasn’t that Cindy Duncan? Why was Rebecca with her?

Lottie remembered Avery’s birthday party so clearly. Cindy had been the center of attention, surrounded by Coralbridge’s finest, looking like she was born to be admired. How could she possibly end up here, sitting next to Rebecca?

Lottie’s mind buzzed with questions, but it was her first time at an event like this. With Mr. Lamont and Sonja right in front of her, she couldn’t act out of line. So she swallowed her curiosity and followed their lead, taking the seat just behind Rebecca and her group.

Bruce found himself sitting directly behind Rebecca. Every time he looked up, he caught sight of her pale, smooth neck and the gentle shape of her head. His throat tightened, and an uneasy frustration started to build.

Here they were again, face to face, and Rebecca acted like he was invisible. Her gaze was cold, distant, completely uninterested. Bruce had no idea how long she planned to keep this up.

“Bruce?” Sonja’s gentle voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

She quickly pulled out her phone and texted him, but her messages went unanswered.

“What’s wrong?” Bruce asked, noticing the worry on her face.

Sonja turned her phone face down and forced a smile. “It’s nothing.”

With that, they both turned back to the front as the bid opening ceremony began. The Meridian Tech host introduced the background and requirements, then read out each company’s bid. Every team gave a quick presentation—Justin spoke for Sunforge Tech, and Sonja presented for NovaStack Cloud herself.

Once the bids were in, the evaluation process began. The judges moved next door to a small conference room, where a panel of Meridian Tech’s senior experts and technical staff would review everything.