Mr. CEO Your Wife Has Wanted a Divorce for a Long Time (by Zora Pradeep) novel Chapter 484

**Freedom 484**

**Chapter 484**

As Maggie stepped into the expansive conference hall, her eyes quickly locked onto Harry. By sheer coincidence, his seat was positioned right next to hers, a fact that stirred a flutter of anticipation within her. When Harry caught sight of her, a warm smile spread across his face, instantly brightening the atmosphere. “Morning,” he greeted her, his voice carrying a hint of familiarity.

Maggie returned the greeting with a subtle nod, her own smile lingering. “Morning,” she replied, feeling a sense of comfort in his presence.

“I caught the press conference the other day. Congratulations on the success,” Harry remarked, his tone genuine. There was an unspoken camaraderie between them, one that had developed over time.

“Thank you,” Maggie responded, her heart swelling with pride at his acknowledgment.

Before they could delve deeper into conversation, the door swung open, and in walked Julia and Rex, their entrance drawing attention. Harry was acutely aware that today marked Julia’s birthday; he and Levi had made a point to wish her well in their group chat at the stroke of midnight. Now, in the bustling environment of the conference hall, with Julia’s gaze fixed on him, he stood up, his voice clear and cheerful, “Happy birthday!”

However, Julia’s reaction was not what he had hoped for. She perceived his birthday greeting as lacking warmth, merely a courteous formality rather than a heartfelt sentiment. Her eyes flickered to Maggie, who was seated beside Harry, and she replied, her tone chilly, “Thank you.” With a hint of detachment, she added, “The meeting is about to start. I’ll go sit over there,” indicating a distant corner of the room.

Harry nodded, accepting her decision without protest. “All right,” he said, a slight frown creasing his brow as he watched her walk away.

He then turned to Rex, offering him a brief nod of acknowledgment. Rex, who was also seated in the front row, though not as centrally positioned as Harry, returned the gesture with a friendly smile.

Julia, meanwhile, couldn’t help but notice the seating arrangement. The front row was filled with familiar faces, all of whom seemed to radiate confidence and authority. She glanced down at her own seat number, a stark reminder of her placement in the second-to-last row. For a fleeting moment, her steps faltered as a wave of disappointment washed over her, but she quickly gathered herself and strode toward her designated seat with an air of composure.

As the meeting commenced, the atmosphere shifted. Cole, the star of the show, received an avalanche of praise from the government officials, drawing attention and admiration with every word spoken.

Listening to the accolades directed toward Cole, the representatives seated near Julia couldn’t suppress their admiration. “Cole is incredible. Those young people have accomplished feats that we couldn’t even dream of achieving in a lifetime of hard work. It’s honestly disheartening to compare ourselves to them,” one of them remarked, shaking his head in disbelief.

With that thought lingering in his mind, Rex couldn’t help but ask, “It’s your birthday today, Miss Brown. Since fate has brought us together, do you have any plans for later? If not, I would be delighted to treat you to dinner.”

Julia smiled politely, her demeanor composed yet distant. “Thank you for the kind offer, Mr. Hardin, but I already have plans,” she replied, her voice firm.

“That’s perfectly fine. Perhaps next time,” Rex said, his gaze drifting as he noticed Julia’s attention shift ahead of her. Following her line of sight, he spotted Harry and Maggie engaging in conversation with several government officials.

After a brief exchange, Harry and Maggie made their way out of the hall together, their camaraderie evident in the way they moved.

Rex’s brow furrowed at the sight. Wasn’t Harry supposed to be close to Julia, especially considering her connection with Franklin? Yet here he was, leaving without so much as a glance in Julia’s direction.

And was he… showing an unusual amount of interest in Maggie? Rex couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.