He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 438

Veronica's smile deepened, her tone turning even more flirtatious.

"Of course. As long as you're open to seeing where this goes, I'm in no rush."

She sounded supremely confident.

"Besides, I truly believe that once we spend enough time together, you'll definitely fall in love with me."

Veronica had absolute faith in her allure.

Growing up, she had lost count of the men who had fallen head over heels for her, completely bewitched by her charm.

To date, Yardley was the only man who had remained immune to her after working together, which was exactly why she was so obsessed with him.

She was naturally ambitious and fiercely competitive.

The harder the mountain was to climb, the more she wanted to conquer it.

The tougher the challenge, the more she wanted to break it.

She didn't want Yardley to instantly agree to be her boyfriend—that was too easy, too boring.

But as long as he agreed to date her, she was absolutely certain that, in time, he would fall madly and obsessively in love with her.

The four of them spent the entire afternoon in the lounge, hashing out the preliminary framework for the partnership.

After seeing the Thornes out, Franklin called Yardley into his private office.

Standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows with his hands clasped behind his back, Franklin got straight to the point.

"Yardley, what's your read on Thorne Industries approaching us? I can see his daughter is very interested in you, but what are your thoughts?"

Yardley took a deep breath. His father was too sharp; nothing got past him.

His expression serious, Yardley answered honestly. "I'm not looking for a relationship right now, but I have to admit, the deal they're offering is exactly what we need to survive this. What do you think, Dad?"

"Yardley, you still hold the marriage license. Do I really need to tell you what to do next?"

Leaving Yardley with that heavy revelation, Franklin patted him on the shoulder and headed for the door, tossing one last piece of advice over his shoulder.

"I'll spell it out for you. Play both sides. String the Thorne girl along to solve our cash flow problem, but figure out a way to win Scarlett back."

"Women are all the same. They talk tough, but if you persistently coax them, they eventually soften up. As long as you refuse to sign those divorce papers, you have a daughter tying you together. Eventually, things will thaw—"

Yardley stood there, frozen in deep thought.

Right at that moment, Scarlett called him again. Her voice was ice-cold, treating him like an absolute stranger.

"Yardley, when exactly are you going to be free to go to City Hall? Let me tell you, my patience..."

Before she could finish, Yardley cut her off, his voice firm.

"Right now. I'm free right now. Meet me at City Hall in a few minutes."