Next Man, Better Plan novel Chapter 125

She enjoyed cooking but hated the smell of oil that lingered afterward; she always felt like it clung to her hair and was eager to wash it out.

The loud hum of the hair dryer drowned out her ringtone. When she noticed the screen light up out of the corner of her eye, Stephanie answered on speakerphone.

"Stephanie."

She recognized the voice instantly. It was Quennel.

Stephanie had blocked his number long ago, but he was now calling from a new one.

She continued to style her hair in the mirror, not saying a word.

Quennel knew she was listening. "I saw the news online. You moved to OALA Group?"

Stephanie remained silent. Where she worked was none of his business.

"This afternoon, I had my assistant contact them to get the trending topic removed. Come out and meet me. I'm right outside your complex."

Quennel was all too familiar with these kinds of corporate warfare tactics.

It had to be a competitor trying to sabotage OALA Group, and they had decided to use Stephanie's personal history to attack her.

Having been childhood friends for years, Quennel knew Stephanie's vulnerabilities and how deeply the events of the past had affected her.

Just as Stephanie would bail him out if he got into trouble, he couldn't stand by and watch her suffer.

So, as soon as he heard the news, Quennel had contacted a friend to help get the topic taken down.

To do so, he had wired thirty million from his personal account to smooth things over.

Stephanie turned off the hair dryer, and the bathroom fell silent.

Her voice was calm. "There's no need to meet. My husband already took care of it."

Quennel frowned. "Husband?"

He paused, then chuckled as if he found it amusing. "Joseph's employee file says he's single. What kind of husband is he to you? Stephanie, are you just saying you're married to spite me because Victoria is pregnant with my child?"

Meridian Consortium had recently offered Joseph a position, and he was now working directly under Quennel.

Joseph was working until nine or ten every night at Meridian Consortium, barely finding time to eat, let alone date.

"We never even got a marriage license. What kind of wife am I?"

"Also, don't call me that anymore. My husband won't be happy to hear it."

She picked up her phone and started walking out. "Don't call me again. I don't want anything more to do with you."

As she pulled the door open, she realized a tall figure was standing right outside.

Caught by surprise and unable to stop in time, Stephanie crashed into Jonathan's chest.

She rubbed her head and instinctively took a step back to steady herself.

The man's hand shot out, wrapping around her slender waist, his rough palm landing on the small of her back.

It was Jonathan.

"When did you get back?" Stephanie asked without thinking.

Jonathan's gaze was deep as he glanced at her phone, which was still on the call. "Right when your phone started ringing."