Seven Years a Fool One Day a Queen (Kristine and Colton) novel Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Human hearts are inherently fickle.

Eliza had long given up any hope of Calvin standing up for her, so she didn’t expect him to defend her name.

She quickly averted her gaze, her expression indifferent.

She looked at Gideon as if he were nothing more than a piece of garbage.

Gideon had originally planned to mock Eliza and regain the face he lost when she humiliated him earlier.

However, he never expected her to react this way.

Her expression was calm, and there was no trace of the typical guilt or tension one would expect from being “caught in the act.”

Instead, she even looked at him with disdain!

Having had a few drinks, Gideon was irritated, and his words quickly escalated from teasing to outright insult.

“What are you staring at me for? Did I say something wrong? You’ve always been so fake! Not only that, you’re unscrupulous, greedy, and will do anything for personal gain…”

“Enough!”

Finally, Calvin spoke up, his expression still neutral.

Gideon had more insults on his tongue, but with Calvin speaking, he had no choice but to hold back.

Medea, standing by, awkwardly intervened, “Sorry, Eliza, he’s had too much to drink.”

Eliza’s face remained cold. “Then please, President Young, leash your dog so it doesn’t bite anyone. Not everyone will like that dog as you do.”

“Eliza, you…” Gideon was about to retort.

“Forget it, Gideon, just keep quiet,” Medea quickly pulled him back.

As Eliza and Tyler left, Medea glanced at Calvin, curious about his reaction to seeing Eliza in this state.

However, Calvin’s expression remained unchanged, almost as if she were a stranger to him.

When Eliza left, he quickly turned away, seemingly too lazy to spare her a second glance,

The next day, Eliza went to Starlight Capital to meet with Tyler about the project.

Tyler wasn’t just successful by chance–he had a good eye for investments.

After carefully studying Eliza’s business plan, he expressed interest.

However, the collaboration model he proposed made Eliza hesitate.

Tyler wanted Eliza to join Starlight as a project manager and incubate the project under their umbrella. Essentially, he wanted more control and a larger share of the profits.

This was the way of a true capitalist, profits first.

If it was just this condition, Eliza might have considered it.

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Seven Years a Fool, One Day a Queen

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Chapter 57

After all, Starlight had substantial capital, and Enzo’s side urgently needed investment.

She could accept sacrificing her share of the profits for the greater good.

But Tyler had another condition: he wanted Enzo to sign a non–compete agreement.

Tyler, being astute, had recognized that Enzo was the core figure in the project, so he wanted him bound by the agreement.

Eliza could sacrifice her own interests, but she couldn’t do the same for Enzo’s.

So, she declined Tyler’s offer.

Tyler wasn’t in a hurry. He just reminded her, “I know a bit about your situation, and I know you’ve approached many companies. You’ve seen the result. While you can keep looking for other investors, the Al industry is evolving rapidly. A delay of even one day could lead to being left behind. So think it over carefully; no need to give me an answer right now.”

After leaving Starlight, Eliza went to the hospital to pick up Enzo.

He insisted on being discharged early, and though the doctors were reluctant, they had no choice but to agree.

Eliza had planned to take him home, but Enzo insisted on going to the studio because he needed to pick up some important documents.

When they arrived, Eliza discovered that the “important documents” he referred to were the contract they needed to sign.

“I know you’ve been hesitant to sign this contract because you want to give me more options. But I’ve already told you, I’ll only sign with you. So, let’s settle this today,” he said, his sincerity clear, his full trust in Eliza evident.

Eliza was moved. She hadn’t expected Enzo to see through her plan.

“Today I met with Tyler from Starlight Capital. He said the AI industry is changing so quickly that even a one–day delay could lead to being left behind. So, he told me to think it over.”

Eliza held the contract, her voice soft, “Now I’m passing those words to you, hoping you’ll think it over too.”

Enzo picked up the pen and handed it to her, his attitude unusually clear, “This is my answer. Sign it.”

When Eliza took the pen, she felt a lump in her throat. “Let me remind you, once you sign, there’s no turning back.”

“Hurry up and sign!” Enzo urged impatiently.

“And when you first came to me, you didn’t trust my skills, did you? Am I going to be left behind?”

Enzo had full confidence in his expertise.

Eliza quickly signed her name.

Things went smoothly but not without challenges.

Entrepreneurship meant facing countless problems, and Eliza faced them all head on.

Fortunately, her mindset was strong, and she was able to remain steady.

After all these years, she had been sharpened by these experiences and wouldn’t easily be crushed.

She was tackling the problem from both ends–continuing to seek investors while also applying for loans from various banks.

The loan process was tedious, and the timeline long. It seemed like it could solve her immediate problem, but in reality, it did nothing.

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Seven Years a Fool, One Day a Queen

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Chapter 57

As she watched her funds dwindle day by day, Eliza began to feel anxious.

After being turned down by another bank, she sat on the subway, feeling exhausted. Her phone, however, kept ringing.

She didn’t even need to look to know who it was.

Who else but Sadie?

He had a characteristic way of sending messages–he liked breaking up a sentence into multiple parts. What could be said in one message would end up being split into three or four.

Eliza opened the message, and sure enough, it was Sadie complaining again.

“Eliza.”

“People are really frustrating!”

“Do you know what?”

“President Young just…”

. “Spent a fortune…”

“Bought a villa in Elysian Haven for Director Wynn!”

Sadie kept ranting, but Eliza’s thoughts momentarily stalled.

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