Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 117

Summer practically had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Silas's sharp tongue truly never disappointed.

Xavier caught the upward tilt of Summer's lips. "The tides turn quickly in business. I wouldn't celebrate just yet."

"I celebrate whenever there's joy to be found. Life is about doing as you please." Silas casually lifted the gift box in his hand. "See you around, Mr. Sterling."

Once Summer and Silas disappeared completely from view, Julian finally spoke up. "Xavier, do you think Summer purposely hired Silas to put on this little show just to get under your skin?"

Lily seamlessly chimed in, "With Silas's status? Could she even afford to hire someone like him?"

"You're both forgetting that the Sinclair Group and the Sterling Group are sworn enemies. If you had a golden opportunity to humiliate your biggest rival, wouldn't you take it? I know I would. Besides..."

Julian's tone turned dead serious. "Summer worked at the Sterling Group for seven years. She has top-level access to all the company's trade secrets. To a shark like Silas, she's incredibly valuable. Why else would he go out of his way to help her at the hospital? Why else is he having private dinners with her now? When has Silas Sinclair ever been known as a charitable guy? He's definitely using her to get to us."

"Are you saying she would leak our corporate secrets?!" Lily gasped in exaggerated horror, quickly adding, "Julian, don't say things like that. That's a federal crime; she could go to prison! And no matter what happened, Summer and Xavier used to be—"

"Oh, Lily, you're just too innocent. You always see the good in people," Julian interrupted urgently. "With Summer getting this close to Silas, we have to be on guard, Xavier."

Xavier's mind flashed back to Summer deliberately logging into the company's mainframe a few weeks ago.

He had recently brought in a team of elite foreign security experts, pairing them with Lily, to completely overhaul the company's cybersecurity protocols.

It was all designed specifically to lock Summer out.

Given how bold and reckless she had become, she might actually try something disastrous. It seemed he needed to carve out some time to have a serious sit-down with her.

Xavier's eyes darkened with cold resolve. "Let's head to the room."

Meanwhile, inside Summer's private dining room.

The food was still being prepared. The room featured an exquisite, traditional tea set. Summer looked up. "Do you enjoy tea, Mr. Sinclair?"

Silas nodded. "I'm partial to premium Oolong tea."

The restaurant happened to stock exactly that. Summer smiled brightly. "They actually have top-tier roasted Oolong here."

She reached for the elegant white porcelain tea set.

Her fingers were long and pale, her nails neatly trimmed with a healthy, natural pink tint.

Her movements—warming the cups, measuring the leaves, and pouring the water—were so fluid and graceful they looked like a performance.

Silas sat across from her, his long legs crossed casually, his dark eyes quietly watching her.

She possessed a striking, delicate beauty. Her skin was flawless and luminous. Sitting perfectly upright with her dark hair falling softly around her shoulders, her thick eyelashes fluttered as she focused on the tea.

In her cream sweater, she radiated a gentle, timeless elegance, much like the flawless pearl pinned to her chest.

Xavier truly had no idea what a treasure he had recklessly thrown away.

As Silas mused, he broke the silence casually. "Your technique is incredibly professional. Do you drink tea at home often?"

Xavier, perhaps drunk on his recent victories or failing to do proper due diligence, snatched up every single decoy project. He poured millions into ventures that wouldn't yield a dime.

But the fact remained—Silas had still lost two prime contracts. In the end, nobody truly won.

Silas didn't elaborate on the details. He merely stated the facts. "Even without your involvement, the Sterling Group and the Sinclair Group are fundamentally incompatible. I chose to help you of my own free will, so I'm fully responsible for the fallout. You don't need to apologize."

The waiters began serving the dishes. The air immediately filled with a rich, mouth-watering spice.

Summer loved spicy food, which made her and Silas perfectly matched dining companions.

For the past seven years, she had forced herself to eat bland, unseasoned meals just to accommodate Xavier's preferences. The stress and poor diet had eventually given her chronic stomach issues, so she rarely touched spicy food anymore.

Occasionally, when the cravings hit too hard, she would drag Tessa out for hotpot.

Tonight, the food was absolutely spectacular.

Summer let herself go, completely swept up in the joy of the meal. She ate until she was incredibly full, completely forgetting her fragile stomach.

Before the dinner even ended, her stomach violently rebelled.

Not wanting to ruin the evening, Summer clamped her jaw shut and tried to suffer in silence.

By the time Silas noticed something was wrong, all the color had drained from her face. A thin layer of cold sweat coated her forehead, and her eyebrows were drawn tightly together as she bit down hard on her red lips.