The Rejected Luna (Avery and Kaden) novel Chapter 142

Chapter 142

On the main floor below, I spotted Gordon a little ahead and called out to him with a warm smile. “Gordon!” I hadn’t really seen much of him over the past couple of days. Usually, he’d bring my meals, exchange a few polite words, then leave—always seeming far busier than before.

He was holding two umbrellas as he approached. “Ma’am, it’s pouring outside, and the ground is slippery. Let me help you get to the car.”

Peering up at him from beneath my high heels, I smiled brightly. “It’s alright, I can manage on my own.”

Steven shot a sharp glance at both of us. “Why are you wasting time?” he snapped.

Caught between Gordon’s concern and Steven’s impatience, Gordon reluctantly handed me one of the umbrellas. He opened his and led Steven to the car first, with me following closely behind. Once inside, I settled into the seat beside Steven.

The ride was completely silent. I slipped on my headphones and started scrolling through TikTok, briefly lingering on a video of a handsome guy lifting his shirt to reveal sculpted abs. Suddenly, my phone was yanked from my hand.

I looked up, meeting Steven’s cold gaze as he sneered and switched off the screen.

“Steven, why did you turn off my phone?” I asked, frowning.

His voice was icy. “You’re here representing the company. Don’t waste time on such meaningless, vulgar nonsense in public.”

I clenched my jaw. “Oh, please. Like you’re some saint. Don’t you ever look at beautiful women?”

“No.”

As if I believed that.

Anger flared inside me. I reached to snatch my phone back, but his grip was ironclad—prying his fingers open would have taken a crowbar. “Give me back my phone.”

Steven glanced at me sideways and finally relented, handing it over with a stern warning. “No phones during work hours.”

I nodded along frequently, though my thoughts drifted. I’d never been involved in Steven’s business affairs before, so I wasn’t sure if this partnership had gone through. I vaguely remembered that Lucid Works never actually entered our domestic market.

When Steven finished speaking with the project director, he turned to me. “Well?”

I nodded again, picking up various accessories and offering my analysis. “Overall, everything looks promising. I’ve seen the samples, and the innovation is genuine. The designer is very professional. If they incorporated some additional elements down the line, they could capture an even larger market.”

Steven’s eyes darkened slightly, a flicker of suspicion in his gaze. “So, you actually know what you’re talking about.”

I couldn’t help but smile. The bastard had never believed I could design. Fine—let him think I was useless. I had no desire to change his opinion.

Across the table, their team was conferring quietly. Suddenly, all eyes turned to me. After a brief exchange, their translator addressed me.

“Ms. Jones, they would like to know if you studied design professionally back home. They’re also curious if you have a professional alias—specifically, Somania?”