SWNOVELS Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Pearl’s claim that she was too busy was not just a lie. She genuinely was swamped with work. Since her return to Nanston, she had been attending numerous formal dinners and was busy with work–related matters. She had not attended any private dinners, claiming that her career came first, and all she got in return were cold, indifferent looks from her
brothers.
Tonight, there was yet another work–related dinner waiting for her. As the city of Nanston came alive with the onset of evening, the streets were bustling with couples holding hands and lovers stealing kisses. The historically rich city had adopted a youthful and romantic
ambiance.
Pearl leaned back in her chair, pulled down the window, and gazed quietly at the world.
outside.
A couple was sharing a hotdog on the sidewalk. The girl fed a piece of sausage to her boyfriend, who then kissed her affectionately. The girl smiled sweetly at him, and the two of them held hands as they headed for the next snack vendor. It was such a simple yet joyful scene of everyday love.
That was all she wanted.
Tomorrow was the day Marc would marry his new bride, and the reason she had not seen him was that she did not know what to say to him. As his ex–wife and someone who had loved him for so many years, perhaps her most graceful response should be to genuinely wish him well. However, she was a petty person who could not stand seeing him holding hands with someone else.
“Play a song,” Pearl ordered, and her assistant, Mason, turned on the car’s music system.
A classic old song began to play softly. It happened to be a breakup song, telling the story of someone deeply loving their partner and feeling immense regret after parting ways.
She slowly closed her eyes and listened as the song reached its climax.
The singer sang with a haunting melancholy about how their love had slowly faded over the course of 10 years, ultimately leading them to become strangers, each walking down a different path in life. Every lyric struck a chord with Pearl, and the singer’s emotive
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performance only intensified the pain in her heart.
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In Pearl’s mind, she saw the various expressions of Marc over the past decade. His proud look, his victorious smile, his pained expression, and even his peaceful sleeping face, were all firmly imprinted in her heart.
But there was one thing she had no desire to know, what he was like in front of the person
he loved. She had seen it, and it had broken her heart.
Tomorrow, her love and her youth would come to an end.
The dinner took place at the Lakeside Hotel, a venerable establishment with over a century of history. In the last century, countless legendary celebrities, athletes, and politicians had dined here. The walls of the hotel were adorned with photographs of famous figures from history who had dined in this very place. It retained the décor style of the previous century, exuding an old–world charm that made every guest who entered feel as though they had stepped into a time machine, transported back to the past.
Pearl brought her assistant and went straight into the private room on the third floor. She had been invited by Robert Stewart, the General Manager of Sunrise Realty, to discuss a collaboration project involving a piece of land in the northern suburbs.
However, when they entered the private room, the figure sitting by the window was not
Robert.
“Lucas Parker,” Pearl called out his name, and her eyes narrowed.
Lucas had been lazily leaning against the window at first. Even though the window was quite high, his long legs feached the floor with ease. He was tall and well–proportioned, with legs that seemed to go on forever. When he saw Pearl enter, Lucas stood up and struck a welcoming pose. “Miss Woolery, what a pleasure.”
“Did I walk into the wrong room?” Pearl asked rather calmly.
“No.”
Lucas smiled lightly, then moved to the other side of the dining table and pulled out a chair for Pearl, being a perfect gentleman. “Please, have a seat.”
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Pearl remained standing.
Just when Mason was about to pull out his phone to confirm the situation, Lucas said, “No. need to confirm. It’s me. Because I want to collaborate with you, I had Robert sidelined.”
His words were exceptionally audacious.
“Ms. Woolery…” Mason stepped forward, ready to call in security to escort Pearl out of
there.
Pearl, however, looked at Lucas, who appeared nonchalant yet confident and had no intention of leaving. She wanted to see what kind of game Lucas, who at the moment looked like a peacock ready to display its feathers in all their glory, was playing.
Once Pearl took her seat, Lucas snapped his fingers, and the waitstaff began serving food and pouring drinks in an orderly fashion.
Pearl had no desire for small talk with unfamiliar people and got straight to the point. “Mr. Parker, you just mentioned that you want to collaborate with me. I’d like to know what kind of collaboration you have in mind.”
Lucas, maintaining a businesslike demeanor, did not beat around the bush. “I’m quite interested in the piece of land in the northern suburbs of Nanston.”
“Oh, really?” Pearl glanced him up and down. He was wearing a deep V–neck suit. His beautiful eyes exuded a seductive charm, and there was a hint of playfulness in his demeanor. It did not look like a serious business discussion. Rather, it seemed like he was
here to flirt.
Lucas sat there confidently, allowing her to scrutinize him, and initiated a conversation. “So, how do I look in this outfit? Handsome, right?”
Clearly, he was not asking a question. His sentences were dripping with confidence.
Pearl, who never sugarcoated her words, gave him an honest evaluation. “Not bad.”
Lucas continued, “Mainly, it’s because the person who picked out this outfit has good
taste.”
He was quite the smooth talker.
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Chapter 22
Pearl chuckled lightly. “Well, since you’re so sweet in your speech, I might as well tell you. The piece of land in the northern suburbs was acquired by my uncles, Ralph and Errol. However, I have no intention of developing it into a golf course.
“That piece of land is not suitable for a golf course, neither in terms of terrain nor soil conditions. It’s best suited for a racetrack.
Lucas shrugged. “So, great minds think alike. We have a common goal.”
When Pearl heard “racetrack,” her expression changed from reserved to interested. She asked, “What are the benefits of collaborating with you, Mr. Parker?”
Lucas could tell from the change in her tone that the negotiations for this collaboration
were pretty much sealed.
He smiled and said, “The Parker family tends to be quite dominant, and we usually aim for an 80-20 split when working with others. But for the chance to pursue you, I’m willing to compromise and go for a 50-50 split. How does that sound?”
Pearl chuckled. “You’re quite humorous. I’ll cover this meal. Please feel free to enjoy it.”
Her demeanor turned cold, and she began to rise from her seat, signaling her intention to
leave.
Her expression changed rapidly, like the sudden shift in weather.
Lucas was momentarily stunned, not expecting her to change her attitude so quickly. By the time he realized it, Pearl was already striding towards the door. He took a quick step, reaching the door before her, and blocked her path.
“Miss Woolery, I’m not joking. I’m serious.”
Pearl raised her eyes slightly, casting a cold glance at his face. After three years of living by Marc’s side, she had become more patient. In the past, she would not have bothered to say another word to him.
“Firstly, I’m a person who separates business from personal matters, and I detest men who take advantage of their work to flirt. Do you think you’re very charming?
“Secondly, the Parker family may be dominant, but this isn’t Beaudale. It’s Nanston.
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Nanston isn’t your family’s kingdom.
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“Thirdly, you come here seeking collaboration and expect a 50-50 split? You must be dreaming. I wouldn’t even give you a 30-70 split!”
Lucas listened to her one–two–three and nodded, finding her points reasonable. He then asked good–naturedly, “Just these three? Anything else?”
Pearl had not expected Lucas to be this thick–skinned.
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“Fourthly.” Pearl responded to his request, taking a step closer and asking coldly, “Is it right for someone to steal his friend’s wife?”
Lucas, without thinking, blurted out, “But you and Marc are already divorced, aren’t you?”
That remark struck a nerve with Pearl, and in anger, she forcefully stomped on him with her high–heeled shoe.
“Ah, ouch!”
Lucas felt the pain as he let out a cry. He had not anticipated that getting stepped on by a high–heeled shoe would be so painful.
He watched Pearl’s cold back as she walked away, and he could not help adding, “Tomorrow, Marc is getting married. Are you going? Let’s go together.”