SWNOVELS Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Edith heard a deep chuckle and quickly lowered her hands.
“What are you laughing at?”
She wondered, ‘I was just counting money… What was funny about that?
“Years had passed, and it seemed his sense of humor had worsened.
Gideon’s eyes twinkled, his lighthearted mood warming the room that had felt so cold moments before.
He said. “This bet was in response to your question last time. Of course, the winnings
are yours.
Edith couldn’t remember what she had asked him.
She subconsciously clicked her tongue and pressed, “And what about the excess? What’s
that about?”
It couldn’t possibly be a slip of the finger during the transfer!
Gideon’s gaze swept over her.
Edith looked much better today, but there was still a hint of weariness on her face.
He said calmly. The excess should be enough for you to nurse yourself back to health. I don’t want to hear any rumors about the Peterson Group mistreating its employees.”
Edith swallowed hard. Two million dollars… She could practically afford a complete blood transfusion with that amount, not to mention nursing herself back to health.
Considering Gideon’s immense wealth, six million dollars was just a drop in the ocean. for him. She should just accept it gracefully.
Suddenly, Edith found Gideon much more pleasant to the
eye.
She flashed him her most professional smile. “Thank you for your generous gift, Mr. Peterson. I’ll use this money wisely. There’s work waiting for me in the lab, so I’ll be going now!”
She hurriedly prepared to leave.
“Wait.” Gideon suddenly spoke, stopping her.
Edith instinctively clutched her purse. “Mr. Peterson, you’re not having second thoughts, are you?”
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She barely had her hands on the money and now he was changing his mind?
Gideon stood up, his voice cold. “Do you think I’m as money–minded as you?”
He opened the drawer in front of him and took out a deep blue card with gold embossing.
Gideon pressed the card in between his index and middle fingers. “There’s a treasure appraisal meeting this weekend, and the organizers specifically requested your presence.”
This was an invitation specially reserved for Edith by the organizers.
Edith received the invitation, took a quick glance and saw Deborah’s name at the bottom. No wonder she was invited.
“Okay, I’ll be there on time.” She saw the items listed on the invitation and suddenly recalled that they were relevant to Shane’s student’s thesis. She asked, “Can I bring a partner?”
Gideon was firm in his response. “No.”
It didn’t take much for him to guess who Edith wanted to bring.
“Fine… Why is this treasure appraisal meeting so strict…” Edith muttered in displeasure.
The temperature in the room dropped again.
Gideon’s voice deepened, casting a cold glance at her. “You need the invitation to enter. If you lose it, you won’t be able to get in.”
Edith nodded profusely, tucked the invitation into her bag, and left in a sullen mood.
She checked the time. Her kids would be released from school soon. With nothing pressing at the lab, Edith left work early and picked up her kids from kindergarten.
Just two blocks from the kindergarten, Edith spotted Bonnie’s flashy sports car from a
distance.
She had almost forgotten that Bonnie was responsible for picking up the children. today.
Bonnie embraced her tightly when they met.
She said with concern, Edie, how are you feeling? I’ve been so busy these few days and haven’t had time to check on you. Why do you look so worn out? Has Gideon been
Chapter 42
hu, 22 Feb
mistreating you?”
Edith was somewhat speechless.
She had just been in Gideon’s office, declaring that no one would link her illness to the Peterson Group.
In a society governed by law, there couldn’t be that many cases of employee mistreatment!
To her surprise, her best friend contradicted her.
Someone actually thought that way!
Edith pulled away from the embrace. “No, you’re overthinking things.”
Bonnie waved her hand, no longer dwelling on this matter.
She showed off her new handbag. “I made some money recently. Let’s go out for a nice dinner tonight.”
After picking up the little ones, the group headed straight to the restaurant.
Bonnie had reserved a private kitchen in a standalone villa in the suburbs.
Upon entering, a wall full of roses caught their eyes, followed by various garden. ornaments and a pure white wooden swing.
Jeanne dragged Ruben to the swing.
“Ruben! Let’s play on this!
“Push me. I want to swing high!
“Ruben, push hard, yes, just like that!”
Ruben stood behind the swing, pushing Jeanne on the swing like an emotionless robot.
He didn’t understand what was so fun about this. But he was happy to see his sister happy.
Edith sat down beside Ruben. “The atmosphere outside is quite nice.”
“I’ll have the chef serve the dishes outside later.” Bonnie pointed toward a small platform on the side. “There will be a band performing later, all young and handsome guys!”
Edith looked at her with a smirk. “Is that why you come here so often?”
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“Haha…” Bonnie laughed sleazily.
That chuckle said it all.
The food was served quickly, and the band began their performance.
Everyone enjoyed the soothing music in the evening breeze which felt exceptionally pleasant.
While enjoying the dessert, Edith casually mentioned, “I’ve got something that I can’t quite figure out.”
Something that puzzled Edith was surely no small matter. Bonnie stirred the ice in her juice and asked out of curiosity, “Go on, let me analyze it for you.”
She loved hearing gossip.
“It’s like this…”
Edith recounted the incident with the six million dollars and added, “What does he mean by that? Six million dollars. I didn’t even know I was worth that much.”
Bonnie looked envious. “The CEO of the Peterson Group is something else. Why don’t you two get back together? These days, who would say no to money? And Gideon has been good to you.”
Edith glanced guiltily at the child playing with building blocks nearby.
Thankfully, they didn’t seem to have heard anything.
She lowered her voice and said, “The children are here! Don’t talk nonsense.”
The two kids would surely start asking a bunch of questions if they overheard them.
Bonnie stuck out her tongue, realizing she had forgotten about the children’s presence.
“Okay, back to business,” Bonnie said in all seriousness, “Did you and Gideon make a bet? Or have you ever said something harsh to him?”
Edith shook her head instinctively. “Not really. When Bald Ross was causing trouble, I with took over this job for Gideon, He didn’t trust my abilities, but I didn’t even argue him about that, let alone say anything harsh.”
Betting was even less likely.
Bonnie snapped her fingers, exclaiming excitedly, “I’ve got it!
“Gideon is doing this to show he believes in
your abilities!”
17:24 Thu, 22 Feb G GG.
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Her words were filled with certainty.
Yet, Edith frowned, “Really? Why didn’t he say so when I asked him…
It was a matter of a word, yet he insisted on a bet.
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If she failed to fix it, not only would 200 thousand dollars be wasted, but Gideon would also lose money.
Although that possibility was very low…
Bonnie tapped her head. “It’s definitely because you didn’t give him a chance. Plus, Gideon isn’t one who talks much, you know that. He’s all about action.”
“But…” Edith started to object but couldn’t find the right words.
Seeing her struggle, Bonnie couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
“You just assume Gideon doesn’t trust you. Can you stop letting your imagination run wild? He’s not that bad. Often, conflicts between two people arise because one of them thinks too much.”
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