bChapter /b304

She hesitated for a few seconds before finally opening the door.

On the wee mat sat a paper bag filled with the herbal medicine Evelyn had brewed for her.

Seth was already gone.

99

On Wednesday, Noreen had arranged to meet Scott at Winrich to discuss a potential project. She told him she’d reviewed his proposal and was genuinely interested.

Scott arrived at Winrich brimming with confidence. As he waited for the elevator, he ran into Ethan, who wasing downstairs to pick up Bianca.

“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Quigley,” Ethan called out, his tone oozing smugness. Lately, everything seemed to be going his way; even his cheeks had a healthy flush.

Put side by side, Scott and Ethan might as well havee from different worlds.

One radiated wealth and sess; the other looked worn down, barely scraping by.

Ethan’s sense of superiority only grew as he took in Scott’s disheveled appearance. “Having trouble out in the real world, huh? I told you before–business is business, dreams are dreams. You can’t eat ideals for breakfast.”

“You’re way too stubborn, you know that? You never understood I was looking out for you, still turned on me.”

and you

Before Scott left thepany, he and Ethan had a shouting match in the office that everyone heard. It had been a humiliating scene for Ethan.

He’d always believed that since he invested the most money, he deserved the final say. Scott, in his mind, was just an employee–someone who had no right to challenge him.

Ethan straightened his designer jacket, making a show of it. “Just so you know, Aurelion Group has invested in mypany again–more thanst time, actually. If things aren’t working out for you out there, I could take you back. Let’s call it a favor for old college buddies.”

“But…i” /iEthan lifted his chin, “there’s a condition. You’ll have to apologize to me in front of the wholepany. Admit you were wrong. Only then will I take you back. Of course, you’d just be an employee this time–not a partner.”

The elevator chimed.

Scott kept his expression nk. “Could you move? You’re blocking my way.” fnda8f Official source is find·novel/fnda8f

Ethan was still processing Scott’s words as Scott stepped into the elevator and rode upstairs.

He’s not here to beg for help? No way, Ethan thought. With the way he looks, he must be desperate. He just couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Fine. If he cares that much about his pride, let him suffer for it.

Scott and Noreen spent the entire afternoon in the conference room, so absorbed in their discussion

15:41

Chapter 304.

that they didn’t even notice they’d worked right through dinner.

It was Sophia who finally poked her head in to remind them, snapping them out of their deep dive.

“Why don’t we grab dinner together?” Noreen suggested, asking Sophia to book a table.

Over the meal, their conversation drifted back to the project, until finally, as they were finishing up, Noreen looked at Scott and asked the question she’d been holding in.

“Can I ask why you and Ethan went your separate ways?”

Scott had never brought it up before, but Noreen had a feeling things between them had ended badly. Now that they were talking about working together, she needed to know where thendmines were. Scott paused to collect his thoughts. “Ethan only wanted to make pay–to–win mobile games because the money was fast. I was more interested in building big–budget, story–driven games, so we shed. Eventually, Ipromised and agreed to work on mobile games, but then Ethan insisted they had to be edgy–provocative characters, borderline storylines, just to reel in yers. I refused, and we had a huge fight. That was the end of our partnership.”

Noreen nodded, not surprised at all.

When she’d done her due diligence, Ethan had pitched the same idea to her, and she’d shut it down immediately. It was only after several rounds of changes–once Scott took charge–that the project finally met her standards.

She hadn’t expected things ito /iunravel so dramatically afterward.

“Well, good things are worth fighting for. From now on, just focus on making what you truly believe

in.”

As Noreen went to settle the bill, she ran into Henry at the front desk, who was just finishing up his own payment.

He was about to leave but paused when he spotted her.

“Miss Gilmore,” Henry said, his tone cool but pointed, “in life and business, it pays to be aboveboard.”

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