Chapter 154
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Every year at the charity auction gala , jewelry artist Selina Grive contributed a masterpiece , with all proceeds going to support children in remote and impoverished mountain areas .
Cloe , who was heading to Kanit City in two weeks , was a devoted admirer of Selina’s creations . Aria and Vanessa decided to bid on the jewelry as a heartfelt gift for her .
Vanessa just returned to the country and had a packed schedule , leaving her only Friday night free . Cloe took the opportunity to invite them to Yellan Club for a casual evening of drinks .
Aria was about to head out when she received a message from Victor : [ Ms. Saxon , Mr. Kramer is at Yellan Club . If you have time , it might be good to meet him . ]
Aria replied : [ I already have plans there tonight . ]
Victor quickly replied : [ I’ll head over now . Just spare me ten minutes of your time . ]
Johnny wasn’t trying to make things difficult for him ; he just wanted to confirm if Aria had truly forgiven him .
Aria arrived at Yellan Club earlier than planned , sent a quick message to Cloe , and headed to a different private room first .
When Johnny saw her , he stood up with a warm smile . “ Ms. Saxon , our CEO’s been talking about you nonstop ! ”
Aria shook his hand with a faint smile . “ And you , Mr. Kramer ? Haven’t you been thinking about me too ? ”
“ Of course ! Absolutely ! ” Johnny laughed heartily , motioning for her to sit . “ Come , have a seat . Let’s chat for a bit . ”
Victor Walker froze for a moment , clearly caught off guard by how close they seemed . He quickly stepped forward , fumbling slightly as he took over pouring drinks .
“ Mr. Kramer , I owe you an apology for my behavior the other day . Let me drink to that first . ” He downed his glass in one go .
Johnny waved it off casually . “ I heard about that incident . Mr. Walker , you’re a reliable partner .”
A recent scandal involving a Stars Group shareholder abusing their power had shaken the company , sparking a wave of internal investigations .
Victor said , “ Mr. Kramer , choosing Stars Group will never disappoint you . ”
Though Victor didn’t own many shares in the Stars Group , the chairman’s quiet support and Aria’s trust had given him a chance to rise above the setbacks . He was even given priority to purchase the shares that had been reclaimed from Trenton .
Despite being ostracized by some , Victor had earned the trust of both the chairman and Aria .
He made the right call after all .
He flushed slightly , recalling the harsh words he’d once thrown at Aria . Pouring himself another glass of wine , he hesitated before speaking , “ Ms. Saxon , I … I doubted your abilities before and even thought you were just relying on your looks and … well , other stuff .
“ Ms. Saxon , you’re the person I owe the most . I sincerely apologize . If there’s ever anything I can do to help , just say the word . ”
Victor had been swayed by Trenton’s subtle insinuations , which often hinted at Aria’s questionable conduct . Believing those hints , he’d formed a biased opinion of her .
‘ I can’t keep blindly believing everything people say anymore , ‘ Victor resolved silently .
Aria raised her glass , the soft clink breaking the tension in the air . “ It’s fine . Let’s put it behind us . ”
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Victor wasn’t a bad guy just impulsive and quick to speak . Half the time , he didn’t even realize he was being used ,
If he were truly bad , he wouldn’t have tried to stop Trenton’s wrongdoing that day .
Johnny left the contract behind and said , “ Once the CEO signs off , I’ll have someone send the contract over to Stars Group .
“ Here’s to a smooth partnership . ”
After wrapping up the afternoon’s discussions at Yellan Club , Johnny left .
Aria was about to head to another private room . “ Mr. Walker , you should head back and get some rest ! ”
Victor nodded . “ Alright . ”
Just as he was about to leave , a mocking male voice echoed from another hallway .
“ Ms. Woods , I heard you hired a male model at Yellan Club , dressed in traditional attire to flaunt extravagance . Why don’t you take off the attire before you embarrass the whole country ? ”
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