Chapter 302

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In the early morning , Aria stood on her balcony , basking in the sunlight . She picked up her phone and dialed a number ,
Her call was answered instantly . “ Madelyn , it’s been a while . ”
Aria said , “ Sorry , Ruby . I should have contacted you sooner after you returned . ”
A burst of laughter came from the other end as Ruby teased with a chuckle , “ My dear , you’ve been so busy with pandemic control efforts that you couldn’t even celebrate the New Year properly . How could I possibly blame you ? How about we catch up over a meal ? ”
Aria chuckled . “ Deal ! ”
Ruby said , “ The Shaw Group kept pestering me for meetings , and I finally gave in . I’m at the Golden Premier Suite at Navoron Restaurant – get over here , quick ! ”
Aria nodded . “ Be right there .”
After hanging up , Aria left right away . While waiting for the elevator , she texted Owen : [ Don’t bother cooking lunch – I’ll bring something back from Navoron restaurant . ]
Owen : [ Got it ! ]
Meanwhile , at Navoron Restaurant , after hanging up , the smile vanished from Ruby’s face . Her expression returned to its usual haughty demeanor .
With her usual poise , she strode confidently into the private suite .
Just then , Liam and Orlando arrived as well .
Upon seeing Ruby , Liam immediately stood up with respectful enthusiasm . “ Hello , Ms. Olsen . I’m Liam Cole . ”
Orlando also promptly rose to his feet and greeted respectfully , “ Good day , Ms. Olsen . I’m Orlando Gallagher . ”
Facing these two unexpected guests , Ruby remained composed . With a slight nod , she said coolly , “ Nice to meet you . ”
Kim stood up and said , “ Ms. Olsen , these are the two gentlemen I mentioned earlier .
“ The Cole Group is at the forefront of domestic medical chip technology , with remarkable R & D achievements . Meanwhile , the Shaw Group has deep expertise in biomaterials research and development .
“ With your expertise joining us , Huthailia’s healthcare sector is bound to make a quantum leap forward . ”
Ruby lifted her chin with subtle confidence , her gaze sweeping across the three faces . Her tone remained calm , yet carried a hidden meaning .
She then said , “ You flatter me , Mr. Shaw . But collaboration is never a simple matter – it takes more than just technology . What truly matters is whether
our core philosophies align .”
Liam smiled , showing both humility and confidence . “ Ms. Olsen , the Cole Group has long prepared for this collaboration . With our cutting – edge technology and ready market strategies , we sincerely hope to join forces with you to let more people benefit from medical chips . ”
As he spoke , he reached into his briefcase to retrieve the meticulously prepared documents .
Ruby raised her hand to cut him off and said bluntly , “ I’m straightforward – I demand complete compliance and can’t stand second – guessing . Working with unfamiliar parties will most likely just lead to conflicts . ”
She paused , then added firmly , “ Besides , I’ve already committed to working with someone – she’s even put together a team for me . ”
Orlando maintained a cordial smile as he said , “ Ms. Olsen , when it comes to medical chip teams , I daresay no one in the country can rival the Cole
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Ruby curled her lips into a faintly mocking smile . “ Really ? I heard that ever since Ms. Saxon left the Cole Group , several key technical personnel r and then there was a series of equipment malfunctions that injured employees . Care to explain ? ”
Liam responded methodically , “ Those incidents did occur , but they allowed the Cole Group to weed out problematic elements within our organization Now with the Shaw Group as our strategic partner , I can assure you such issues will never recur .”
Ruby gave a faint , knowing smile as she looked at him and asked , “ You’re Liam Cole , correct ? ”
Liam nodded . “ Yes , Ms. Olsen . ”
Ruby continued , “ Rumor has it your fiancee , Hannah Gibson , plagiarized a group of students’ research and even went so far as to frame and slander others . True ? ”
Liam stiffened momentarily , then said tersely , “ Yes . She’ll face the consequences for her actions .”
The scandal exploded online , drawing intense scrutiny from the authorities . With several powerful families actively targeting Hannah, not a single lawyer dared to take her case .
Last night , Dexter visited the Saxon family . Ostensibly , it was just a courtesy call , but in truth , he was there to sound them out .
After weighing the pros and cons , the Gibson family decided it was no longer worth investing any more time or resources in Hannah .
Daniel was relieved that Liam and Hannah hadn’t officially registered their marriage yet , so he ordered Liam to break up with her .
To outsiders , their wedding seemed all but set in stone .
Even if Hannah were convicted , Liam would wait for her . This was the path he’d chosen – there was no turning back now .
Ruby remained calm . “ That’s certain – no one escapes legal consequences . As for collaboration … ” She paused . “ I’m only here today as a courtesy to Mr. Shaw . I have no intention of working together . ”
Orlando asked , “ Ms. Olsen , may I ask which company you’ve agreed to collaborate with ? ”
‘ Ms. Olsen always keeps her word . There’s no point in trying to persuade her any further . Instead , I should go straight to the team she wants to work with -there might still be a window of opportunity , ‘ he thought .
Ruby’s expression softened a little . With a gentle smile , she said , “ She’ll be here any minute now . Mr. Shaw , I hope you don’t mind if I have a guest join
us ? ”
Kim politely smiled . “ Not at all , Ms. Olsen . ”
Shortly after , there was a knock on the door .
Ruby rose to her feet , followed immediately by Kim and the other two . Their gazes simultaneously turned toward the suite entrance .
The door eased open .
The moment they saw it was Aria , all three froze in shock and exclaimed in unison , “ Aria ? ”
Ruby raised her eyebrows in surprise . “ Well , isn’t this a small world ! ”
It was far more than mere acquaintance – each of the three present was intricately connected to Aria .
And this was especially true for Liam .
Liam was the first to snap out of his daze , Incredulity laced his voice as he asked , “ Ms. Olsen , don’t tell me the company you’ve agreed to collaborate with is the Stars Group ? ”
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Ruby looked at Aria with warm , affectionate eyes . “ Yes , ” she said softly , “ I’ll work with whichever company Madelyn is with ?
The implication was clear : if Aria were still with the Cole Group , Ruby would have chosen them without hesitation – there’d be no need for all this negotiation . For her , it was always about the person , not the company .
O
Liam took this collaboration very seriously . He thought bitterly , ‘ If it had been any other competitor , I would still have a shot at this . But of all people , it has to be Aria . ‘
Aria smiled gently and said , “ Ruby , have you eaten yet ? ”
Ruby shook her head . “ Not yet . ”
Aria said , “ Let’s switch suites – Cloe’s here too . ”
At the mention of Cloe , Kim looked up . “ Count me in , ” he said .
Aria shot him a sidelong glance. “ Not you ,” she said .
Ruby nodded to Kim . “ Mr. Shaw , until next time . ”
As Aria turned to leave , Orlando casually remarked , “ I heard you’re looking for a girl around 16 or 17 , Ms. Saxon . ”