Chapter 463
Naylor genuinely didn’t want Elodie to misunderstand him anymore.
He watched her closely, only letting out a quiet sigh of relief when he noticed she didn’t show any reaction at all.
To Elodie, whatever Naylor said simply didn’t matter. He was just another stranger -what he did was his own business, and she couldn’t care less.
So when Naylor finished speaking, Elodie didn’t bother to respond. Instead, she turned to Alexander. “Alex, let’s head inside.”
Alexander nodded, but not before shooting a sidelong glance at Naylor, whose expression had soured.
When someone causes trouble and hurt for others, regardless of right or wrong, an apology isn’t a magic eraser. Elodie had nothing to do with Naylor, yet he kept dragging her into his mess. Even if he tried to make amends, he had no right to demand her forgiveness. She wasn’t a doormat-no one is. Expecting her to let it all go without so much as a word was just wishful thinking.
Frankly, the fact that Elodie didn’t call him out was already saving him face.
Naylor felt a headache coming on.
He still hoped to work with VistaLink Technologies in the future. Whether for business reasons or out of genuine remorse, he wanted to set things right.
Today’s meeting was meant to be a straightforward discussion.
They’d outline the project’s needs and give each tech team a general concept to work from.
The real work would come later.
Sylvie, who had spotted Elodie as well, immediately understood there was no way VistaLink Technologies would let this opportunity slip by.
Five tech teams had shown up for this meeting.
But Naylor and Alexander stood out among them.
Right now, Alexander was chatting with the team lead on the other side of the room.
Naylor had taken the seat next to Elodie. After a moment’s thought, Sylvie walked over to greet him. “Mr. Whitaker, is TerraCore Technologies providing the materials for this project?”
She didn’t care what Naylor had seen at that disastrous birthday party. In business, personal drama was irrelevant-what mattered was her competence.
Naylor looked up at Sylvie. He felt a strange sense of disconnect. He’d always thought Sylvie was the victim, but seeing her now…
He was shocked by how brazen she could be—flirting with a married man right in front of Elodie, his wife. Was this a challenge?
He kept his expression neutral,
twirling his pen. “Ms. Fielding, can’t you see Ms. Thorne sitting right` here? Why are you only talking to me?”
Sylvie paused, a flash of annoyance flickering in her eyes.
Was Naylor doing this on purpose, or was he just clueless?
He knew full well there was no love lost between her and Elodie…
Elodie almost had to admire Naylor’s mental gymnastics, but she couldn’t be
bothered to get involved. She didn’t even spare Sylvie a glance.
Sylvie, of course, had no intention of
“Mr.
him. She replied ce
the meeting’s I’ll go take my seat
With that, she turned and walked away.
Anyone could see she had no respect for Elodie.
Today was just the initial round of talks, where the organizers would lay out the specific technical requirements they needed.
Elodie listened carefully and nodded as she took notes.
Her notebook already contained a rough concept based on the project’s needs.
Naylor glanced over absently-and did a double take when he saw the columns of numbers and design ideas scrawled across her page.
She already had ideas? Without even consulting her team?
For the first time, he looked at Elodie without any preconceived notions and realized just how focused and insightful she was. She always honed in on the critical points-her expertise was undeniable.
She was no paper tiger.
Each of the five tech teams presented in turn,
highlighting their strengths and explaining their approach to the military’s requirements.
Sylvie, speaking on behalf of Neural Intelligence, launched into her well-prepared presentation, confidently clicking through her slides.
Alexander watched Sylvie’s poise and composure, and couldn’t help but feel a grudging respect for her unshakeable self-assurance.