Chapter 1179:

🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙

Inside the CEO’s office, Eaton had been waiting. His gaze sharpened slightly when he noticed the young man standing beside Gracie.

Gracie and Conroy took their seats across from him. “I thought you’d lost interest in this collaboration. Why the sudden change of heart?”

“After some consideration, I felt it was important to contribute to the community,” Eaton replied with a faint, steady smile.

The project proposal was laid out on the table, and the three of them began a serious deliberation.

Zane stood off to the side, his expression unreadable as he watched Eaton.

Sensing the weight of someone’s gaze, Eaton looked up. A sudden, strangely familiar sensation washed over him.

That look… It was something he hadn’t seen in a very long time.

𝖳h𝗲 𝘣𝖾s𝗍 𝗋eа𝖽iո𝘨 e𝘹𝗉𝘦𝗿𝗂𝗲ո𝘤e 𝗼𝗻 𝗀а𝗅ո𝗈𝗏e𝗹𝘀.𝖼о𝘮

“Mr. Holt? Is something wrong?” Gracie asked, pulling him back to the present.

He shook his head slightly. “It’s nothing.”

Zane looked away, turning his attention back to the documents.

“Now that we’ve covered the essentials, let’s begin the preparations,” Conroy said.

As Gracie turned to leave, Eaton spoke up. “Since this is the first time our three companies are partnering, why don’t we have dinner together?”

He then shifted his focus toward Zane. “When did you hire a new assistant?”

“He’s a recent hire,” Gracie said, her gaze turning strange. “Are you interested in him?”

Eaton didn’t flinch, nodding candidly. “Indeed.”

He walked over to Zane. “Let’s exchange contact information. It will make coordination easier for our future collaborations.”

Zane looked at Gracie with some hesitation.

At her nod, he pulled out his phone and exchanged contact details with the group.

“There’s no need for dinner,” Gracie interjected, already steering Zane toward the exit. “I have matters to attend to at home, so we’ll be heading out first.”

Eaton stood to the side, his gaze following their retreat with an unreadable, lingering expression.

“Mr. Holt, surely you aren’t planning to bribe that young man? Brayden is awake now. Pressuring Gracie’s people won’t yield the results you’re looking for,” Conroy remarked.

Eaton turned, a cryptic smile playing on his lips. “I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re implying. Why would I poach from her? We’re partners now; trust is the foundation of our deal.”

Conroy sneered and left.

Later that evening, just as Zane stepped back into his hotel room, his phone buzzed.

He pulled it from his pocket and raised an eyebrow at the caller ID.

“Name your price.”

“Are you losing your mind? Or did you notice something and decide to pull me away from Gracie?” Zane said to himself. He let out a cold laugh as his fingers moved rapidly across the screen. “Mr. Holt, I appreciate the offer, but my skills wouldn’t be a fit for the Holt Group. I’d much rather stay by my idol’s side.”

“I’m not trying to poach you for work; I want you for myself. There’s something familiar about you. Are you interested in being with me?”

The reply came back almost instantly, making Zane’s brow furrow.

He snorted, took a screenshot of the exchange, and forwarded it directly to Gracie.

.

.

.