While the whole world celebrated the New Year, Alayna was confined in a sanatorium with boredom as
her companion.
Reclining against the window, she was having some snacks. She then went on Weibo, but that didn't
help to relieve her boredom. All she could see were New Year wishes from celebrities big and small.
“Babe, do you like this? I can buy you one.”
A message from Kevin came in, along with a picture of dessert.
Alayna only gave it an impatient look and didn't even click to zoom in the picture. “I’m not your babe.
Fuck off.”
Kevin went out to buy food early. And he sent photos of whatever he saw. You would feel involved this
way. As if you were shopping yourself, he told her.
But Alayna just wanted to tell him to screw off. She did not feel involved at all. It only made her feel that
Kevin was showing off his freedom.
To explain her confinement, time rewound to a week ago, when she tried to break the prison for
Christmas. But Doctor James caught her. She had longed the world outside ever since her treatment
started.
She couldn’t leave the sanatorium until she fully recovered. She had been trying to persuade the
stubborn shrink for almost month, just so that she could go out once for Christmas. But the cranky old
man wouldn't relent.
She then saw a trending on Weibo, Nanking Wealthy Businessman Made a Block Booking to Propose.
She clicked on it when she saw Nanking. And she saw all those pictures, the chip in her hand
crumbled.
“Holy shit…”
She stared at the phone for a good while and made sure that she didn't confuse Hayden with others.
Then she made a call.
Her best friend was proposed, and she had to learn that from the Internet? That’s unfair!
Sulky, she felt mistreated.
“Sorry, the phone you have dialed is busy…”
The artificial voice of the machine was she could hear.
She then realized it was midnight in Nanking and no one would answer her all.
The thought of Hayden snuggling in a man’s arms, kissing and cuddling, made her mad. She even felt
like she got cheated.
She want kissing and cuddling too!
Another message from Kevin interrupted her thoughts. “Babe, do you like this shirt? Which color do you
like?”
“No. come back here, I’m drowsy.” she replied.
“Take a nap then, you don’t have to wait for me.”
Stupid man! Alayna dragged her shirt down a little bit and bore her shoulder. Biting her lip, she took a
selfie and sent it.
“Then I’ll go to bed.”
She threw her phone away after the message was sent. Humming, she went to the restroom, ignoring
the constant ringing of the phone.
Kevin would be back in half an hour, she bet.
The news of Joseph’s proposal was still blazed all over the Internet even after a week.
Normally, the public relations department would’ve done something to control it. But the only order for
them was: don’t mind it.
“Really.”
The manager of the department asked Mark again. “It’s been on the trending for a week. Is it a good
thing?”
Mark shrugged. “Why don’t you ask Mr. Joseph? What he told me was only three words: don’t mind it”
The manager waved his hands hurriedly.
“If that’s what Mr. Joseph said, he must have a good reason for it.”
“What kind of reason?” Mark asked, curiously.
“Ever since Mr. Joseph’s proposal, the stock value of our company has been zooming crazily. The
Internet hails Mr. Joseph as faithful, the reputation of our company couldn’t be any better now. Mr.
Joseph is really a genius. Even his proposal can make our company profit.”
Mark tsked.
“They say the public relations department is eloquent, but I say you are just vagarious. The proposal is
not that complicated as you think.”
“It isn’t? Then why did he buy so many rings, the girls are so jealous about that.”
Mark peered at the manager.
“Because he’s rich.”
Embarrassed, the manager took a sigh.
That’s right, rich as Joseph was, he didn't have to think about stuff like that.
Mark went to Joseph’s office with some files after he left the Public relations department.
“Mr. Joseph.”
“Come in.”
Joseph was reading annual reports of different departments. Work at the company became onerous for
everyone around this period of the year. The financial department in particular had been burdened with
enormous tasks recently. Joseph was not so better than them, he got up early, came home late.
He raised he head when Mark entered.
“How does the acquisition go?”
Hayden sold her shares to Franklin before. But since Franklin was in jail now and the contract they
signed violated certain laws, the contract was voided.
It had been taken care off. But Hayden heard from a senior worker at ST Group that Sofia meant to sell
the company. So she brought it up to Joseph.
Her father had put his life into ST Group. If it had to be sold, Hayden would rather see Joseph buy it.
“It goes smoothly.”Mark nodded, “But we have to suspend it until February since candidates eligible for
being charge of the project are unavailable now.”
“I see.”
“And I have something that you might want to see.” Mark said gravely. “The surveillance tape of
Caesar’s apartment has been restored. It caught some guests who live in the apartment during that
time.”
Mark had the screenshots printed out so Joseph could save some time fast-forwarding the video.
Gloom crept up Joseph’s face when he looked at the files.
There was a young man wearing a black cap. The camera caught his face clearly, and the face was
familiar to Joseph.
“I thought it might be somebody else.” Mark frowned.
“But I traced down a bus ticket to Lanxi Town bought by Stefan. When you sent me for Caesar, he had
been living there for a month.”
Joseph raised his head slowly. “Go on.”
“And I also noticed that he was still there that night before the fire. But no one knew where’d he go after
that night.”
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