Searching for my beloved

Chapter 15: Complete separation

I totally cut off my interactions with Xavier. The next day, I drive to the airport by myself, feeling a mix of relief and uncertainty. It’s strange to be alone, but I know it’s for the best.

Rachel comes to stay at our house, and I give her the room beside mine. She is incredibly intelligent and quickly adapts to her role as my assistant.

It takes just a few days for her to find her rhythm, and I can already see how her presence lightens my load.

With Rachel around, I find that I don’t miss Xavier as much as I thought I would. Her sharp mind and proactive attitude make my days more manageable.

However, Eric becomes increasingly annoying. He pesters me with various excuses to talk, and I can’t help but wonder why he seems so interested in me.

There are so many beautiful girls out there—why me? Or is he just looking for a time pass? Who knows what goes on in the minds of men?

Right now, I am swamped with work. Our company is set to officially sign a mega joint project with Jones's company today, and the stakes are high.

My father, stepmother, Cathy, and the rest of my family are all present, adding to the pressure.

I am now the CEO of our company, a position I fought hard to attain. My father tried to hinder me from taking on this huge role, but the other members of the board of directors recognized my abilities and appointed me shortly after I joined.

I hear that Cathy fiercely quarrels with Eric because he also voted for me. It’s amusing to think about their dynamic; they make quite the funny couple.

Rachel proves to be an invaluable asset. She interviews numerous candidates and ultimately selects some excellent employees who fit well with our company culture.

She introduces new benefits for hardworking employees and even increases health insurance for them and their families.

As a result, both old and new employees are more motivated than ever. This boost in morale translates into increased productivity, and the board of directors, along with our shareholders, are very pleased with my management.

Yet, whenever I meet with my father, his smile feels forced, as if he’s trying to mask his disappointment. I can sense that I am a thorn in his flesh.

Cathy, on the other hand, always tries to pick a fight with me, but I’ve learned to ignore her provocations.

And then there’s Eric, who is as annoying as a persistent pest. I have to tolerate them all today for the meeting, which is no small feat.

Finally, the meeting concludes successfully. We sign the contract with Jones, marking the beginning of a five years long redevelopment project.

As I look around the room, I can see the satisfaction on everyone’s faces, and for a moment, I allow myself to feel proud of what I’ve accomplished.

This is just the beginning, and I am determined to do better in future.

As the CEO of the company, I find myself in a position where I can't participate in the project directly.

Cathy applies to supervise the entire project, but I firmly decline her request. She lacks the necessary experience and, quite frankly, I doubt she can handle such a massive undertaking.

However, my father, who serves as the chairman of our company, directly approves her for the role.

This decision infuriates me. If anything goes wrong while I am at the helm, I know I will bear the blame.

Determined to take action, I gather the directors and shareholders who support me and call for an emergency meeting. To my surprise, Eric, our major partner, joins voluntarily, which adds an unexpected twist to the situation.

During the meeting, I vehemently oppose my father's decision. The majority of those present back me up, which gives me a sense of relief.

My father, visibly angry, manages to keep his composure in front of me. Meanwhile, Cathy accuses me of acting out of jealousy. How absurd! How can a CEO be jealous of an employee? Her accusations are ridiculous.

To my astonishment, Eric also stands by my side, which leaves me amazed. How can someone betray their fiancé face to face just for a fleeting romance? Eric Jones is indeed a strange man.

I propose a vote on the matter, and unsurprisingly, my father loses to me by a significant margin. No one is willing to tolerate a novice taking on such a monumental project.

I take the opportunity to assign one of my trusted subordinates to lead the project. He is a veteran in our company, and he remains loyal to me because I once helped him with his mother's medical treatment.

He is highly capable and has a stellar reputation, so everyone readily approves of him. This way, I can directly supervise the project through him, and I feel a wave of relief wash over me.

Just as we all exit the meeting room, I hear Cathy shouting at Eric. I have no interest in this kind of drama, so I decide to return to my office with Rachel. I have many other tasks to attend to.

As we walk, Rachel informs me that someone is steadily buying our company's loose shares anonymously. Intrigued, I inquire further. It turns out that around 5% of the shares have been purchased, which isn't a huge amount, but it raises a question: who is behind this? I have no idea. I instruct Rachel to investigate the matter thoroughly.

Later, when I return home, I am met with explosive news: Eric has canceled his engagement with Cathy. The chaos that ensues is almost comical; Cathy nearly smashes every breakable item in our house.

Now, she is in the living room, bawling her eyes out. As I walk past her, she suddenly shouts at me, "You bitch, Eric dumped me for you! How can you seduce him with your ugly face? Did you climb into his bed?"

I stop and respond firmly, "Watch your mouth, Cathy. I am already the CEO of our company. I don't need to seduce him for anything."

She retorts, "You're just jealous of me! Who will marry you after seeing your ugly face? So you snatched my fiancé. I'll kill you, bitch!"

In a fit of rage, she tries to stab me with a broken vase. I catch her hand effortlessly and break it with a devilish grin.

Her cry of pain echoes through the room, and I can see her trembling in fear.

Her mother rushes in, hastily apologizing to me and begging me to spare her daughter. That vile woman recalls her past experiences and is clearly terrified of me now.

I have no interest in these weak bitches, so I decide to spare them. Rachel watches the scene unfold, clearly amazed by my actions.

As we climb the stairs, she claps her hands and tells me how lucky she feels to be my friend, emphasizing that she never wanted to be my enemy. I can't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm.

In that moment, I suddenly think about Xavier, who is even more ruthless than I am when it comes to dealing with my enemies.

I wonder how he is doing and what schemes he might be plotting. The thought of his cunning nature brings a smirk to my face as I prepare to tackle the challenges ahead…