The secretary suddenly stood up. "Sorry, Mandy. Our president said that he wanted to meet Miss Carter alone to seek cooperation this time."
Gloria, Mandy, and the other representatives from the Carter Group all looked at each other in confusion. What a strange request it was!
Mandy was about to say something, but Gloria stopped her. "Take the others out of the meeting room."
"But..." Mandy was worried.
Gloria looked at Mandy with determination in her eyes. "Mandy, you know how important this cooperation is to me."
It was important to her, as well as the Carter Group.
"Let's go," Mandy said to others and took the lead to leave.
In the conference room, only Gloria was left.
In front of the floor-to-ceiling window, a man stood silently.
Gloria changed her expression and put on a standard smile. She walked over and stopped three meters away from the man. It was the best social distance. "Hello, Mr. Norman, nice to see you."
"Gloria." A familiar voice sounded.
"Mr. Norman." Gloria's face turned pale. Then, she stretched out her hand. "I am Gloria of the Carter Group."
A trace of depression flashed across Lucas' eyes. He didn't want Gloria to be so polite to him, because behind her politeness was a sense of alienation.
At first, she was only his prey, no different from others. However, she had left a deep impression on him over the past few years, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get rid of it.
Lucas' eyes were fixed on the scar on Gloria's forehead. He remembered the feeling when he kissed it gently. He felt his lips a little itchy and was afraid that he would touch the scar again uncontrollably.
"Your scar..." Lucas said subconsciously.
"Mr. Norman, I think that I haven't considered this cooperation carefully." As Gloria spoke, she straightened her clothes. "In that case, I'm leaving now."
She glanced at the folder in her hand. It seemed that her efforts were useless. When she went out later, Mandy would scold her for being stupid.
"Wait a minute." When Gloria reached the door of the conference room, Lucas said behind her, "Is it impossible for us to return to the way we were?"
Gloria stopped. "There was nothing between us before. Mr. Norman, if you think there was something, you should forget it."
"As far as I know, Alger transferred a large portion of the liquidity of the Carter Group. In other words, the Carter Group is in great trouble now." Lucas was composed.
Gloria tightened her grip on the door handle, and her heart tightened. "Mr. Norman, you have to be responsible for your words! Your slandering might cause a stir in the stock market of the Carter Group. You may have to take legal responsibility!"
She wondered, "How on earth did he know?'
"You know best whether I'm slandering you or not. Gloria, do you want to cooperate with me now?" Lucas asked in a deep voice.
The door of the conference room was wide open, and the light in the corridor shone in. Gloria strode out.
She listened to her own footsteps and was very determined.
After walking out of the long corridor, she saw the representatives from the Carter Group get up from their chairs with expectations in their eyes.
"Miss Carter, how is it?" One of them asked tentatively.
Gloria felt as if something had hit her heart.
She didn't say a word, but turned around and headed toward the conference room again.
Gloria took a deep breath and pushed the door open. "Mr. Norman, can we still talk?"
She was expressionless, but her heart ached.
A trace of surprise flashed across Lucas' handsome face.
"Welcome."
"Can we talk about cooperation?" Gloria went straight to the point to avoid unnecessary trouble.
"Okay." Lucas smiled gently in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
He added in his heart, 'It's good that you came back.'
Gloria opened the folder in her hand and sat down to talk to Lucas about the cooperation.
She explained it seriously.
"I can tell that the Carter Group is serious about the cooperation."
"So, Mr. Norman, are you willing to cooperate with me?"
"Of course." Lucas stared at Gloria gently. "But I have a condition."
"Mr. Norman, please go ahead," Gloria replied.
"I am glad for this cooperation, but if the project does not satisfy me in the future, I will take back the investment."
"The Carter Group will do its best and send its elites to work with us."
"No," Lucas waved his index finger. "I will follow up on the project in person. The person in charge of the project from the Carter Group can only be you, Miss Carter."
Gloria walked out of the conference room again, and Lucas sent her off. They seemed to be chatting happily.
Gloria took a step aside. "Let me introduce you. This is Lucas, the representative of our partner."
Mandy was the person in charge of the project. So, she walked forward and extended her hand. "Hello..."
"Mandy, I will follow the project this time," Gloria interrupted Mandy.
Mandy looked confused.
"I'll explain after we get back," Gloria whispered in Mandy's ear.
Lucas sent them downstairs in person.
He watched Gloria get into the car and drive away until it disappeared from his sight.
Gloria asked Mandy to send her back to the Moonlight Garden.
"Did you know Lucas before?" Before getting out of the car, Mandy asked, "I thought that I would be responsible for the project, right?"
"Don't get me wrong. There are certain things about this project that I need to deal with. You've been working hard for so long. You should take a break," Gloria said.
Mandy was still in confusion. "Alright, take a good rest after the matter is settled."
After Gloria left, Mandy frowned. At some point, Mandy knew Gloria well.
She had a bad feeling about it but could not tell what it was.
Gloria took the elevator. The moment the doors opened, she was shocked at the scene.
The place was a mess.
In the kitchen, broken plates were everywhere and the floor was covered in water.
Gloria was furious. She strode over and panicked when she saw blood on the ground.
"Patrick, where are you? What happened?" She looked around in panic and was frightened by blood all over the ground.
Someone whispered under the sink, "Gloria."
Gloria turned around and saw a person getting out from under the sink. He looked guilty, as if he had done something wrong.
She checked him up and down and did not see any wounds on him.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the mess on the ground. The broken plates and the water on the ground made her mad again.
"Did you do this?" Gloria suppressed her anger.
"I'm sorry," Patrick apologized in a low voice.
Gloria glanced at him coldly and took out her phone from her backpack without saying a word.
"Sean, when will you be here?" As she asked, Patrick rushed over, and the phone in her hand fell to the ground. She shouted, "Patrick! What are you doing?"
Patrick's voice sounded a little angry as he questioned her, "Gloria, why did you call Sean?"
Gloria clenched her fists and found that she did not know how to answer his question, especially when she looked into his sad eyes.
She turned her head away. "You should go back with Sean, that's where you belong."
Patrick said with grievance, "I won't make you mad again. Don't send me away, okay?"
"Patrick, you should return to your life which I was not part of." Gloria did not know whether Patrick, who had the mind of an eight-year-old, could understand the determination in her words.
Patrick said softly, "I wanted to cook lunch for you, but I messed up."
Gloria closed her eyes and warned herself in her heart, 'No, I can't be soft-hearted.'
"What are you hiding behind your back?" She heard the sound of water dripping. Only then did she notice that his hands were always behind his back.
"Nothing."
"Show me your hands." Gloria took a step forward.
She grabbed Patrick's hand and saw the cut on his palm and finger.
Gloria's face darkened. "Stand properly."
She walked to the cabinet in the corner of the living room and took out the first aid kit. She sat down on the sofa and said coldly to Patrick, who didn't dare to move, "Come here."
"Give me your hand." She opened the first aid kit.
Patrick extended his hand obediently and let her treat his wounds.
"How did you get injured?" Gloria closed the first aid kit and asked.
"I broke the plate, so I tried to pick it up." Patrick looked at her pitifully.
Gloria sighed in her heart. "Then you cut your hand?"
Patrick nodded carefully.
"Why did you hide it from me?" Gloria asked again.
"You'll think I'm clumsy."
Gloria was stunned, and her anger gradually faded.