Chapter 49
It wasn’t surprising when we won the bid. The announcement felt like a natural progression, but it still left me buzzing with excitement.
After the meeting, the CEO of Xeron Innovations, Luke Xeron, personally came to speak
k with mo
- me.
“I really admire your talent,” he said, shaking my hand firmly. “I’d like to extend an offer for you to join my company as deputy CEO,”
I smiled politely and shook my head. “I appreciate the offer, but I have plans to start my own design firm.”
Luke’s eyes brightened. “I respect that. You’ve got vision. To help you get started, I’d like to invest three million in your company.”
His offer was generous, and with his help, the funding for my design company was secured. But before I could focus on that, there was still one major project I needed to complete–working with the government to bring The Ashenford Eye to life.
Once the project started, I spent every day at the construction site, and lunch was usually a quick sandwich grabbed between meetings.
One day, Jessica appeared at the site with a lunchbox. When she saw me, she smiled brightly.
“Even if we can’t go back to how things were, we’re still friends, right? As friends, you won’t turn down a meal, will you?” she said.
I scratched the back of my neck and laughed. From then on, Jessica would occasionally show up at the site with food. And when I was able to take a break, she would stop by my apartment with fruits and snacks I loved. After I turned her down a couple of times, she stopped visiting in person.
I really liked a rich and flavorful soup dish from a place on Riverstone Road. But it was too far to get delivery, and with my busy schedule at the construction site, I couldn’t go there often. Lately, though, whenever I came back from the site, there would be a packed order of that soup waiting for me to pick up at the security office.
I knew it was Jessica who was bringing it. After all, only she and Selena knew about my preference. Even though she was doing this as a friend, I still felt a bit uneasy.
So, I made a decision: I moved into a place near the construction site.
Six months later, the project was finished, and The Ashenford Eye was officially unveiled. The public reception was overwhelming Locals raved about the design, and it even got attention overseas.
Suddenly, my name was everywhere.
The media loved it front pages, headlines, all singing my praises. I could hardly believe the buzz. I didn’t waste any time riding the wave of success, and before long, I set up my own design firm. I even invited Luke to join me for the ribbon–cutting ceremony at the grand opening.
With solid work to showcase and Luke’s help with publicity, my company took off faster than I had expected.
That year, I devoted myself entirely to the company. My team and I worked tirelessly on design after design, pushing the boundaries of what we could do. Every once in while, Jessica would show up to lend a hand. I couldn’t bring myself to turn her away, so her visits became more frequent.
Soon, I noticed that Logan started spending a lot of time with her. His presence seemed to bring out a brighter simile on her face. As time went on, I also began to notice that whenever Jessica brought me food, she always brought an extra portion.
Chapter 45
+15 BONUS
Today, she showed up again with an extra portion. I quietly followed her, curious about where she was headed. To my surprise, she went up to the rooftop, where Logan was waiting for her.
I raised an eyebrow. Those two had been keeping things under wraps pretty well. But then, I thought about it and realized Jessica wasn’t as clingy anymore. She had moved on from the past, and maybe starting a new chapter in her life was a good thing.
Just then, Logan’s voice broke into my thoughts, “Jess, you’ve brought me food so many times. What are your thinking? You won’t even say a word. Do you know how much I’ve lost sleep over it?”
No way. Was I really witnessing a confession?
I watched as Jessica paused, then replied softly, “I just want to think it through before giving you an answer.”
I pursed my lips. Jessica was way too stubborn when it came to matters of the heart.
Logan’s eyes lit up. “So, you’re telling me you do feel something?”
“Yeah.”
With a grin that couldn’t be contained, Logan leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Take your time to think about it.”
Jessica wiped her cheek with a tissue, brushing him off with a playful smack, but the smile on her face lingered. Watching this, I couldn’t help but feel like I had just been served a hefty dose of public displays of affection. I wasn’t even hungry anymore.
But honestly? I was happy for Jessica. She had her own future ahead of her, and I hoped it would be full of nothing but good things.
My thoughts quickly shifted back to Selena. Even after all this time, I hadn’t been able to forget her.
I looked up at the sky and muttered, “Lena, I hope you’re doing well too.”
Time passed in a blur as I kept my focus on the company. One year later, things had only gotten bigger. I opened three more branches in Ashenford and secured international partnerships with big–name brands. My company was hitting all the right marks, and before long, we met the requirements to go public.
On the day my company went public, James showed up.
Chapter 50
