Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Are You Really This Cheap?
o’clock in the afternoon.
Ivana Monroe arrived at the café where she was scheduled to meet Counselor Joyce. Silas Joyce was already there and had sent her the seat number.
When Ivana found the seat number, she looked in surprise at the well-dressed, refined man in the seat: "Silas Joyce, Senior Joyce?"
Silas was stunned for a moment, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. His refined, fair face broke into a joyful smile: "Ivana, Junior Monroe? I can’t believe it’s really you. I thought it was just someone with the same name."
Silas’s briefcase was placed on the coffee table. He stood up, gentlemanly pulling out a chair for Ivana.
He returned to his seat, snapped his fingers in the air to call over a server: "What coffee does Junior want? It’s on me."
Ivana smiled: "Thank you, I’d like a regular latte."
The server politely asked: "Miss, would you like sugar in your latte? How much sugar?"
Ivana replied: "Three parts sugar, thank you."
The server added, "All right, please wait a moment, miss."
Silas gazed intently at Ivana, as if time had not left any marks on her face. Her skin was still as youthful and fair as when they were in university.
But with the passage of time, she was no longer a naive campus girl. She had become composed, graceful, exuding more feminine charm.
Silas could hardly look away.
"Senior Joyce, did Ivy tell you about my situation?"
Ivana’s voice pulled Silas back to reality.
Silas’s refined cheeks flushed slightly; Junior Monroe was truly beautiful. From the first moment he saw her in university, he had liked her.
But back then, he didn’t have Zachary Heston’s courage to relentlessly pursue her, so he hid his feelings in his heart.
"Yes, she told me everything. There are a few things I don’t quite understand, and I wanted to ask you directly." Silas appeared nonchalant on the surface, yet internally he regretted not contending with Zachary in university. Knowing now that Zachary was just a jerk who pursued Junior Monroe, married her and didn’t cherish her, he wished he had fought for her.
"Senior Joyce, go ahead."
"It’s about the details of Junior Monroe’s son hitting someone. I took some time in the morning to visit the amusement park where the incident occurred to try to retrieve the surveillance footage, but the park said the footage had already been taken by the plaintiff, and on the very day it was taken, there was a problem with the surveillance; all prior footage was lost."
Problems with surveillance, and such a coincidence?
Silas didn’t believe it; Ivana didn’t believe it either.
It was surely Bella Young who paid off the amusement park, took what favored her, and then had them destroy it.
The server brought the coffee, placing it on the table before Ivana: "Your latte with three parts sugar, miss. Please enjoy."
Ivana politely replied, "Thank you."
"Let’s have some coffee first, then talk slowly after." Silas said gently.
The freshly brewed coffee was a bit hot; Ivana took a sip and put it down, explaining the incident at the amusement park to Silas thoroughly.
After listening, Silas was silent for a moment before saying to Ivana: "Alright, I understand. Please don’t worry too much about it, Junior Monroe. I’ll investigate thoroughly."
Ivana looked at Silas in astonishment. He would investigate? How did he plan to investigate? He was a lawyer, typically she should be the one handling such investigations.
How could she trouble Silas?
"Senior Joyce, if you have any ideas, please let me know. I can contribute manpower and financial resources for the investigation..."
"Ha... Junior Monroe, you’re too formal with me. The camaraderie of being from the same school can’t be quantified by anything else. Leave this to me! I heard from Vice President Linden... Ivy Linden that Junior Monroe is now managing a company, and you’ve been quite busy lately. So, Junior Monroe, don’t fight me on this."
Silas recalled Ivy Linden’s warning not to reveal that Samuel Lockwood and he were his bosses. Thankfully, he didn’t fully say Vice President Linden’s name.
Ivana didn’t continue to argue with him; GK had many matters waiting for her to handle, and since Silas was helping her so much, she’d give him extra remuneration based on his rate when settling the legal fees as compensation for his efforts.
"Thank you, Senior Joyce." Ivana didn’t share her idea with Silas at this moment; discussing payment wouldn’t be appropriate now.
The coffee bill was picked up by Silas.
Silas had driven to the café, and as Ivana needed to return to the company, he offered her a ride, which she declined.
Silas felt a little disappointed, realizing she now had a child and was surely married, a faint sense of loss seeped into his heart.
Six years ago in university, he didn’t have the courage to pursue her.
Six years later, meeting again, he had the courage but lost the chance.
Was it fate playing tricks, or was their encounter just too fleeting?
GK was not far from there; a thirty-minute walk could get her there.
Halfway down the road, suddenly someone jumped in front of Ivana, holding a camera, snapping wildly at her.
Ivana was startled severely, and upon realizing it was Isaac Heston holding the camera, she instantly grew furious and strode up to Isaac to snatch the camera.
"Delete them, delete all my photos. You took pictures without my consent, what right did you have? Are all Heston people this shameless?"
Isaac, at his towering height of six feet two inches, raised the camera above his head, out of Ivana’s reach.
Isaac watched as she jumped in front of him, stretching out her slender, white arms to reach for his camera. Her smooth, delicate hands would inadvertently brush against his bare arms, and his eyes darkened as a subtle, tingling sensation swept from where her skin touched, traveling up his arm, causing it to twitch slightly. Even his heart followed with slight tremors, ultimately transforming into a tantalizing tingling feeling.
Isaac was stunned that Ivana could stir such feelings within him, as if he had fallen in love instantly.
"Ivana," Isaac’s voice was somewhat hoarse, "Think whatever you want of me, but I’m taking your picture to develop it so you can see how beautiful and suitable you are for the entertainment industry."
"I know you’ve had hard times recently, and GK is in dire need of funds. As long as you agree to be my artist, I’ll instantly transfer a five-million-dollar advance to your account."
For Isaac, getting her as his artist was more painstaking than pursuing a girlfriend.
But the more invested he was, the less willing Isaac was to give up on Ivana.
Ivana chuckled coldly, almost infuriated to the point of spitting blood by Isaac. She replied icily, "I won’t enter your circle. Whether or not my company lacks funds is none of your concern. Hand over the camera, delete the photos. Do you hear me?"
Seeing her so persistent, Isaac wished he could pry open her head to see if it was completely flooded with nonsense. He had offered such favorable terms, yet she remained unwilling?
If not foolishness, then what is it?
Provoked by Ivana, Isaac suddenly retorted without thinking: "Ivana, are you so lowly? You’d rather be Leon Keane’s companion, getting involved with him every night, than be self-reliant? Earn money and wealth with your own hands?"