Chapter 133
Lyla’s Disappointment and Sebastian’s Arrival
Lyla’s expression shifted as she listened to Sean’s words. A hint of frustration appeared when she replied, “Director Hart invested in the Hartwell Group in the U.S., alongside Young Master Walton. I know the Walton family, so I’ve heard a little about Director Hart. But, Sean, I need to address something urgently. The Hart Group just canceled my contract as the spokesperson for the Summer Bay Project. I worked so hard for that position, and now it’s been taken away.”
A touch of hurt crossed her face as she spoke of her removal. Sean’s earlier grim expression softened, and he pulled her into a gentle embrace. “I just found out about it. Don’t worry. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
It had been Sean who had suggested Lyla for the spokesperson role, only for the Hart Group to choose Estelle instead. The whole situation felt odd to him. It reminded him of Myra. He had just recently divorced her, and now the Hart Group had revoked Lyla’s rights for the project and replaced her with Estelle. There was something unsettling about it, but Sean couldn’t figure out what exactly.
Lyla arrived at the Hart Group office, confident she could handle the situation herself, since Sean had other urgent matters to attend to. When she entered the building, she was immediately stopped by the receptionist.
“Sorry, Miss Fisher,” the receptionist said, glancing at her screen. “Director Hart is unavailable today. He instructed me not to schedule any meetings.”
Lyla’s brows furrowed in disbelief. “Are you sure Director Hart personally said that? Please, tell Leo that I’m here. It’s Lyla. I need to discuss something important.”
The receptionist’s expression was neutral. “Yes, Miss Fisher. That’s exactly what Leo told me. Director Hart said he couldn’t meet you today.”
Lyla paused, struggling to understand. “That’s not possible. We just finalized the deal on the Hilliville real estate project. Why would he cancel the meeting now?”
She turned, walking toward the elevator. “I’ll just go upstairs and speak to him directly,” she said, her tone firm, but there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
The receptionist stepped forward, visibly uncomfortable. “Miss Fisher, I’m afraid I can’t allow that without prior permission. If you insist, I’ll need to call security.”
Lyla paused, realization dawning on her. It was clear now—Tony didn’t want to see her. She stepped outside, frustrated and confused.
As she left, she immediately called someone. Meanwhile, on the 48th floor, Elliot and two other men were with Tony, who was distracted by something on his phone. His screen displayed a voice message from Myra, repeating in a lighthearted tone: “You’re handsome, the most handsome one! Unbelievably handsome!”
The men looked at each other, awkwardly shifting in their seats. Finally, Elliot couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed Tony’s phone and muted it.
“What’s the update on the Hilliville project?” Elliot asked, trying to steer the conversation back on track.
Tony, still distracted, finally responded, “The real estate is secured. But we need to create more buzz around it. Have Leo contact Shawn and inform him that a new industry is entering Hillville. Let him handle the rest.”
Lucas, another one of Tony’s men, raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re letting Myra’s assets rise in value? She might end up with shares in the Hart Group.”
Tony glanced over, still calm. “And? She deserves it. Let things play out naturally.”
Elliot continued, a bit confused by Tony’s response. “Are you sure about that?”
Tony shrugged, uninterested. “We’ll see.”
Meanwhile, Sebastian, who had just entered, paused and looked at the situation with a frown. “Why are you so distracted?” He glanced at Tony. “Is something wrong?”
Tony didn’t respond immediately, lost in his thoughts. Finally, he muttered, “I need to go home.” Without further explanation, he stood and grabbed his coat, signaling that he was leaving for the day. The three men in the room exchanged confused looks as Tony walked out.
Back at Myra’s Apartment
Myra stepped out of her room, having just finished her shower. Estelle was lounging on the couch, watching a horror movie.
“Do you want some chips?” Estelle asked, tossing a bag toward her.
Myra smiled faintly and grabbed a handful before sitting beside her. “Are you really watching this movie again?”
Estelle nodded, not looking away from the screen. “You just got out of the shower, right?”
Myra blushed slightly but nodded in agreement. Estelle then looked her over and shook her head, her tone playful but serious. “Myra, you’re doing this all wrong. If you want to catch his attention, you need to be more intentional.”
Myra raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What do you mean?”
Estelle leaned forward, her voice lowered as if sharing a secret. “You need to express more—show confidence, make him notice you with your body language, your expressions. Don’t just stand there, hoping he’ll notice you. You’ve got to make him want to be around you.”
Myra’s cheeks flushed as she tried to process the advice. “Is that what you did with Shawn?”
Estelle’s face froze, and she quickly changed the topic. “Don’t bring him up, Myra. I don’t want to talk about it.” She sighed, exasperated.
Just as Myra opened her mouth to ask another question, the doorbell rang.
Estelle jumped up. “I’ll get it,” she said quickly, eager to avoid further discussion. She opened the door to find an elderly man with gray hair and a thick beard standing outside.
“Who are you?” Estelle asked, blinking in confusion.
The old man straightened and glared. “Who are you calling an ‘old man’? Show some respect!”
Estelle rolled her eyes. “Sir? I call my grandfather ‘old man,’ and he doesn’t mind.”
The old man raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “You should address someone your elder as ‘sir,’” he grumbled, displeased with her attitude.
Estelle wasn’t intimidated. “And who are you? What do you want with Myra?”
“I’m here to see her,” the old man replied sternly.
At that moment, Myra appeared from inside. Upon seeing him, she immediately recognized him. “Old Master Hart?” she asked in surprise.
The old man gave a gruff nod. “It’s good to see you again, Myra,” he said, his tone softening. “I came to drop off some fish for dinner.”
Myra, still a little taken aback, led him inside. Estelle, meanwhile, watched in bewilderment. “Is that really Old Master Hart?”
Myra nodded. “Yes, he’s the patriarch of the Hart family. I didn’t expect him to stop by today.”
As they made their way into the kitchen, Estelle whispered, “What’s going on?”
Myra shook her head. “I don’t know. I just hope it’s nothing serious.”