Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 188

Cecilia’s compliments were soft–spoken, accompanied by the faint dimples on the little girl’s face; it was hard to link them to sarcasm no matter how hard you tried.

But deep down, I knew she wasn’t thrilled.

After all, she was dead set on making this Pinecrest Hollow trip happen and it must have stung when things took a turn and I ended up with the sweet deal. A touch of resentment was only natural.

The ultimate harmony in our company is the harmony among the employees, so with a don’t–sweat–the–small–stuff attitude, I kept the peace with a beaming smile, “Director Irwin is just being modest. The success of our Pinecrest Hollow venture is all thanks to the solid backing you and Mr. Zade offered. So, let’s all raise a glass to Mr. Zade and Director Irwin later

1. on.

I was buttering up Hogan and Cecilia with those words, all for the sake of harmony.

Wallis caught on to my game and quickly jumped in to smooth things over, “Now that everyone’s here, let’s kick off tonight’s wild party!”

“Oh, right,” Cecilia interrupted Wallis, and gave the server a knowing look with her sweet, mushy voice, “I knew tonight was Mr. Temple’s welcome party, so I made a handmade cake. But, you know, I hurt my hand, so it might not be much of a looker. I hope Xaviera and Mr. Temple won’t mind.”

way,

couldn’t exactly complain, so I politely responded, “Director Irwin, you’re

the

cake that had clearly seen better days;

was crystal clear–even if the “welcome”

Awkward as hell.

the man of the hour, Timothy had his face changed when

“Well, Director Irwin’s

eyes, which were clear as day

low, with her eyelids drooping, “Sorry, we

11:37 D

Chapter 188

be silly, you hurt your hand after all,” Wallis chimed in, “If you hadn’t gone to the hospital, Mr. Zade would’ve been beside

froze, and her eyes suddenly brimmed with tears; then she turned to Hogan

was standing off to the side with a cold face. He shot Wallis a look and said, “President Lott makes a good point. She injured her hand just to make this cake; not just anybody gets the