Chapter 4

Sebastian sent me a teasing message.

[You said you'd start today. First day on the job and you're already missing? That's not very professional of you, is it, partner?]

I told him I was in the hospital.

When he saw the thick bandages wrapped around my head, he rushed over with a tensed expression.

He asked nervously, "What happened to you?"

I took out the USB necklace I had hidden in my bag.

"It's only a minor injury. I'm alright, nothing a few days of rest won't fix. This contains the full proposal for the cooperation with Mr. Zeke. Have a look, his project has new material needs every quarter, and each purchase is worth tens of millions of dollars. I proposed providing customized technical support for him…" I explained.

Luckily, I had been careful.

Everything went wrong lately, so I had encrypted and backed up the core files in advance.

The version Maeve took was only a draft without any key data.

Sebastian turned unusually serious.

His lips stayed tightly pressed, and he finally asked, "Was it Chance?"

I did not want him to know that my ex-fiancé and his new assistant had teamed up to bully me, so I stayed silent.

Sebastian quietly stayed with me for a while. He said, "You should focus on your recovery. I'll handle the follow-up work. Don't worry! As your partner, I'll make sure you get your payback!"

I nodded lightly, and I felt like he was someone I could rely on.

My injuries had mostly healed, and it was time for ITIS, the Industry Technology Innovation Summit.

Chance showed up as expected, with Maeve beside him in a sharp suit.

I kept a blank expression, but Sebastian clenched his fist quietly.

I patted the back of his hand to signal him to stay calm. Maeve noticed the small gesture, raised her brows, and said in a mocking tone, "How impressive. You broke up with Mr. Goode, and just days later, you've found a new sponsor."

Sebastian glanced at her and warned coldly, "Watch your tongue."

Chance raised an eyebrow and judged, "You do these things, but you don't want to be judged? You accused Maeve of sleeping her way to the top, Vera. I think the most scandalous one here is you."

He stared into my eyes and said in a mocking tone, "You always said you'd wait until after marriage to live together. I thought you were conservative. It turns out you were afraid I'd find out what you were doing on the side. I see you got yourself a backup plan. Clever, really!"

Sebastian had been holding back. After hearing the insult, he finally snapped and punched Chance in the face.

"Shut your filthy mouth!" yelled Sebastian.

Chance staggered back, then shouted in rage.

"How could you let your sponsor hit me, Vera? How do you two have the nerve to show up in front of me? If you hadn't stolen the plan Maeve finalized with Mr. Zeke, we wouldn't have lost contact with him these past few days! I wouldn't be at this summit. I'd be holding a launch event!"

He looked furious, but quickly adjusted his expression and smiled.

He then looked at us with contempt, as if victory were surely in his hands.

"You're just here today to watch anyway! We can't reach Mr. Zeke for now, but that project isn't going anywhere. The strategic partner will be announced at today's summit, and Mr. Zeke's future material supplier can only be us!"

Just as Sebastian was about to tell him off, the voice of the host cut through the hall, asking everyone to take their seats.

The host announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, today we will all witness an important collaboration. We have confirmed the exclusive strategic partner for the new energy project!"

Chance grew so excited that he almost stood up on the spot.

He rose smugly, threw us a provocative look, and started to walk towards the stage ahead of time.

He smirked when he passed us by and insulted, "Losers!"

However, in the very next second, he paused in his tracks in disbelief.