Lahat ng Kabanata ng Kicking Him to the Curb: Kabanata 651 - Kabanata 660

Early that morning, Aspen had just woken up. She called Riley and claimed she was working from home, but in truth, she had already started packing her things. After filling one box, she sealed it with tape and labeled it with the contents inside. Then, she called the moving company."Hi, yes, I scheduled a move for this afternoon. I've got quite a bit of stuff. The address is..."She hung up, glanced around the room filled with cardboard boxes, and felt a pang in her chest. Every memory in this place had now been packed away, ready to be moved out....Chester walked into Riley's office at Nicholls Group. He looked around and realized he couldn't find Aspen anywhere, so he asked, "Mr. O'Connor, is Ms. Nicholls not in the office today?" Riley shook her head and replied, "Ms. Nicholls is working from home today." "Working from home?" Chester's brow furrowed with surprise. Riley added, "Ms. Nicholls said she was feeling tired and wanted to rest a bit." Chester's frown deepe

Aspen moved into her new apartment, but the place still felt cold and unwelcoming. While the off-white decor was minimalist, it lacked warmth and personality. The silence in the empty space was so intense that even the slightest echo felt unnerving. She opened a cardboard box and carefully lifted out a picture frame from inside. It was Sophie, her little angel, grinning carefree in the photo as if she'd never experienced any troubles. But now that smile felt like a knife, stabbing straight into Aspen's heart.Aspen's fingertips trembled as she gently traced Sophie's innocent face, and her expression gradually became determined. ...At Nicholls Group, the executive conference room was filled with tension. Everyone exchanged uneasy glances as the atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive. Aspen sat firmly in the head chair, her gaze sharp as a blade while the others looked nervous and uncomfortable. She said, "I've called everyone here today for one purpose only—to discuss the future

Chester came to see Aspen as usual, bringing food with him. He pushed open the office door and walked straight to her side, noticing her furrowed brow with concern. He said, "Aspen, you need to take care of yourself. I can see you've gotten much thinner." Aspen looked up with a weary smile, fingers massaging her temples as a muted "Mm" slipped out.She added, "This is my first time dealing with smart home technology, and the technical aspects are pretty challenging."Chester's eyes lit up as he immediately responded. "If you don't mind, tell me about it."He paused, his tone sincere as he explained, "Shaffer Group has some resources in distribution and marketing. If you need them, I'll have them help immediately." Aspen was startled and looked at him with surprise. "Chet, wouldn't that be making too big a deal out of it?"Chester frowned and nudged her shoulder with his elbow. "What are you talking about? Being able to help you would be my pleasure, and besides, I'm not helping

The second round of negotiations didn't go as smoothly as the first. It seemed they had assessed Nicholls Group's situation, and the atmosphere in the negotiation room grew tense. Ian broke the silence first, leaning forward slightly with a steely gaze locked on Aspen."Ms. Nicholls, our company highly recognizes the innovation in your proposal, but business partnerships ultimately come down to profits, and your company's profit-sharing demands seem excessive," he said in a steady tone that carried undeniable pressure.Aspen had anticipated this. She remained composed, her voice calm and steady. "Mr. Bennett, Nicholls Group's proposal was calculated with precision, carefully balancing our investment and the risks involved. What we seek is sustainable, long-term success—not short-term profit grabs."Another representative picked up the conversation with a stern tone, "Long-term mutual benefits are certainly important, but immediate interests can't be ignored either. Your company's

Aspen returned to the Nicholls Group. However, she felt increasingly puzzled. She should have been happy about securing the partnership, but something felt wrong. Ian's attitude had changed too quickly and too suddenly—business negotiations were never this smooth.Aspen reviewed the meeting notes, her frown deepening as her instincts told her things weren't that simple. She immediately had Riley pull more detailed information about Dreamtech Corporation. The files lay before Aspen as she sifted through them, not missing any clues.Suddenly, an anonymous email caught her attention. The email contained a market analysis report that was detailed and precise, playing a crucial role in the negotiations. Looking at the report, Aspen's heart skipped a beat. She could tell that the level of professionalism was beyond what ordinary people could achieve. She called Riley in directly, getting straight to the point. "Riley, do you remember the anonymous market analysis we received before t