C283 Ride With My Enemies

Samantha lowered her head, deep in thought. Sarah's questions had completely changed the way she viewed her investment plans. A few moments later, she looked up with a helpless smile. "Sister... then what should I choose?" Sarah couldn't help laughing. "You haven't even told me how much money you're working with." Before Samantha could answer, Chris suddenly placed his chopsticks down and looked between the two women. "Excuse me..."

Both Sarah and Samantha turned toward him. "Are we having lunch..." He paused dramatically before continuing. "...or are we attending another board meeting?" The two women blinked before bursting into laughter. Sarah covered her mouth. "Sorry, Husband." Chris nodded proudly. "That's better." Then he looked at Samantha with a mischievous grin. "You might be close to my wife..." He pointed at himself. "...but I'm much closer." Samantha rolled her eyes helplessly. "Fine." She sighed dramatically. "I'll keep quiet."

Although she said those words, her thoughts remained occupied by everything Sarah had mentioned. She had believed investing would be simple. Instead, every option carried hidden complications. If she invested in the Heaps Group, there was always the possibility that Nicolas would become greedy again. If she invested in a public school, there were countless legal procedures and government regulations to consider.

If she bought shares in a clothing company, she first had to find a brand worthy of her investment. None of the choices were as straightforward as she had imagined. For the remainder of lunch, the three simply chatted about lighter topics. Before long, lunch break ended. Everyone returned to work. The afternoon arrived surprisingly quickly. At Lucia Goods Headquarters, I remained inside my office with Leon and Adam. The three of us sat around a table covered with reports and employee profiles.

Leon said as he placed another file aside. "I don't think this candidate is suitable," I nodded. "He has experience, but not enough leadership." Adam leaned back in his chair. "What about promoting internally?" I thought for a moment. "It would certainly boost morale..." I looked through another document. "...but we need someone capable of handling pressure." The discussion continued as we reviewed one candidate after another.

Inside the Director's office... Alicia had completely immersed herself in planning the Training Hall. Her notebook was already filled with sketches. One page contained the proposed boxing ring. Another listed gym equipment. A third outlined the firearm practice area together with safety regulations. She carefully underlined several points before stopping. Her pen remained suspended above the paper. Without realizing it, the same sentence replayed inside her mind. "Your mother was rich too?" My question from lunchtime echoed repeatedly.

Alicia slowly leaned back in her chair. "I really don't know..." she whispered to herself. Ever since discovering the truth about her mother, countless unanswered questions had surfaced. Who exactly had her mother been? How wealthy had she actually been? Why had she left everything behind? And what secrets were still hidden inside the old study? She slowly closed her notebook. "This weekend..." she murmured quietly. "...I'll go through every book in Grandpa's study." Perhaps... Somewhere among those dusty shelves... The answers had been waiting for her all along.

Soon, the working day came to an end. Employees gradually began leaving Lucia Goods. I walked out carrying my laptop while Alicia locked her office. "You look tired," I said as we reached the parking lot. Alicia smiled faintly. "I've been thinking too much." I gently squeezed her hand. "Don't overwork yourself." She nodded. "I won't." The two of us got into our cars and drove home.

Across the city... At Wood IT Company... Chris waited patiently inside his office until most employees had already left. He peeked through the window. "Good..." "Almost everyone has gone." He quietly grabbed his bag before walking downstairs. Outside the building, Sarah and Samantha were already waiting. Sarah leaned against her silver Mercedes-Benz. Samantha stood beside her own vehicle while checking messages on her phone. Chris immediately slowed his footsteps. "No..." he muttered. "If employees see me climbing into my wife's expensive car again, Then it will be impossible to hide her."

Without saying a word, he took out his phone and quickly sent Sarah a message. "Wife, I can't be seen getting into your car. I'll just take a taxi." A second later... Sarah's phone vibrated. She opened the message. The moment she finished reading it, she burst into laughter. Samantha looked over curiously. "What happened?" Instead of answering, Sarah simply handed her the phone. Samantha read the message once. Then she laughed just as hard. "This husband of yours..."

Sarah smiled mischievously before typing a reply. "Fine. Then you'll ride in Samantha's car first. After we're away from the company, you'll switch into mine." A few seconds later... Chris read the reply. He stared at the screen for several moments. "..." "I've been trapped." There was no escaping now. With a defeated sigh, he walked toward Samantha's car. Several employees leaving work happened to witness the scene. From a distance... It looked as though Vice Director Chris Chambers was accompanying Samantha to her car.

Neither of them noticed that a few curious employees quietly raised their phones. Click. Click. Several photographs were taken. Chris opened the passenger door. "This is definitely going to become tomorrow's gossip..." he muttered before climbing inside. Samantha simply smiled and started the engine. A few hundred meters away... The two cars pulled over. Chris quickly climbed out of Samantha's vehicle and hurried into Sarah's Mercedes before anyone else could notice.

The moment he closed the passenger door... He let out a long sigh. "I've survived." Sarah glanced at him... ...and immediately burst into laughter. Sarah could not stop laughing. Even after Chris had settled into the passenger seat, she was still smiling. Chris folded his arms and looked at her with an aggrieved expression. "You know..." "I've come to a conclusion." Sarah started the engine. "Oh?" "And what conclusion is that?"

Chris let out another sigh. "First, you insisted that I have lunch with my enemies." He raised one finger. "Now..." He raised another. "You're making me ride in my enemy's car." He shook his head dramatically. "What if she deliberately caused an accident just to get rid of me?"