Chapter 1686 The Type To Forgive And Forget
Ashton glanced at his younger brother. I knew he, too, was wondering just what game Nathaniel was trying to play.
Having received no response, Quince’s smile slipped off his face. Sulking, he took a gulp of drink and slammed the glass on the table in a display of displeasure.
Rebecca immediately sidled up to him. “Mr. Quince, forget about that guy. Here, let me have a drink with you,” she said, throwing a flirtatious smile at the man and raising her glass at him.
Placated, Quince’s expression eased.
Meanwhile, Nathaniel placed the champagne flute on the table and turned to look Ashton in the eyes. “I love new year’s eve,” he drawled as if he was only making small conversation. “It’s such a great occasion for new and old friends to gather, isn’t it? Speaking of, I happened to run into an old friend of yours today, Ashton.”
The latter said nothing and merely narrowed his eyes. The icy aura around him, however, spoke volumes about what he thought of the other’s remarks. Under normal circumstances, the dark look was enough to shut a man up instantly, but Nathaniel remained unfazed.
“Aren’t you curious as to whom it was?” he asked my husband with an expression of picture-perfect innocence. “Well, I know you’d want to meet him, so I took the liberty to invite him here. You aren’t going to blame me, are you, my dear brother?”
“Out with it,” I snapped, sick with his baiting. “Who else is coming here today?”
Nathaniel smirked, eyes flashing behind his glasses. “Ah. My apologies. I should’ve known that you’d be more eager to meet that friend, Scarlett.”
He glanced at the doorway and called out, “You can come in now. Scarlett doesn’t seem to be holding a grudge.”
A grudge? What is he saying? I followed his line of vision and saw a man in his fifties stepping inside hesitantly.
Dressed in plain and unassuming clothes, the man bent his head in a subdued manner. “M-Mrs Fuller. You look well…” he mumbled timidly.
“I’m sorry… Do I know you?” I asked, bewildered.
While I had no idea who this man was, his face seemed to have rung a bell for Rebecca. She regarded him with a pensive look. “Have we met somewhere before?”
“Oh, you don’t remember? This is Mr. Roger Melton,” Nathaniel told me. “Back when the Fuller Corporation was expanding, Mr. Melton’s company, Vista Sun Corporation, was the first to be acquired by your husband.”
Okay, so what? Fuller Corporation has acquired countless companies over the years. I certainly don’t know all of them. Not to mention that the mergers and acquisitions don’t even fall under my jurisdiction. How am I to know who this so-called Mr. Roger Melton is?
At my blank expression, Nora chuckled, though it was not a kind sound. “Well, Scarlett, you really are the type to forgive and forget, huh? I’m impressed.”
The mocking tone had me frown in vexation. She used to be a straightforward and open character. It was as if her sarcasm grew in direct proportion to her antagonism toward me.
I ignored her and instead turned to Ashton for a clue of the man’s identity. He usually had an eidetic memory. I was certain he would know who that man was.
My husband sent me a soothing look before his gaze turned steely on the rest. “Vista Sun was already on the decline back then. It was only a matter of time before it would be flushed out of the race. If anything, the acquisition helped their business.”
In a way, what Ashton said was true. Times were changing, and businesses that could not keep up would inevitably fold as they lost their competitive edge to others. As a business leader, Ashton was only doing what he had to do to ensure the survival and growth of his own company.
