Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 114

Even though | had a hunch early on about Hogan’s possible arrangement, my heart still felt like It was stabbed by an invisible dagger when | heard him admit it in person, it hurt like hell,

That guy was so sharp; what Walls could think of, he’d definitely got figured out too. But he just had to let Cecilia take the reins on the project, instead of having her just come to our company for a transition.

He wanted to give her the real deal, and then some

It took me quite a while to find my voice again, and | said coolly, “Mr. Zade, this isn’t what we talked about before. “Is that so?” Hogan looked away, nonchalantly saying, “I never promised to bring you along

from the start, did 17"

Yeah, he never said it. Even when Morgan was singing praises about the short video | made i front of three people, in the end, Hogan’s approval was what really mattered.

He treated Cecilia like a prized bougainvillea in the garden, pruning and watering it himself, while | was just a little gardener he dragged along to help nurture the plant.

Insignificant, disposable. Who would care about a gardener’s feelings? “Huh,” Icouldn’t help but snort, “Mr. Zade, I'll be the only one leading this project.”

At that. Hogan’s pen-holding hand froze. He slowly lifted his head, his gaze calmly landing on my face, asking, “What do you mean, Ms. March?”

| laid it out straight. “The contract with FreeMan hasn’t been signed, Mr. Zade. May the best person win. My principle was, | never threw in the towel until the last second.

Hogan chuckled as if he’d heard a funny joke, then leaned back in his chair and lazily said. “You really think you still have a chance?”

“Can't know if you don’t try.” | said, filled with fighting spirit. Hogan didn’t respond right away. After a few seconds, he said, “Xaviera, you really haven’t changed at all.”

| knew he was mocking me. Not to mention that he’d already given Cecilia a head start with FreeMan, just the idea of competing with Hogan felt a bit like | was punching above my weight. After all, with Rainbow Capital’s current resources, Wallis and | were like a tiny insect trying to shake a giant tree. But so what? It was Hogan who started playing dirty: we couldn't just keep taking it lying down.This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

When | left Rainbow Capital, it was already afternoon, and the previous cozy, warm weather had

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taken a turn for the worse, freezing cold.

The wind blew through me, chilling to the bone, making me shiver uncontrollably. It was only then that | realized | was sweating bullets during my chat with Hogan.

Now | was wide awake. | hadn't expected the me who used to follow his every word would actually have the guts to stand up to him today.

It was a rash move. Talk was cheap, but putting it into action was as tough as scaling the heavens, especially when it came to the elusive FreeMan

| set my sights on the private art show. But these kinds of exhibitions were usually a form of social networking among the elite, small in scale and very private, aimed at fostering relationships within the inner circle. Breaking into that scene was tough..

My only hope was Wallis.

After a night of digging, Wallis got the scoop — there were two private art shows in Rivertown that afternoon, one in the southern suburbs, which was open to the public, and the other at the Art Gallery in the western suburbs, which was by invitation only.

Moreover, as Wallis explained, this Art Gallery was founded by an up-and-coming artist who had returned from abroad, and it was rarely open to the public, maintaining a low-key and mysterious vibe.

“Sounds right up FreeMan’s alley.” | said, jotting down notes, “So how do we get in?”