Chapter 21 The Handover
“Benedict, listen to me. It’s not what you think. No, I-”
Fit 18%
00:57:33
Finished
“Go ahead,” Benedict said, his tone surprisingly calm. Suzanna was stunned. There was no way to explain herself now, not with him so convinced.
Benedict’s voice was steady, but there was an edge to it. “You’ve always wanted to go to Rosvaria to pray for Jack, right? Let’s go tomorrow.”
With no outlet for her anger, Suzanna broke down, begging him. Benedict had someone take her home, then drove off to a quiet spot, lighting cigarette after cigarette.
This whole thing had been scripted and acted out. And the past… Suzanna had probably been manipulating things he hadn’t even known about.
It didn’t feel like the first time something like this had happened. Benedict couldn’t shake the feeling that everything with Francesca had shifted, like he didn’t know what was real anymore.
His phone rang again. He picked it up, and his friend, Curtis Ray’s loud voice blared through. “Benedict, where are you?”
Curtis had been at the gala too. He had seen the drama unfold but didn’t care much once the main players had left. Still, hearing that Benedict had been played, he thought Francesca was really bold.
“Benedict, didn’t your ex–wife die two years ago? Why’s she back, and why is she so close to Mr. Denvers?” he shot other questions.
Benedict, who had just started to calm down, felt frustration rising again. He also had no idea what was going on with them.
“This woman is so clever. After the Landon family tossed her, she still found her way into the Denvers family. She should’ve been burned to death a long time ago.” Curtis kept going with his sharp words.
However, Benedict’s face froze, a chill spreading across it. “Did she annoy you?”
Curtis didn’t catch the irritation in Benedict’s tone. He just laughed and suggested they grab a drink.
After all, the truth he knew was that Francesca had only stayed with the Landon family for the money, and no one thought highly of her.
*****
The buzz from the gala quickly spread through the upper–crust circles. The media didn’t catch Francesca, but the news was everywhere.
Raymond took advantage of the situation and made her vice president at headquarters. People in the company weren’t thrilled about it, but with Raymond’s power, no one dared to openly question it.
Francesca knew she didn’t yet have a solid grasp of the company’s dynamics, so she wasn’t in a rush to reveal her full hand. She figured it would be smarter to observe for a bit and get a feel for things.
To help her settle in faster, Raymond assigned his most trusted people to support her, making sure she had
everything she needed
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Chapter 21 The Handover
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Francesca didn’t care, she just kept working alongside Raymond like usual.
Not many would have guessed that she and Raymond were actually siblings; one took their mother’s surname, and the other took their father’s.
She had already promised her brother she would learn the ropes of the company and be his right–hand person down the line.
The Brightway Group, which her mother had left them, had been managed by Raymond for a while, though his main focus was on the medical field. Now, he was handing it over to her.
“Miss Anderson, the Landon Group sent someone to handle the PR. Should we pull the trending topic?” Shane Keaton, her secretary, asked.
“Keep it up for 48 hours,” she said.
Then, Francesca remembered Suzanna’s company was working on a big blockbuster, and Suzanna had already been cast as the lead.
“Is that actor, Hugh Jensen, who starred with her–his contract almost up?”
Shane blinked. “Why do you ask?”
She grinned. “I remember Hannah’s got a thing for him. Let’s steal him for our entertainment company.”
Shane was taken aback, wondering if Francesca was planning to use Hugh to get under Hannah’s skin. Hopefully not.
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