Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Braving the Tiger’s Den
Sebastian Hawthorne’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. His face remained cold as he lowered his gaze to the documents.
"If there’s nothing else, get out."
"Oh," Assistant Scott said, turning to leave the office.
He didn’t hurry away, though. Instead, he stood by the office door, head bowed as he looked at his watch.
After about a minute, the office door was opened from the inside.
Assistant Scott lowered his arm, crossed them over his chest, and leaned casually against the wall with a teasing smile on his face.
"Cousin, why did you come out? Miss Croft has already left."
Sebastian Hawthorne shot him an icy glare, then addressed a secretary in the cubicle area, his voice deep and his expression unchanging.
"Bring in a cup of coffee. There’s an issue with the internal line; have a technician come take a look."
"Right away, Mr. Hawthorne," the secretary replied softly, getting up and heading toward the breakroom.
Assistant Scott quirked an eyebrow and asked a question.
"Miss Croft can’t have gone far. Cousin, want me to go and stop her for you?"
Sebastian Hawthorne’s gaze was indifferent as he glanced at him.
"If you have too much time on your hands, I’ll let you handle the Duskenport project."
Assistant Scott’s amused expression instantly morphed into a fawning one. "Just kidding, Cousin," he said quickly.
Without giving him so much as a glance, Sebastian Hawthorne turned and went back into his office.
The technician arrived at Sebastian Hawthorne’s office shortly after. After inspecting the internal line on his desk, they found nothing wrong with it.
"Mr. Hawthorne..."
Just as he was about to report his findings, Sebastian Hawthorne raised a hand and gave a slight wave. The technician took the hint and discreetly left.
Once he was alone in the office, he lowered his gaze to his phone, his deep, dark eyes betraying no emotion.
He picked up his phone, then set it down again. His gaze then shifted to the business proposal Cecilia Croft had left on his desk.
Sebastian Hawthorne made a call, summoning the Hawthorne Group’s project manager for the Silvercrest project to his office.
The manager was still looking completely baffled when Sebastian Hawthorne handed him a document.
"Take a look at this proposal and tell me what you think."
The project manager hurriedly took the document from Sebastian Hawthorne with both hands.
After spending half an hour reading through it with a serious, focused expression, he looked up at Sebastian Hawthorne, his eyes filled with reverence.
"Mr. Hawthorne, this proposal is brilliant. The planning is beautifully laid out. Did you write it? This must have taken a lot of work."
"No," Sebastian Hawthorne replied flatly.
The project manager was a smooth operator. He knew that if Sebastian Hawthorne was showing him this proposal, he must hold its author in high regard. Even though he didn’t know who wrote it, the right move was to sing their praises.
"I can’t imagine anyone but you writing a proposal like this. Could it have been Assistant Scott?"
"No." Sebastian Hawthorne raised his hand, and the project manager hurried to return the document, again with both hands.
The project manager’s face was full of curiosity. "Then... who was it?"
Sebastian Hawthorne: "A... partner, extending an olive branch."
The project manager was completely stunned.
"They’re not from the Hawthorne Group?"
Sebastian Hawthorne put the document away. "They will be soon."
The project manager opened his mouth to say something, but then he considered it. Since Sebastian Hawthorne had already described the person as a "partner," it was clear that in Sebastian’s mind, they were more than just a simple new hire.
"Congratulations on finding another great talent, Mr. Hawthorne."
Sebastian Hawthorne’s expression didn’t change.
"It’s just a shame this talent can’t stay on long-term to work for me."
The project manager detected a strong sense of regret in Sebastian Hawthorne’s indifferent tone, and a flash of astonishment flickered in his eyes.
He wanted to say something, but he was afraid of misspeaking.
After all, it wasn’t his place to comment on someone who had earned such high regard from Sebastian Hawthorne before they were even hired. He was afraid of stepping on a landmine with the man in front of him.
He simply put on a smile and offered some polite platitudes.
Sebastian Hawthorne placed the document in a drawer and said flatly.
"I hear your wife is due in a month. I’m putting her in charge of the Silvercrest project. You use this time to rest and spend time with your wife."
A smile spread across the project manager’s face, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Hawthorne. I..."
Sebastian Hawthorne cut him off. "There’s no need for platitudes. Go on back to your post. You’ve worked hard these past few years."
The project manager thanked him profusely before getting up and leaving Sebastian Hawthorne’s office.
After he left, the plastered-on smile on his face gradually faded.
While it was a happy occasion to be able to stay in Karthus for his wife’s delivery instead of going to Silvercrest, the fact that the proposal’s author was so highly regarded by Sebastian Hawthorne meant they would inevitably become a threat to his own position.
Cecilia Croft hadn’t notified Jasmine Vance when she returned to Karthus.
Today, her older sister had already begun sending invitations to some of the Great Families they used to be close with.
In two days, a welcome-home banquet would be held for her at the old Croft family estate.
As Cecilia Croft was leaving Hawthorne Tower, she happened to get a call from Jasmine Vance.
"Cecilia, I thought we were the best of friends! How could you come back to Karthus without telling me?"
Cecilia Croft chuckled. "Weren’t you just in Rovenia having fun a couple of days ago? I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to spoil your good mood."
Jasmine Vance gave a playful little huff.
"My flight lands in Karthus at eight tonight. Wendy Rhodes is hosting a get-together at The Snowfall Pavilion, you should come with me. Wendy hasn’t seen you in ages, and she’s been dying to."
Cecilia Croft pressed her lips together, hesitating.
Jasmine Vance added, "Tonight’s gathering is just old classmates. No one else will be there."
After a moment of thought, Cecilia Croft agreed.
"Okay."
Hearing her agree, Jasmine Vance said happily, "Great! I’ll come pick you up tonight."
Cecilia Croft hummed her assent.
Before, she had no plans to return to Karthus, so she hadn’t made an effort to maintain these old connections, only keeping in touch with Jasmine Vance.
But now that she was back and the Croft Group was facing such a crisis, every friend was another potential lifeline.
It was time to start rebuilding those bridges.
After ending the call with Jasmine Vance, Cecilia Croft glanced back at the towering height of Hawthorne Tower, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes.
’Her sister’s judgment was probably wrong this time.’
’She had shown her utmost sincerity, but Sebastian Hawthorne still hadn’t shown the slightest intention of hiring her.’
「That evening.」
Jasmine Vance came to pick up Cecilia Croft and take her to The Snowfall Pavilion.
Since Cecilia Croft had been away from Karthus for ten years and wasn’t familiar with the current social landscape, Jasmine Vance gave her a rundown of the family circumstances of all the former classmates who would be at the party.
Back when she was a student in Karthus, the Croft Group had been at its zenith, so her friends and classmates had all come from prominent families as well.
Ten years had passed. Some families had fallen from grace and been pushed out of their social circle, while others had risen in status by riding the coattails of powerful relatives.
Cecilia Croft listened quietly to Jasmine Vance’s words.
’In the ten years she had been gone from Karthus, Wendy Rhodes had never once contacted her.’
’Now, a capable person had emerged from the Rhodes family, and their fortunes were rising like the morning sun.’
’To use one of Wendy Rhodes’s favorite phrases from ten years ago, the Croft family of today probably wouldn’t even be given a chance to enter their circle.’
’Wendy Rhodes’s motive for inviting her to this gathering wasn’t so simple.’
’And yet, she had to walk knowingly into the tiger’s den.’
