Chapter 92: CURRY FAVOR
Days passed and it was the night for the company award show. Dozens of rich business men and women who were dressed to outshine one another, strode inside the 5 star hotel where it would be taking place.
Some came with their family while some came alone, like Erika. Erika had come to the award show alone due to the flu that Ethan caught a few day after they arrived. She had wanted to change her mind but Ethan persuaded her to come. If not, she wouldn’t be here.
The paparazzi were all over the place, taking pictures of the event. When they sighted Erika, they immediately abandoned the people they were taking pictures of and focused their cameras on her.
Erika was wearing a red gown that exposed her shoulders, leaving her collarbones in reveal. She adorned it with a diamond necklace which Ethan bought for her that costs millions of dollars. Her hair was straightened and she wore 2inches heels since she was already tall. She wouldn’t want to stick out like a sore thumb.
After the paparazzi was satisfied with the pictures they had taken on her, she took the chance to enter the crowd of people. The trophies were neatly placed in a glass tube for protection and the stage had been set for when the event would commence.
At that moment, the people used the little time they had to mingle with one another for business corporations.
Erika only knew a few people there so she quietly took a seat and waited for those desperate business men to come to her. The category the Walters Corporations has been nominated into were the same as the Hart.
And just as Erika had expected, she didn’t get to sit for a complete 10seconds before the men and women circled around her.
"So Miss Erika, I see that the Walters corporations have been nominated in the same category as mine but I know that my company has no chance to win that award", one of the business men jokingly said and the others laughed.
"You are right, Mr Martinez, your company doesn’t stand a chance at all", Erika said confidently and they all laughed again. ’Did I say something funny?’ She thought to herself.
One of the women came forward and spoke,
"I’m sure that if our company negotiates, we would thrive. What do you say, Miss Erika?"
"Sorry but we are not accepting", Erika rejected. The other people who were about to request the same thing immediately kept their mouth shut. To not make things any awkward than it already was, they made silly excuses and left from there and Erika breathed a sigh of relief.
Only people who couldn’t read between the lines went to her in hope of earning a business partnership but unfortunately for them, they got the answer similar to the previous person.
At another side of the hall, the mother daughter duo glared at Erika from afar, "Look at her, acting all high and mighty", Juliet clenched her fist tightly.
When the paparazzi has circled around a particular person earlier, they were quite curious to see the face of this important person only to find Erika, looking extremely unrecognizable with her dress that drew attention to her from both business bachelors and business women.
"She looks so ugly", Felicia spat with a bitter taste in her mouth. Adrain and Adam had mingled with the influential people in order to curry favors but they had been unlucky. When Adam spotted Erika sitting on her chair alone, the old man pulled Adrian with him and walked towards her with the eyes of the other family members following him.
"Erika", he called to gain her attention. "How have you been dear?" He asked her dearly.
Erika, who had been thinking of when the award show would start already was called by a familiar voice. She faced her ex father in law.
"Excuse me?" She asked with a questioning gaze.
Adam was speechless for a moment before be tried to say some more words.
"I didn’t know that the Walters corporations have been nominated today", he lied. "And to think that we are in the same category".
Erika stared at her ex father in law who had not bothered to speak to her when she was still his official daughter in law. It’s obvious he wanted to curry some favor as well.
"Dad, just go straight to the point. Why are you speaking in riddles?" Juliet asked her father.
Erika changed her posture and the aura around her suddenly changed, nearly suffocating them.
"Erika, let’s remarry," Said Adrian. Erika tilted her head in amusement. She sized up Adrain who seems to be serious in his request.
"Can you hear yourself, Adrian? You want to remarry me? Do I look like some toy to you?" She questioned him with a cold look.
Felicia who was behind the family couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She thought they had given her 3 months to get pregnant and if she fails, Adrian would have to remarry Erika. But now, they are diving right into that path.
Adrain didn’t know how to respond to Erika but since she didn’t reply with a "no", he thought she was giving them both a chance.
"You are not a toy Erika, we are extremely sorry for disregarding you as a family member but that would change if you agree to remarry into the Hart family", Adam added. Erika stared at them as if they were group of clowns who had been hired to make people laugh. When her eyes landed on Mary, she tried to control herself from clawing the woman.
Mary on the other hand, hated the fact that the two men were begging her. "Erika, you are going to remarry Adrain and use your resources to help the Hart corporations before it completely goes bankrupt, do you understand?" She demanded.
Erika scoffed, disgusted. She couldn’t believe that a living human being could be this shameless.
"Or you can ask Ethan Anderson to partner with us. I’m sure you can do that", Said Adrain.
