Chapter 1003: Chapter 1003: Pretending to be Decent
Indeed, it was all a pretense of propriety.
Jimmy Simmons watched, somewhat lost in thought, until his phone vibrated.
He was as frantic as if it were a matter of life or death, hurriedly tapping to open it. Once he realized what it was, he found it laughable.
—Last time the drinks didn’t go as planned, let’s meet up again when you have time. I heard you and George River made up, bring him along too.
It wasn’t sent by her.
Jimmy cursed under his breath, threw the phone onto the desk, and closed his eyes.
The partnership with George River was merely business, but outsiders assumed they had made up; he was too lazy to explain.
Everyone said his fallout with George River wasn’t just over company issues; it involved Tiffany Lynch too.
Perhaps that was true at the start.
But only he knew the reason now.
As for Tiffany Lynch...
He could tell that George River was now wholly devoted to Hannah, with hardly any affection left for Tiffany Lynch.
Besides, falling out with a once brother over such a woman...
It was simply undignified.
It wasn’t until night fell that he finally received a reply.
It wasn’t a text message, but a red envelope.
The note was just two words: "Behaved now."
It had an authoritative tone of an elder, which irritated Jimmy even more.
On a damp and rainy day, his leg injury was prone to flare-up. Seeing her response made him feel even worse, but he still replied.
—Thank you, auntie.
After some thought, he added another line.
—Gifts given in person are more sincere than those sent online.
There was no further response from the other side, yet he still found himself waiting with his phone for half an hour.
He had her on his mind, no matter what he was doing.
It was as if he were bewitched.
She didn’t even need to try to seduce him deliberately.
Jimmy thought of George River again.
How blind must one have been to let go of someone like her?
Jimmy grew restless. These days at Simmons Clan, he got whatever he wanted, but that was only because Arnold Simmons hadn’t made a decision yet.
Their relationship was like an emperor puppet and a regent prince in ancient times.
It was unbearably oppressive.
And right at that moment, Tiffany Lynch called.
He didn’t pick up.
Instead, she switched to sending a text message.
After a long series of messages, she began by asking if he was feeling better, then inquired if he had been busy lately, and finally circled back to the main point. There was a banquet the day after tomorrow, she asked if he could accompany her.
Jimmy snickered.
He used to think it was all right for a woman to play little schemes to win a man’s favor. But now, it seemed the prerequisite was that the woman must be one he liked.
Obviously, Tiffany Lynch no longer fit that bill.
The only things left were probably some youthful camaraderie and so-called life-saving grace.
For someone like Jimmy, to maintain an untouchable image of a beloved from the past, she either had to be unattainable or dead.
Tiffany Lynch was neither.
In the end, Jimmy didn’t reply to the message, but the office emptied out anyway; no one knew where he had gone.
Elsewhere.
Tiffany Lynch waited for a long time without a response from Jimmy, gradually becoming restless and anxious.
She had plans awaiting the perfect moment, but Hannah’s consecutive good opportunities were making her envious.
Ever since "The Palace Wall" wrapped up, she hadn’t received a decent script in a long time.
Even when available, they were either low-budget web dramas or supporting roles.
She wasn’t content to play second fiddle to anyone, which is why she was trying to gauge Jimmy’s attitude.
If she could get him to attend a meal with her, with drinks and dinner, things would be easier to discuss.
If Arnold Simmons could fund Hannah Winter’s movies with so much money, then it shouldn’t be wrong for Jimmy to invest some in her.
