Chapter 44: Flattery
Fletcher’s response confirmed my suspicions.
Although I had witnessed his favoritism toward Davina before, hearing him admit it out loud now still caught me off guard.
Just because Davina felt a little uncomfortable, I was supposed to leave early?
That was completely unreasonable.
If it were any other time, I would be willing to give the investors this small courtesy, but today was different. The opportunity to attend the banquet had been hard–won by Winston on my behalf. If I backed out now, it would be unreasonable.
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I took a deep breath and said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Lynton, but I can’t do that.”
Fletcher’s brow furrowed, his expression hardening as he responded with sharp displeasure. “You know, I’m not asking you, I’m telling you.”
It was clear now that he was determined to get me to leave.
I curled my fingers slightly, choosing honesty. “Mr. Lynton, if I were attending this banquet as a representative of the company, I’d certainly be happy to comply. But tonight, I’m here as Professor Fleming’s companion. I’m sure you can understand that.”
After all, he was an investor, and I didn’t want to put either side in an awkward position.
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To my surprise, as soon as I finished
speaking, Fletcher let out a derisive laugh. “Using Winston to pressure me? Ms. Grande, are you so full of yourself that you can’t even recognize your own worth?”
I was taken aback by Fletcher’s aggressive tone, momentarily at a loss for words.
I had never intended to stir up trouble between Fletcher and Winston.
“Spit it out, then. What do you want? Another investment?”
Fletcher added, likely assuming I was playing hard to get in order to extract more from him.
“No, thank you,” I said firmly. “I’m not leaving.”
“Are you sure?” Fletcher’s gaze locked onto
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nquet really that important to you, Ms. Grande? Or is it just about flattering Winston?”
ing through the air. “Is
The word “flattering” coupled with the smirk on his face immediately made me feel like I was being pinned to a wall, exposed and humiliated.
His arrogant attitude, all because I made Davina feel a little “uncomfortable.”
I forced a strained smile and distanced myself. “The banquet is about to start, Mr. Lynton. I must excuse myself.”
With that, I turned to walk away, but Fletcher’s voice stopped me. “Ms. Grande, are you sure you can shoulder the consequences for your company?”
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Asi returned to the banquet haitafoonmund Winston looking for meme
“You don’t look too well/Whathappened?
I rubbed my throbbingdeemples strong top to come up with an excuse.“Maybed undrabinibit too much to drink.
“I told you, just take it easy with the drinksaks they send over if it gets too much, youve good me, right?”
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With that kind of loyalty, I didn’t regret turning Fletcher down.
“By the way,” Winston continued, noticing I hadn’t spoken yet, “Did you check the seating arrangement for the banquet?”
That was something I hadn’t paid attention to.
Seeing my confusion, Winston scratched his nose and explained, “We’re seated at the main table with Letch, and Stack’s with us too. Are you… okay with that?”
Winston always thought things through.
His mention of Fletcher meant Davina would be sitting with us as well. He was probably
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Chapter 44, Flattery
+5 Points
worried I might feel awkward.
I played it cool. “It’s fine, don’t forget, I’m here to see my idol tonight.”
When the banquet started, guests began to take their seats, and just as Winston had said, we were placed at the main table.
Fletcher and Davina sat directly across from
- us.
The room was filled with power players, and here I was, an unknown coder, playing the part of the backdrop.
Before long, the person I’d been hoping to see–Stack–arrived with the company head. They were seated next to Leon, very close to Fletcher and Davina.
Davina must have recognized Stack, and
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Chapter 44: Flattery
seizing the opportunity, she handed him her business card.
This was a perfectly normal gesture, considering someone like Stack- a world–class software engineer–was not someone we could meet every day. However, Davina’s eagerness made it seem a little too hasty in this moment.
Fortunately, Stack was no fool. After briefly glancing at the card, he handed it over to his assistant, not wanting to embarrass her.
Davina seemed pleased, starting a
conversation with Stack in slightly imperfect Spanish, discussing the game we were developing.
Stack appeared mildly interested but soon changed the subject. “I’ve heard Mr. Rogers mention this game. I believe the engineer
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responsible for the front and back end is Charlene Grande?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Davina’s face visibly stiffened.
I hadn’t expected Stack to mention me.
Winston, quick on the uptake, jumped in. “The Charlene you’re looking for is right here.”
Stack turned his curious gaze toward me.
The opportunity was right there, and I wasn’t about to miss it. I stepped forward with a bright smile. “Stack, I’m Charlene Grande. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Stack sized me up a few times, paused thoughtfully, then said, “So it’s really you, Charlene. I didn’t expect us to meet like this two years later.”
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Chapter 44: Flattery
4/5 Points
I was a bit surprised. “Stack, you remember me?”
We had exchanged many emails regarding my school application back then.
“Of course, the tall, broad–shouldered Stack replied, his voice firm. “I was really disappointed when you turned down Cambridge. Charlene, you really have a talent for software development.”
I was flattered, but his words also drew everyone’s attention to me.
The fact that I had given up on Cambridge was something few knew.
But with Stack bringing it up, the way people looked at me shifted. Especially Fletcher.
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Chapter 44. Hattery
16 Posts
We had once promised each other we’d attend Cambridge together.
I feigned indifference, smoothly steering the conversation toward the new project, and had a lively chat with Stack.
Davina, clearly unwilling to give up, tried to interrupt several times, but Stack skillfully deflected her, leaving her to sit in silence.
By the end of the evening, I had received Stack’s business card, which he had handed to me personally.
Stack had only given out two cards that night–one to me, and the other to a well–known tech company.
I’d say I came back with quite a bit.
Downstairs at the Crestview Apartments,
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Winston, his eyes glazed with intoxication, said, “Lena, you know what? I’m really happy tonight.”
“Tonight, Winston, you played a big part.”
“But…” Winston’s gaze never left me as he said, “Lena, why do you never call me by my nickname?”
I hadn’t expected Winston to ask such a question, and I awkwardly replied, “I’ve just gotten used to calling you Winston.”
“How about from now on, you just call me Win?”
I was about to answer when my phone buzzed in my bag.
It was a call from Fletcher.
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Chapter 44: Flattery
5 Point
Winston shot me a glance and said, “I’ll take that as a yes.”
With that, he wisely headed into the building.
Back in the car, I glanced at my phone, which was still vibrating non–stop. After taking a deep breath, I finally pressed the answer button.
“Charlene, aren’t you home?”
Fletcher called my name directly, his voice sounding unusually urgent.
But how did he know I wasn’t at home?
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