Chapter 47: Implication
Kaitlyn and I rushed to the CEO’s office at Lynton Group, only to learn from the secretary that Fletcher had just left the office.
He was the one who had ordered us to come, yet now that we were here, Fletcher was nowhere to be found. The reason was clear.
I didn’t let it bother me, but Kaitlyn was furious. “A bigshot like the CEO of Lynton Group, he did all this for someone like Davina. Is that really necessary?”
Well, it was. After all these years, I’d never seen Fletcher pamper anyone like this.
But now, what we needed to worry about was how to deal with the trouble caused by
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the proposal.
Fletcher was not someone who could be easily swayed, unlike Davina.
Kaitlyn calmed down quickly. She shot a glance at the secretary outside the reception. room and said, “Watch and learn.”
Five minutes later, she had successfully pried the location of Fletcher and Davina from the secretary–the company’s restaurant.
They probably hadn’t eaten yet.
Kaitlyn suggested that we take the initiative.
“Be sincere but thick–skinned, she advised me. “If that doesn’t work, we could do what Davina does–play the victim.”
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I couldn’t help but chuckle despite the seriousness of the situation.
We could act, but it was up to Fletcher whether he’d be willing to play along.
At the restaurant, we quickly spotted Fletcher and Davina sitting across from each other. Fletcher’s back was to us, his posture stiff and unreadable. Davina, however, had red–rimmed eyes, and her makeup seemed a little smudged, her face carrying an unmistakable look of distress.
Not only Fletcher, but even I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy.
Just as Kaitlyn and I were about to approach, Davina suddenly picked up a piece of Brownie from her plate and offered it to Fletcher.
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5 Points:
“Fletcher, you must be so bored listening to me talk on and on,” she said in a sweet, soft voice, “Here, a little reward for you.”
With her eyes curved into a gentle smile, and her face still damp from tears, she looked like she was trying to muster up some energy despite clearly feeling hurt.
Who wouldn’t feel sorry for someone trying to be strong after suffering?
I expected Fletcher to take the piece of Brownie without hesitation, but instead, I saw him wave to the waiter and ask for more soup for Davina.
Well, after all, it was a public place. Fletcher could disregard his own reputation, but he still had to consider the girl’s reputation.
Just as Kaitlyn and I were observing, Davina
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face lit up with confusion. “Charlene, Ms. Hayes, what are you two doing here?”
Her voice drew Fletcher’s attention. He silently turned his body to look at us, his brown eyes narrowing in obvious displeasure at us, the unexpected visitors.
“Mr. Lynton, Davina, Kaitlyn flashed a smile, “I heard you two are still dining. What a coincidence, Charlene and I haven’t eaten either. Would you mind sharing the table?”
The question caught me off guard.
Considering the lunch I’d just had, I felt a twinge of guilt.
Davina immediately chimed in, “At this hour, Ms. Hayes, you haven’t had lunch yet?”
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Kaitlyn’s acting was in full swing. “I was just about to eat, but with Mr. Lynton’s call, Charlene and I didn’t want to waste any time. We came straight here.”
Davina glanced at Fletcher, then quietly asked, “Fletcher, why did you…?”
Fletcher glanced at us briefly and said in an indifferent tone, “I’m afraid the Lynton Group restaurant may not be to your taste.”
The implication was clear. His words left Kaitlyn momentarily speechless.
Fletcher’s usual indifference toward me I could tolerate, but in front of Davina, his public dismissal of Kaitlyn was something I couldn’t let slide.
Without hesitation, I took the seat diagonally
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across from Fletcher, greeting him with a friendly tone. “Mr. Lynton, you worry too much. Both Ms. Hayes and I have very good appetites. We’re not picky eaters.”
And just like that, the four of us found ourselves sitting at the same table.
I ordered a couple of vegetarian dishes, took a few bites for show, and while the food was decent, my appetite wasn’t really there.
Davina smiled brightly and said, “Charlene, you should have come earlier. Our chef’s buffalo wings are something special. Next time you must try them!”
Her choice of words was subtle.
The phrase “our chef” seemed to effectively exclude Kaitlyn and me from the circle
between her and Fletcher.
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Kaitlyn caught on right away and teased, “Well, Davina, since you personally extended the invitation on behalf of Lynton Group, how could Ms. Grande and I possibly turn it down?”
Davina paused for a moment, then gently bit her lip. “Ms. Hayes, that’s not what I meant.”
Seeing Kaitlyn frown, I decided to cut straight to the point. “Mr. Lynton, you must have ordered us to come immediately for a reason. What’s the matter?”
As I spoke, I noticed Davina’s hand beneath the table noticeably tighten.
Fletcher took his time wiping his mouth, then casually replied, “Ms. Grande, you’re overstating things. After last night’s event, the industry knows that a promising new
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software engineer named Charlene has caught Stack’s attention. As a mere investor, I wouldn’t dare give any orders.”
His voice was calm, steady, and devoid of emotion, but each word dripped with
sarcasm.
“Mr. Lynton, you must be joking,” I responded with a practiced smile. “All these titles don’t compare to the real deal–your genuine support. Rest assured, no matter when, Lynton Group will always be our greatest benefactor.”
Well, I knew how to play the diplomatic game
too.
Fletcher seemed caught off guard by my prepared response. He sneered coldly and said, “But Ms. Grande, what you do hardly matches what you say.”
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#pointe
“Mr. Lynton, what do you mean by that?” I asked.
“Ms. Grande, why pretend you don’t know?” Fletcher’s words pierced straight to the point, his brown eyes full of questioning.
I wasn’t about to beat around the bush. I replied seriously, “Mr. Lynton, we’ve never intended to brush you and Davina off, but rushing to change the character designs and personas isn’t appropriate at this stage.”
Fletcher raised his eyes and said, “So, making the finance–major male lead into a simp is appropriate?”
I was momentarily speechless.
I wasn’t about to admit that my decision had been partially influenced by some personal
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grudges, but with the game developed this far, I had to stick to the facts.
Kaitlyn sensed the growing tension and quickly intervened, saying, “Mr. Lynton, surely you don’t think we’re implying anything about you, right?”
Fletcher stared directly at me and said, “Ms. Grande seems to have an issue with this character.”
My heart suddenly skipped a beat. “Do… do 1?”
“The protagonist’s been chasing after someone he loves for years and still can’t get her affection, while he keeps chasing relentlessly. Well, Ms. Grande, if you were him, would you do that?”
I was silenced.
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Well, would I? The answer, of course, was crystal clear to Fletcher.
I suddenly felt as though Fletcher was airing some personal grievances against me.
Fletcher pressed on, “This kind of character design is so unrealistic. After all, no one would just wait around endlessly.”
His words were more serious now.
Davina was simply asking to tweak the game’s main character design, but Fletcher took it further, calling it unrealistic.
That was very much in line with his usual calm and controlled nature.
I patiently explained, “Mr. Lynton, precisely because this doesn’t happen in real life, we
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+ 6 Points!
aim to fulfill that fantasy for the users in the game.”
“Fantasy, well,” Fletcher repeated the word with disdain. “Ms. Grande, you really understand user needs, don’t you?”
The look of contempt in Fletcher’s eyes left me speechless once again.
Kaitlyn, ever the smooth talker, stepped in to defuse the tension. “Did you hear that? Mr. Lynton’s acknowledging our work abilities.”
I couldn’t help but admire Kaitlyn’s knack for spinning things, even if it was pure
nonsense.
Fletcher, however, didn’t seem ready to let go. He continued to stare at me, “Ms. Grande, putting so much effort into this… I must say, I’m not your match.”
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It wasn’t a direct rejection, but it also wasn’t an approval.
At that point, Davina, clearly picking up on the subtle tension, blushed and stammered, “Mr. Lynton, Charlene, I’m sorry. I didn’t think the proposal through. I shouldn’t have pushed it.”
Davina bit her lip tightly after speaking, looking like she was holding back tears, as if they could spill from her eyes at any moment.
Fletcher noticed it too. He softened his tone and said, “You’ve done well, really. For instance, the character design… it’s rough, just as you said.”
The moment those words left his mouth, both Kaitlyn and I froze.
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A bad feeling began to creep up on me.
Before I could even react, Fletcher continued, “The main characters‘ original design will be completely redefined. We’ll bring in a renowned artist to take over the job.”
“Mr. Lynton, this…” I was left speechless.
We had never questioned Danica’s artistic skill, but here Fletcher was, with just a few words, dismissing all her hard work up until
now.
“How about Free Spirit?” Fletcher interrupted me, his gaze landing on Davina’s face, his tone oddly affectionate. “You’ve always liked his work, haven’t you?”
For a brief moment, a flicker of excitement passed across Davina’s previously dark
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expression. “I do like his work, but… Free Spirit? He’s really hard to get, isn’t he?”
My heart skipped a beat.
Free Spirit–everyone in the game art world knew that name. A genius, a legendary figure who was more of a myth than a person, elusive and never seen in public. He was a figure we could never hope to reach, let alone hire.
And yet, in the next moment, I heard Fletcher say, “Ms. Grande, you have no objections, do you?”
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