Chapter 0332
Chapter 0332
Darius Renault was not a foreign name to Alex. Anyone who paid any attention to Solaris would be familiar with the name.
In just a few short years, from starting as an intern at Opulence, he had risen all the way to the position of general manager, and recently he had used ruthless methods to directly suppress the old folks at Opulence.
It was only a matter of time before Opulence Group changed its surname. What surprised people even more was, Darius had only just turned twenty-four.
Alex pondered Sieg's words, thoughts churning in his dark eyes.
Seeing this, Sieg did not disturb him and casually got up. "I've delivered the message to you. I'm leaving now. Caspian is still waiting for me." He paused, as if remembering something, raised his eyebrows and said, "I heard that Candice went back with Hanley to meet his family." He chuckled. "That woman really knows how to look out for herself, and she acts pretty fast too."
Alex's eyes, filled with swirling thoughts, suddenly turned towards him. The thoughts gradually calmed, ultimately solidifying into a cold indifference. His voice was cold and deep. "Leave if there's nothing else."
Sieg shrugged. He didn’t mind Alex's icy tone. "Mr. Elysian, you really are heartless. Well, it seems I won't be able to invite you for a drink tonight after all."
"Leave,” Alex said.
Sieg grabbed his coat and casually left the office.
As he left, he bumped into Sawyer coming over with two sets of documents. Sawyer nodded slightly, greeted him, and then entered the office.
"Mr. Elysian, this is the new proposal that was submitted."
Alex's face remained expressionless. His eyes narrowed slightly as he asked Sawyer. "How's the progress on the Burning Star's side recently?"
Sawyer hesitated for a moment and answered truthfully. "The second phase should be completed soon. People from Burning Star have visited a few times to apply for the next phase of payment, but the company has been too busy lately to spare the time."
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Candice received a call from Sawyer as she was getting ready to have dinner.
Sawyer remained professional. "I've seen your message. The payment procedures will follow the contract. Set a time, and someone from Aether's team will come to inspect the project."
Candice's tone was serious. "Sooner would be better. The new batch of materials has very particular conditions. If we miss the best timing, the effect might not be satisfactory."
Sawyer pondered for a moment. "Will tomorrow afternoon work?"
Candice agreed. She had listened to Ryan and Nadia talk all afternoon about how difficult these special materials were to handle. If even one condition was not met, they could not achieve the desired outcome.
After hanging up, she relayed Sawyer's message to the others.
"Candice, you're amazing!” Nadia exclaimed. “As soon as you intervene, Aether's side cooperates obediently."
Candice remained composed. "Who will go with me tomorrow? I'm not very knowledgeable about the materials."
Nadia shook her head. "Tomorrow, I have to record the temperature differences indoors."
"I have to pick up a delivery tomorrow," Ryan said.
"I'll go with you," Hanley spoke softly. He had just come down from upstairs and happened to overhear their conversation.
"Aren't you supposed to go to the hospital to be with your sister?" Candice asked.
"I'll go to Aether first, then to the hospital," Hanley said, giving Candice a deep look. "And she asked you to come along too."
-
Candice tried to correct Hannah’s misunderstanding about being Hanley’s girlfriend several times the following day, but Hannah remained indifferent.
Several times, she even asked Candice, "Do you think I believe you?"
Regardless of whether Hannah believed her or not, Candice had completely lost the energy to explain.
Though Hanley felt exasperated, his explanations were futile. Whenever he tried to speak, Hannah would feign faintness, pain, or discomfort, using her status as a patient as an excuse.
Over time, Candice rarely bothered to correct her, considering Hannah's remarkable acting skills.
The appointment with Sawyer was set for two o'clock in the afternoon. When Candice saw Alex on- site, she was not particularly surprised. Alex was well-known in the industry for his meticulousness
in work. Especially when it came to project investments, he usually reviewed them personally.
She calmly greeted Sawyer and led them inside. After the previous rectifications, there weren’t many issues visible at the construction site.
Candice did not understand the specific problems or professional terminology, so she followed behind Hanley, occasionally listening to his instructions to help fetch things or flip switches, displaying a high degree of cooperation.
Alex stood nearby, expressionless, watching them until Hanley finished his explanation, then he turned and left.
Sawyer spoke up smoothly. "It seems the second phase is progressing well. Would you two like to discuss the details of the third phase at the café ahead?"
Candice agreed with a hum of acknowledgment, and Hanley said, "The latter part involves technical issues. I'll go talk about it."
He spoke the truth, but Candice still said, "Since I've been handling the contract all along, it's better for me to be present for any discussions involving payments."
Hanley frowned, recalling how Alex had used a similar excuse last time at Aether, continuously delaying the process.
As expected, Sawyer calmly added, "Mr. Elysian's intention is that whoever is initially responsible for the contract should remain accountable until the end. No replacements."
Candice did not even bat an eyelid. She still understood Alex quite well.
However, Hanley, to some extent, felt resistant. Subconsciously, he did not want Candice to have too much contact with Alex.
As Candice and Hanley entered the adjacent café, Alex's expression remained indifferent, his voice carrying a faint sense of oppression rang out. "It seems Burning Star isn't too concerned about the later stages."
Hanley pulled out a chair for Candice and then said calmly, "I thought it was Aether not valuing our cooperation. Otherwise, you wouldn't keep delaying."
Candice lowered her gaze, sitting beside Hanley calmly. She listened to the conversation between Hanley and Alex quietly, not uttering a word.
However, even when she stayed silent, Alex tried to shift the focus onto her. His dark, deep eyes looked at her, inscrutable, devoid of any unnecessary emotion.
His voice was cold and firm as he spoke. "Sawyer has received numerous calls from other Burning Star staff, but — the person-in-charge according to the contract is you. In work, is your attitude to push things to your colleagues? Candice, regardless of your reasons, do you think it's reasonable to keep delaying both sides like this?" He did not shift his gaze away after speaking, only slightly tilting his chin backward, looking at Candice with a casual yet dignified demeanor.
Candice's lowered eyelids twitched slightly, her chest rising and falling subtly. "It was Mr. Elysian who said it himself, not just anyone can enter your office casually. I'm neither an employee of Aether nor do I have any connection with Mr. Elysian. In your eyes, I should be just another casual person who can't enter your office —" Candice raised her eyes to meet Alex's gaze directly. "Shouldn't Mr. Elysian think that I have a sense of self-awareness?"