He Does Not Deserve My Devotion-Chapter 36: Asking Aiden Sinclair for Something
Nina Walsh was taken aback for a moment by the dashing man in the sports car. She raised a hand in greeting. "Hello, Young Master Preston."
Milo Preston got out of the car, all smiles. "What have you been busy with lately? You haven’t been answering my texts."
Nina Walsh smiled politely. "Oh, nothing much. The company ran into a bit of trouble, and I’ve been busy handling it."
Milo Preston was more interested in having fun than in business, so he didn’t know about the recent incident with the Lawson Group.
But he was good at reading people and immediately noticed the worried look on Nina’s face. Without a word, he put an arm around her shoulder and ushered her into Celeste.
"Are you here at Celeste for business? I’ll take you in. The boss is a good friend of mine."
Milo Preston took Nina Walsh straight to the CEO’s office. Celeste was also a family business, now run by the son, Morgan Monroe, who was about the same age as Milo.
"Morgan, this is my friend, Nina Walsh."
Milo Preston introduced Nina Walsh to Morgan Monroe. Nina and Morgan shook hands, but just as she sat down, Manager Sterling, who had dealt with her earlier, rushed in with a big smile. "Miss Walsh, please forgive my rudeness earlier. Do you have a moment to discuss the partnership again?"
Nina froze. ’So this is what power and connections can do.’
"Mr. Lloyd, I’m going to chat with Young Master Preston and Mr. Monroe. Why don’t you go over the details with Manager Sterling?"
"Of course, Miss Walsh."
Nina Walsh chatted with Milo Preston for a while, and soon it was time for lunch.
Morgan Monroe, seeing what was on Milo Preston’s mind, suggested, "I’ve booked a private room, let’s have lunch together. I have another guest coming, and I was actually hoping Young Master Preston could help me make a connection."
"Who might that be?" Milo Preston said with a smile.
"The company is looking for a new brand ambassador. She’s a pretty big star, so I was hoping you could help make an introduction," Morgan Monroe said.
"Of course. Let’s go. Nina, you come with us."
Milo Preston had been a huge help to her today, so Nina Walsh had no reason to refuse.
The three of them arrived at the restaurant, where Milo Preston thoughtfully handed the menu to Nina Walsh, letting her order the food.
The dishes had just been served when the door to the private room opened. As luck would have it, in walked Clara Jacobs with her assistant.
Nina Walsh glanced over, then averted her gaze, cursing inwardly. ’What a small world.’
She never expected that Clara Jacobs was the brand ambassador Morgan Monroe wanted to sign.
Thinking it over, Clara Jacobs was just a celebrity. If she refused to cooperate, he could just find someone else. For Morgan Monroe to go to such lengths, he was most likely after the man behind her—Aiden Sinclair.
Soon, Morgan Monroe’s words confirmed her suspicions.
Morgan Monroe respectfully guided Clara Jacobs to her seat. "Why didn’t Mr. Sinclair join you?"
Clara Jacobs’s expression darkened, her eyes fixed on Nina Walsh.
The next second, Clara put on a perfectly innocent smile. "Aiden is busy with work today and couldn’t make it."
Morgan Monroe immediately began to flatter her. "Of course. I saw the news that Aethel secured the development rights for Selene Isle. A project of that scale... only Mr. Sinclair has the capability to pull it off. A small company like ours wouldn’t even be qualified to assist Aethel."
The Selene Isle development would inevitably require a massive supply chain. It was a juicy piece of prime real estate, and even a tiny bite would be incredibly profitable. Hiring a brand ambassador was a secondary concern; the real goal was to use Clara Jacobs’s pillow talk to get the Monroe Family a piece of the Selene Isle project.
"Mr. Monroe, you’re too modest. I’ve been busy filming on set lately, so I don’t really know the details of Aiden’s work."
Morgan Monroe chuckled. "Heh, Ms. Jacobs, please eat. As we discussed on the phone, we’d love for you to be our brand ambassador. If you’d do us the honor, the endorsement fee is highly negotiable."
Clara Jacobs was all too familiar with these tactics. Over the past few days, it wasn’t just the Monroe Family; several other companies had approached her with endorsement deals and exorbitant fees.
"Mr. Monroe, we can certainly discuss a partnership," Clara Jacobs said with a smile, her malicious gaze fixed on Nina Walsh.
Nina Walsh felt her nerves tighten.
Clara Jacobs was not to be trifled with; the incident with the Lawson Group was a harsh lesson in that.
Sure enough, Nina’s premonition was spot on.
Clara Jacobs asked bluntly, "Mr. Monroe, are you planning to partner with this... Miss Walsh?"
"You two know each other?" Morgan Monroe asked in surprise.
Milo Preston grew curious as well.
Clara Jacobs said slowly, "A little while ago, I happened to hear Aiden mention that Miss Walsh’s company is poorly managed. It seems she owed a subsidiary of the Sinclair Group three million for a shipment. With no other choice, Miss Walsh had to get on her knees and beg. Aiden felt sorry for her, so he forgave the three-million-dollar debt."
Morgan Monroe was stunned, and Milo Preston wore a look of utter disbelief.
"I’m sorry, please excuse me."
With any hope for the partnership gone, Nina Walsh hastily excused herself.
The moment she stepped out, she got a call from Leo Lloyd.
Leo Lloyd, a man in his forties, sounded on the verge of tears. "Are we cursed or something? It was going so well, we were about to sign the papers! The contract was printed and everything, but then the manager took one phone call and backed out. It’s exactly what happened with the Lawson Group! Why is every company we deal with so faithless?"
"Mr. Lloyd, it’s all right. If we lose one deal, we’ll just find another. Let’s head back to the office first. We can talk more there."
Nina Walsh hung up the phone and looked up to find Clara Jacobs standing before her, wearing the smug look of a petty villain who had just won.
"I’d advise you to stop struggling," Clara sneered. "Your pathetic little company will never get another order. Don’t even think about it."
Nina Walsh wanted nothing more than to slap that woman’s face, but she was powerless.
"If I can’t get any orders, I’ll just ask Aiden Sinclair for some."
Clara Jacobs scoffed. "Go ahead and ask, then. Who do you think you are? I’m Aiden’s official girlfriend. We’re getting engaged soon."
"Do you know who Aiden Sinclair has been with for the past two days?"
Nina Walsh pulled out the bedside photo she had taken of herself the day before. Clara Jacobs’s face turned pale, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.
"That photo is a fake. There’s no way he’d be with you."
Seeing Clara Jacobs so enraged, Nina Walsh suddenly had a brilliant idea.
"You don’t believe me? Fine. I’ll let you see for yourself."
...
By the time Aiden Sinclair finished his work, it was already dark. He glanced at his phone.
At 6:00 p.m., Nina Walsh had sent him her location. It was the penthouse.
"Jay Keane, go to the dinner meeting tonight in my place."
"Sir?" Jay Keane looked troubled. "But tonight’s meeting with Mr. Young is to discuss the Selene Isle development. Are you sure you’re not going, Mr. Sinclair?"
"Just tell him I’m not feeling well and that I’ll pay him a visit another day."
Before he had even finished speaking, Aiden Sinclair had already grabbed his car keys and was out the office door.
Half an hour later, Aiden Sinclair returned to the penthouse. The moment he opened the door, the aroma of food washed over him, tantalizing his taste buds and stirring his appetite.
Nina Walsh, wearing an apron, was intently tasting the broth in a pot.
Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, revealing the gentle curve of her profile. She looked like a young wife, waiting for her husband to return home from work.
This very scene had played out every day for two years. Aiden Sinclair had never paid it any mind before, but now, he suddenly found it incredibly heart-warming.
"You’re back?" Nina Walsh said when she saw him. "Go wash your hands. It’s time to eat."
Nina turned back to her soup, and the man wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. In his hands, he held a bouquet of brilliant red roses that seemed to have appeared from nowhere.
"These are for you."
