My Possessive CEO: Trembling in His Arms-Chapter 186: If You Say You Haven’t, I’ll Believe You
Sydney Thorne sneered, "Hmph, do you really think he’s some kind of good person?"
"Jack Yates, at heart, is not a conventional upright person! He’s always been rebellious, a mix of right and wrong, notorious even in the army. Though he hasn’t committed any substantive illegal acts, his methods are no better than those of criminals."
Lucy Milner listened silently, not saying a word.
Sydney Thorne didn’t give it much thought and just kept talking.
"He can use methods as cruel as those of drug traffickers to deal with them, indicating he’s not much of a righteous person either."
Lulu Milner had the speaker on, standing next to her was Harvey Lancaster, expressionless. Hearing Sydney Thorne’s remarks about Jack Yates, Lulu Milner was scared to the point she dared not breathe.
Sydney Thorne continued, "He retired and went into business. Within a few years, he’s secured a foothold in the business world and has the Starkwood Group firmly in his grasp. You can imagine, even with toes, how deep his scheming is and how ruthless his methods are."
Lulu Milner listened quietly for a while; staying silent could not always work, so she cautiously replied, "I don’t know about these things. So, Mr. Thorne, what should we do now? I really wanted to help you vent your anger, but I ended up making things worse. Alas, it’s all my fault!"
Sydney Thorne: "You fool, enough! Think before you act next time. Inform me first if anything comes up, and don’t make decisions for me recklessly!"
Lulu Milner hurriedly agreed, "Oh, alright, Mr. Thorne, don’t worry. I won’t do such foolish things next time!" Then she apologetically asked, "So what should we do now? Should I go apologize to Miss Hawthorne, say that I was jealous and deliberately...?"
Sydney Thorne impatiently interrupted, "Alright, you don’t have to worry about this. I’ll handle it."
Lulu Milner acted without thinking, immediately asking, "How do you plan to handle it?"
Sydney Thorne: "Don’t fret about it. There’s a banquet tomorrow night; you should dress up a bit and accompany me for socializing."
Jack Yates entered the store just as Sydney Thorne hung up the call.
Sydney Thorne’s lips curled into a charming smile, "Where’s Third Brother off to?"
Jack Yates: "Had a company issue, took a call."
Sydney Thorne flirtatiously looked at him, "Business at Starkwood or was it Thatcher Manor?" Then jokingly said, "Was it your little girlfriend calling to fuss and make you go back?"
Jack Yates’ lips twitched, thinking, If only that were the case.
Renee Winslow, that stone-hearted woman, her looks and personality were complete opposites. She appeared so delicately fragile, yet her character was stubborn and tough. Whenever they fought, he was always the first to relent.
If he didn’t yield, she wouldn’t show weakness; even if he didn’t come back for ten days or half a month, she wouldn’t whine for him to return, might even secretly be amused.
Sydney Thorne observed Jack Yates, noticing the unwittingly tender expression in his eyes, she clenched her hand hanging beside her, the nails painfully digging into her palm.
She turned and picked up the crocodile skin purse that Renee Winslow had looked at before, smiling as she asked, "How about this bag?"
Jack Yates glanced dismissively, "If you like it, buy it."
A bag, nothing noteworthy to him.
Sydney Thorne smiled tenderly and affectionately, "Thank you, Third Brother. I’ll accept it, as a New Year’s gift from you."
Jack Yates: "You’re welcome."
Sydney Thorne raised an eyebrow, her smile carrying an intriguing charm, "What would Third Brother like? I’ll gift you something in return; can’t just let you give me gifts."
Jack Yates: "No need."
Sydney Thorne bit her rosy lip, "If not a gift, then I can just return the favor. By the way, you and your little friend haven’t had any disputes, right? Need me to mediate? If necessary, I can..."
Jack Yates interrupted her coldly, "She’s an adult, not a little friend, please mind your wording. Besides, we have no disputes, nor do we need any mediation."
As soon as he finished speaking, a message notification sounded from his pocket.
Jack Yates turned and exited the flagship store, took out his phone to check the message, it was from Kyle Sheffield, a long paragraph of text.
Seeing these densely packed words that were likely nonsense, Jack Yates frowned but continued reading patiently.
[Third Brother, this is really your personal matter, and I shouldn’t meddle. But I really thought about it, as your employee and friend, I want to say one thing: sincerity is the most important in a relationship between two people. Your tactic of using Sydney Thorne as a shield, I think it’s best to clarify to Renee Winslow. Let her know you did it to protect her, so she doesn’t misunderstand.]
Jack Yates tapped the screen with his thumb, a self-mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Confess? How to confess?
Sydney Thorne uses him, he uses Sydney Thorne; the mutual calculation and dirty dealings, how would he explain all that to Renee Winslow?
Worried she doesn’t understand the nasty tricks within their social circle?
Moreover, he knows well, if he truly confessed, it would only push Renee Winslow further away.
Based on what he knows of Renee Winslow, if she knew what he did, she wouldn’t agree, nor would she naturally accept it.
So he can’t say, and there’s no need to say it, he’ll quietly do the dirty work, bear the storms; she just needs to finish her studies under his wing smoothly, then become Mrs. Yates as he solves all the problems.
Jack Yates didn’t reply to Kyle Sheffield’s message.
Kyle Sheffield sent two more lengthy texts.
[Third Brother, paper can’t cover fire; you can hide for a while but not forever. Moreover, I always think it’s not so simple. Sydney Thorne is not a mindless fool. You can use her, but she surely can use you too.]
[Though you say it’s a collaborative relationship, what if Sydney Thorne harnesses public opinion to manipulate you, playing a game where pretend turns real? Then, if you want to pull away, she might strip off your skin, taking flesh with it.]
Jack Yates’ lips curved coldly, eyes viciously focused on the phone.
[Well, let’s see if she has the capability.]
Kyle Sheffield: [Of course, with your capabilities, Third Brother, Sydney Thorne certainly isn’t your match. However, if Renee Winslow doesn’t trust you, things might get tricky. Unless she trusts you completely, Sydney Thorne can do nothing against you.]
At the mention of Renee Winslow, it’s like a fire was lit within Jack Yates’ heart, but just as it ignited, it was doused by a bucket of cold water, leaving a humid heat within his chest, unsettling his heart with smoke.
He pressed his tongue heavily against his teeth, touched his lips, wanting a smoke; however the mall is a non-smoking area, eventually biting back on a molar.
Kyle Sheffield: [So, I suggest it’s best for Third Brother to confess to Renee Winslow. The more you don’t speak, the less she trusts you. Dragging it out might not end well.]
Jack Yates furrowed his brows in annoyance, sent an impatient voice message, "Enough! Do your job!"
Kyle Sheffield listened to the voice message, sighed helplessly.
Though before sending the message, he’d already anticipated he couldn’t persuade Jack Yates, yet he was still somewhat disappointed after sincerely suggesting it only to face rejection, simultaneously worried for him.
He sensed keenly, Jack Yates was likely to stumble in love, and the fall would be severe.
The reason was simple; Jack Yates held a high position for too long, accustomed to controlling everything unilaterally, setting aside his domineering nature. He wouldn’t let go of anything potentially escaping his grasp and wouldn’t solve them gently, only tightening his hold, cutting off any possibility of losing grip with forceful tactics.
Such methods are useful in business, effective in battle, but in romantic relationships they just don’t work.
It’s akin to squeezing a handful of sand tightly, the tighter the grip, the faster it slips away.
On the contrary, releasing, hand open and facing the sun, lets the sand stay in hand unraveled.
These principles are simple, anyone could think of them; surely Jack Yates can too with his cunning.
Yet contemplating is one thing, while actually humbling oneself to execute them is another.
Essentially, Jack Yates holds too much pride.
Kyle Sheffield stopped at that, no more persuasion; at the right moment, he offered heartfelt advice, showed his loyalty sufficiently, more persuasion would be excessive, counterproductive.
How could it be? Ideas the boss couldn’t conceive, only he could? Smarter than the boss?
Of course not, how could he be smarter than the boss?
-
Renee Winslow spoke firmly, acting indifferent, but after the call her heart was in turmoil, both annoyed and chaotic.
She hoped Jack Yates could be sincere with her once, regardless of whether he was engaged, not treat her like a fool, a plaything deceitfully.
If he wasn’t engaged, that’s all the better.
But if he was engaged, clearly explaining things would allow them to part amicably, wouldn’t it?
Picking up the phone, seeing the signal bar that had lost network connection, Renee Winslow cursed involuntarily, then dialed Jack Yates.
The call connected, Renee Winslow directly asked, "Jack Yates, I have just one question: are you engaged to someone else? Just say no, and I’ll believe you."
