Chapter 276
The name “Elsie” sent Riley’s brows knitting tightly together.
This is ridiculous!
Her current identity remained safely concealed, and her plans involving the Ashford family were progressing smoothly.
The sudden arrival of Raymond in Havenbrook–with the boisterous Elsie in tow under the pretense of “having her back“-threatened to blow her cover long before her plan could reach its conclusion.
“You are not to mess this up for me,” Riley stated flatly.
“But…” Raymond sounded hesitant. “Elsie, she’s already p>
“I don’t have a sister.” Riley cut him off impatiently. “I don’t care how many sisters you have, but hear this clearly: if your surprise visit causes me even the slightest trouble, my promise to return to the Harper family is immediately void. And forget about me honoring the engagement to Sebastian p>
Raymond was clearly taken aback. A few seconds of silence passed before he spoke again, his tone turning placating, “What are you talking about? You’re my only real sister. I said we shouldn’t just show up unannounced, but Elsie and Mom were so insistent, I–I thought it might be a nice surprise p>
His voice trailed off, the lack of conviction evident.
“A surprise?” Riley’s tone was icy. “You think this is a surprise for me p>
“Okay, fine. It’s not. Don’t be angry. I’ll figure out a way to stop them from coming right now,” Raymond surrendered, admitting his mistake with a dry tone.
Riley’s stance softened slightly. She ended the conversation, giving him time to handle the situation.
Less than ten minutes after hanging up, Raymond called back, his voice noticeably lighter. “Sorted. They’re not coming. I bought them tickets to some fashion shows abroad for a few days. Don’t worry about it on your end; focus on your work p>
With that potential disaster averted, the tension drained from Riley’s shoulders.
Raymond pivoted. “Since I’m not coming over anymore, there’s an overseas project that came across my desk. Could you follow up on it for me? See if it’s actually worth pursuing p>
A spark of understanding lit within Riley. “The project about building a high–end wellness center in Cariovio? Proposed by Mr. Watson?” she ventured.
“Huh?” Raymond sounded genuinely surprised. “How did you know about that? Is it already that hot a topic in Havenbrook p>
“Not exactly,” Riley replied, avoiding any explanation about her Ashford family intel. She kept it brief, unwilling to discuss them over the phone. “If you’re handing it to me, do I have the final say on whether to proceed or reject the deal p>
“Of course you do!” Raymond answered without hesitation, even cracking a joke, “It’s Harper Group, isn’t it? Practically shares your last name. You have full authority p>
“Good.” With his confirmation, Riley agreed.
Soon, Vincent forwarded the electronic project files directly to Riley’s computer.
In her office, Riley pored over the detailed business plan, page by page.
But as her eyes reached the core financial data and risk assessment sections, her gaze sharpened, locking onto the numbers.
Something is off.
This document differed from the one she’d seen at the Ashford Manor today.
While the overall framework was identical, several critical details–profitability projections, equity distribution clauses, and subtle risk–transfer stipulations–contained minor yet potentially fatal discrepancies.
The version sent to the Harper family presented significantly harsher terms and higher hidden liabilities.
She realized, a chill settling in her gut. So, Anthony is banking on information asymmetry. Testing the waters with different proposals for different players. He thinks everyone’s a fool he can easily deceive.
Her thoughts flashed back to Anthony’s smug mention at dinner about planning to meet with Sebastian soon.
Riley immediately pulled out her phone and texted Sebastian, “Where are you p>
He replied, “At the office. Something up p>
Seeing the terse reply, she figured he was busy.
She asked, “Will you be back at Louvian Port later? There are some things I’d prefer to discuss in person p>
This time, the silence stretched much longer. When her screen finally lit up again, it wasn’t with words, but a string of six digits—a passcode.
His message followed a moment later, “Use this. Wait for me at my place p>
Riley stared at the simple number sequence, heat blooming across her cheeks as if ignited.
They had no substantial emotional foundation yet, but somehow, they seemed to have slipped into an oddly intimate, cohabitative rhythm already.
Then again, they were about to be married, bound as the closest partners in the eyes of the law. Getting used to it in advance is somewhat normal, isn’t it?
A wave of self–conscious embarrassment washed over her for her wandering thoughts. She took a deep breath, her finger hovering over the screen before finally tapping out a single word in reply, “Okay p>