Chapter 40
Chapter 40
She was thinking too much after all.
Kimberly pursed her lips. "If that is all, I shall excuse myself."
Maddox didn't say a word. Kimberly stood there for a little while more before turning around to walk out of the office.
Only after she left the room did she realise how pathetic she was.
How could she be so stupid so as to think that Maddox was doing this because of her? She should have known that it was impossible. He hated her so much, so why would he jeopardize the earnings of his company just for her?
"Kimberly, oh Kimberly, you really thought too highly of yourself," she told herself.
When Kimberly returned to the Yardley family residence after work, a servant told her that the Old Master wanted to see her in the study room.
When she thought of what had happened the last time, Kimberly grasped the hem of her shirt.
Since she had no other choice, Kimberly could only nod in agreement. She dragged her reluctant footsteps to the study room. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
Compared to the other time when she was called to the study room, Kimberly felt as if there were mountains on her shoulders this time.
"Old Master," Kimberly bit her lower lip and called Old Master Yardley sat in front of the desk, his misty eyes were filled with shock. Looking at Kimberly who was standing before him, he narrowed his eyes slightly. "I heard... that Maddox had cancelled the collaboration with Lovis Enterprises?"
Sure enough!
When the servant told her that the Old Master wanted to see her, Kimberly could vaguely guess what it was about.
She was right. Although the old man wasn't at the company, he was still aware of this incident. This was an indication that he had ears and eyes in the company.
Kimberly knew that it would do no good for her to be nervous, so she just nodded honestly.
"Yes, I have just heard about it too."
Hearing what she said, Old Master Yardley was so angry that he swept the books on the table to the ground. The loud noise frightened Kimberly as she stumbled backward.
"This b*stard is really reckless! How could he refuse to collaborate with a big shot like Lovis Entreprises?"
Seeing how furious Old Master Yardley was, Kimberly was even surer about the importance of the project.
"Erica!"
Kimberly suddenly stood up straight. She had almost forgotten that she had married into this family with another person's identity.
"Yes?"
"We can't terminate the collaboration with Lovis Enterprises. You... should look for Chandler Lovis to learn more about this!"
Look for Chandler Lovis? Kimberly's face changed a little, but she didn't dare to object. She just nodded and agreed.
After coming out of the study, Kimberly felt like a deflated balloon. They had a head-on confrontation with Chandler that night. Even if she did go to him, Lovis Enterprises might not agree to collaborate with Yardley Corporation any more. Even if Lovis Enterprises agreed, it was not likely that Maddox would agree to it.
She wondered if she should tell Maddox about this.
However, telling Maddox this was equivalent to telling him that his grandfather was watching him.
If he knew that his family members were wary of a disabled man like him... he would be incredibly heartbroken, right?
It was a really difficult decision to make.
Kimberly felt as though she had gotten involved in a dispute between the members of a rich and powerful family.
When she reached her room, Kimberly closed the door behind her. She inadvertently looked at her corner in the room. To her surprise, there was a small bed at the spot where she usually slept. Kimberly thought that she had entered the wrong room and was about to leave, but she immediately stopped when she saw that the things on the bed were all her own.
"What's... going on?" she thought.
Kimberly stood in front of her small bed in a daze.
Did Maddox suddenly get a conscience? Was that why he asked someone to fix a bed for her?
While she was still thinking of this, she heard a sound coming from behind. Maddox had come home, and Sam Sorrento was pushing his wheelchair.
Maddox was indifferent at first, but when he saw her standing in front of that small bed, an unnatural look flashed across his face.
"You're back." Kimberly walked towards him and pointed at the small bed as she asked, "That bed..."
"Is there a problem with it?" Maddox raised his eyebrows and asked her with an unhappy look on his face.
Kimberly shook her head as she spoke. "There's no problem. It's just..."
"Just what? Did you think that I was the one who bought you the bed?" Maddox scolded coldly.
Sam, who was behind him, instantly reacted. He smiled and said to Kimberly, "Miss Shell, you might catch a cold easily if you continuing sleeping on the ground, so I asked someone to send this bed over. Are you satisfied with it?"
Kimberly didn't know what to say.
The glimmer in her eyes instantly dimmed.
It turned out to be Sam who asked someone to send the bed over, not Maddox.
"Ha." Maddox sneered and rebuked the person behind him. "Did I allow you to move a bed in here? Sam, you are getting more and more impudent now."
Hearing this, Sam was a little embarrassed, but he immediately explained, "Young Master, Miss Shell has been staying here for a long time. Besides, the agreement lasts for half a year. You ought
to at least give Miss Shell a bed to sleep in. She is also working in the company now. It would be very troublesome if she gets sick."
Maddox didn't say anything else, implying his silent consent to Sam's suggestion.
Kimberly simply lowered her eyes and did not ask any further questions.
Sam silently wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.
Why did he have to become the scapegoat? This bed was obviously... forget it!
He had been Maddox's assistant for many years, so it was not a big deal to take the blame for him. At least Maddox didn't ask himself to take a bullet for him or something of the sort.
"I understand, thank you." Kimberly thanked Sam.
However, Maddox was not happy at all, and he loosened the tie around his neck.
Sam pushed Maddox into the bathroom to wash up. Kimberly went to the small bed. As she sat down on it, she was no longer feeling the cold and hard ground. Instead, she felt warm on the inside.
"Perhaps, being in the Yardley family isn't that bad either." she thought to herself.
Thinking of this, Kimberly smiled and then got up to reorganize her clothes. When she was rearranging one of her shirts, she heard a loud clinking sound falling onto the ground.
Tink!
Kimberly looked down with uncertainty.
A metal button fell to the ground and it was sparkling under the lights.
A button?
It was obviously not hers.
Judging from both its appearance and texture, it looked like a very expensive button. It couldn’t have come from her clothes.
In that case, why did it fall off from her clothes?
Kimberly thought for a moment. Then, she stretched out a hand to pick up the button. She put it on her palm and slowly observed it.
After a while, some familiar thoughts came to her mind.
On that stormy night more than a month ago, that man pressed his body against hers on the car seat. She resisted and screamed, but she was no match for the man. When he entered her body, she reached out to grab the man's clothes and accidentally grabbed his buttons. She felt so much pain at that time that she ripped a button off his shirt.
But how did this button fall into her pocket? Why didn't she remember it at all?
Looking at the button sparkling in a golden light, Kimberly seemed to realize something.
Since she had this button, wouldn't it be easier for her to find that man?
Thinking of this, Kimberly quickly took out her mobile phone to send Sylvia Hanover a message.
Sylvia called her within two seconds.
"What is it? Any new findings?"