Chapter 40
Autumn frowned, pondering what nonsense the kid was spouting this time.
Jason was shamelessly grinning, and quipped) “Full service tonight. Let’s settle it all in one go.”
Estrella chuckled dismissively, “Sure, if you think you can handle it.”
Their shameless banter left Kristin and Autumn exchanging embarrassed glances, feeling awkward beyond words. Estrella and Jason had turned their cheeks crimson with their talk, yet those two acted as if it was nothing at all.
Autumn gave Estrella another poke in the waist. “Estrella, did I raise you to talk like this?”
Estrella furrowed her brows, turning to Autumn. “Mom, if you keep poking my sides, I’ll never be able to have kids.”
“God forbid!” Autumn spat out the words thrice, dismissing the jinx.
Kristín, caught between amusement and dismay, quickly tried to smooth things over, “Look, since the kids have agreed to make a go of it, let’s leave them to it and head back.”
Autumn nodded in agreement with Kristin, and the two women made their exit.
Once they had gone, Estrella gathered herself and headed straight for the Dorvold Group headquarters.
In the chairman’s office, Cole was on the phone. Estrella pulled up a chair and took a seat across from him. After Cole hung up, he looked up at her. “Aren’t you working today? Don’t you have the law firm to attend to?”
Estrella, with her legs crossed, probed, “Mom mentioned you were troubled by some company issue involving the Lamont family.”
Cole sighed, “You don’t need to worry about the company. You and Jason just focus on building a good life and having a baby.”
Estrella was insistent. “I’ll live well and the baby will come, but the company is equally important.”
Sensing her determined stance, Cole exhaled slowly, “Digital Springs is our most critical project for the latter half of the year. We had a solid grasp on it, but somehow, the Lamont family got a hold of our project proposal and undercut us by almost ten percent. The higher-ups are reconsidering.”
“Ten percent less?” Estrella scoffed. “The Lamont family not interested in making a profit anymore?”
Cole replied, “They’re just trying to best us, to win the project and put Dorvold Group under
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oper 4AU
pressure. It’s a government contract, and the quoted price is not high. If we go any lower, we’d be shooting ourselves in the foot, which might be exactly what they want.””
He took a breath, “If we lose the project, Dorvold Group could be relegated to the second tier, which will affect us for years to come.”
After hearing him out, Estrella said, “Send me the project proposal and the bid to my email. I want to take a look.”
Estrella had a background in law and had interned at the company. She was familiar with proposals and bid documents.
“Do you really have the time and energy for this? Can you manage with your own workload?” Cole questioned.
Estrella stood up confidently. “I can make time She was already heading for the door. “Just remember to send me the files, Dad.”
“Will do,” Cole replied, rising to see her out.
After leaving Dorvold Group, Estrella didn’t return to the law firm but headed to the Urban Planning Bureau. She wanted to get a firsthand look at the development in Digital Springs. “Estrella, what brings you here today?” greeted Wes with a smile.
“Hey, Wes! You are here today!” Estrella replied with a grin. “Just checking out the city’s future developments. I want to see where it’s more suitable to buy a house.”
Although Estrella only took on divorce cases, inheritance cases, and some minor cases, it was because of these cases that she met influential people. After all, ordinary people rarely went through legal procedures when they divorce.
“Wes, if you know of any good spots, I might just buy a block,” she joked.
Wes laughed, “Come on, let’s chat in my office. I’ll show you some promising developments.”
After their meeting, Estrella had gleaned some useful information from their conversation. As she hummed to herself, ready to leave the planning office, someone called her name. She looked up to see Erin.
“Erin! Here on business too?”
Erin, with his hands in his pockets, replied with a smile, “Give up on divorce cases to help out at your dad’s company?”
Estrella quipped back, “Thanks to your family, I’m about to switch careers.”
Erin leaned in close and whispered, “You’ve got guts, challenging the Lamont family on your own.”
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Chapter 40
Erin was the picture of elegance – like an idyllic prince. His smile was a visual treat Estrella faced him, “Paula deserves every bit of my generosity.”
With a gentle gaze, Erin replied, “Taking out your frustrations with Jason on Paula?”
Estrella laughed it off, “She’s not that important”
Returning to the topic, Erin offered, “Are you here to help your dad find out what he needs to know? Spend an evening with me then. If you can make it worthwhile, the Lamont family might just back off from Digital Springs. And who knows, you might even take over as our legal counsel.”
With that seemingly harmless smile, Erin was the epitome of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Estrella turned her face, barely masking her irritation before Erin’s whisper tickled her ear, “Jason’s hardly ever home, huh? Must be tough, playing the lonely housewife.”
She fixed him with a steely gaze. “You think you can just waltz in and wear Jason’s shoes? And his wedding ring?”
“Yeah,” Erin said. His lips curled into a smile, which was warm and deceivingly gentle. “If Jason hadn’t been so quick, Paula might be your sister-in-law by now.”
Estrella saw right through him. Erih was just toying with her, trying to one-up Jason in some petty game of egos. Men like him, she thought, they had got no room in their hearts. for anything but their own reflection and their ambitions.
With a playful tug at his tie, Estrella leaned in. Her breath was warm against his ear. “Well,” she murmured, “I sure hope you can make my hight worthwhile.”
Erin’s hands snaked around Estrella’s waist, sneaking in a little thrill before fishing out a key card from his pocket and pressing it into her palm. “I’ll be waiting.”
Estrella glanced at the card, then back at Erin with a teasing promise in her eyes. “Then it’s a date.”
Erin adjusted his tie, with a hint of eagerness betraying his cool facade.
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