My Love for You Broke Me

Chapter 41

Despite knowing that the man she loved was in a rather… handsy relationship with me, Olivia still tried to get close to me. She continued to face me with a smile even though she might have been offended by my question.

Seeing her behave this way made me feel like I had gone too far.

I could have avoided asking her those questions.

As I wanted to quickly change the topic, I suggested, "Let's eat now."

Olivia's mood wasn't affected because of what happened. Instead, she ordered a lot of food as she eagerly asked, "I haven't had food May bought for a very long time. I will have to eat everything I can today. Can I order a drink?"

"Do as you please," May laughed. "I can always borrow money from Ree even if I can't afford to pay the bill. She is super rich, you know."

"I thought you were the one buying," I countered May with a smile.

"Like I said, I can 'borrow' from you. It's not like I won't return it."

May's expression seemed neutral despite the story she had messaged me about earlier. She didn't look all that sad even though Alba had left her. I couldn't help but think that she wasn't acting like her usual self.

I didn't say anything in response. After Olivia placed the order, she asked me curiously, "Renee, can I know the reason why you divorced Nick?"

May was so surprised to hear that that she abruptly jumped out of her seat. "Nicholas Forger is your brother, Olivia? How can such a coincidence exist?"

"I am a foster child of the Forger Family," Olivia explained with a nod. "I have taken my mother's family name. I haven't told anyone that I am one of the Forgers. I am sorry I kept it secret from you for so long."

Upon hearing that, May shook her head and sat down again. "It is alright. I have never asked about your family either. It is normal that you didn't feel the need to tell it yourself. I am just surprised because… Ree has a little bit of history with the Forgers."

A waiter brought us a bottle of red wine, and Olivia proceeded to pour us a glass each. She then started to explain, "I have never been back in the country until now, which is why I didn't know about Nick's marriage. He has never mentioned it to me either…"

I lowered my gaze and picked up the glass of red wine without saying a word. May seemed to have remembered something when she suddenly took my glass out of my hand. "Clair will kill me if he ever finds out that you are drinking alcohol! By the way, Olivia?" May turned to her. "What made you want to come back all of a sudden?"

Olivia's head dropped after May asked her that.

Due to her curiosity as to what the reason could possibly be, May continued probing. "Did something© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

happen?"

Olivia took a sip of red wine and sighed. "It is not like I can stay abroad for the rest of my life. Nick asked me to come back to Bryxton to manage the family business for him. He said that it is about time I did something to repay the Forgers for the care they have given me all these years."

She suddenly came to a pause as her eyes darted to me curiously. "Renee, why did you want a divorce from Nick? Does he treat you badly?"

It was all in the past no matter if he was kind to me or not. Not wanting to bring the past up again, I came up with an excuse to brush her off. "It is nothing. It is common for couples to be divorced or separated in today's society. Nicholas and I went our separate ways on good terms."

It was still fresh in my memory how I still longed for him the night before the divorce, and how I begged him to date me for three months. He had oh-so-cruelly rejected me then.

Noticing how my mood had dropped, May quickly changed the topic to a happier one. "Let's eat! We will go to the movies after this."

"Oh—I have to go to the company later," I told her, to which she had no choice but to compromise. "Okay then."

I didn't pick up my fork much as I wasn't that hungry. However, since Olivia had ordered a variety of food, May had to force herself to eat them out of fear of wastage.

After we parted ways, I got into my car and made a trip to the company.

Gary was still in the office doing his work then. As soon as he saw me, he came running toward me and bowed. "President Felix, you have an appointment with Ms. Yates at 3.00PM tomorrow. A representative from the Adams Corporation will be present at the meeting as well."

It seemed like the Yates Corporation was determined to work with the Adam Corporation, seeing as to how they invited them along to a meeting that was supposed to be between Yates and Felix.

"What is the floor price for the Adams Corporation?" I asked him.

"They haven't disclosed it. My guess is that it should be slightly higher than ours. The Yates Corporation wouldn't have had a sudden change of mind otherwise."

The Yates were a powerful name in Ashere. I remembered how my impression of Alice Yates' father from the few times I had met him was that he was an honest businessman who kept his promises.

I couldn't comprehend why they would suddenly refuse to collaborate with us without giving us a reason, though.

After being quiet for a while, Gary reminded me again, "I have heard a rumor that Alice Yates is the one who basically calls the shots in their company now."

A frown immediately appeared on my face then. "Has there been a shift in their management?"

"There hasn't, but Chairman Yates is considerably older now. Alice is the only successor the Yates have. Even if Chairman Yates is, formally, still the head of the company, there is no doubt his power and influence will be passed to her someday."

"So Alice Yates is the one who made the decision this time?" I had to give myself a moment to think. "If that really is the case, I wouldn't find it weird how she decided to go with the Adams Corporation! She doesn't know our company well and since the Adam Corporation has the Forgers to support them, it is not surprising a young lady like her would listen to and believe the words of the people around her."

There were only a few influential families in Bryxton. Nicholas must have brainwashed Alice by saying all the good things about the Adams Corporation and she, in return, had chosen them without making sure what was best for her company. She even unhesitantly made a decision that would turn their relationship with us sour.

After all, Alice was different from Chairman Yates. The chairman had always been a businessman with integrity, and had an excellent reputation in the industry because of his conduct.

Alice, however, was a young bud in the business world.

"There is a big chance we will lose the bid this time." Gary sighed. "But the bidding is too important for us to lose."

I hadn't been involved with my company's dealing ever since the divorce, so I asked him, "What is the collaboration about?"

"It is a production of chips for the Yates Corporation."

"The Yates Corporation is involved in technology?" I asked, surprised.

My assistant then further explained, "Our company produces technology, but this cooperation is an

opportunity for us to become the leading manufacturer of chips in the future if all things go as planned, and we gain fame from it."

"So what you are saying is that we need to have this collaboration," I concluded after listening to Gary.

"We can't afford to miss it, President Felix."

…

After the talk I had with Gary, I drove away from the company, and came to a stop as I was passing by a concert hall that had a notice on its main entrance. It seemed like there was a concert going on inside.

I parked my car by the roadside before I bought a ticket and went in. As I sat down in the last row, I suddenly noticed May and Olivia sitting in the first row. Their seats were ones that could easily be seen.

With just one glance at them, I could guess who the performer was going to be.

I desperately wanted to leave then, yet I couldn't help but sit down again after standing up. I couldn't convince myself to leave.

It was just like how I couldn't convince myself to forget about the voice from nine years ago which would call me 'little girl', or the months I spent quietly following after the man.

I couldn't do it no matter how much I told myself I didn't like him anymore.

As I closed my eyes, I heard the person beside me talk to their companion. "Have you heard?

Christopher Forger will be performing today. He is an internationally renowned pianist. I heard that tickets are hard to come by. I wonder why he chose to perform in a small concert hall like this."

It seemed that Christopher was a famous pianist.

This was something that I never knew until this moment.

A violin performance was the one to start the concert, followed by a cello performance, and later an ensemble of Beethoven's pieces.

Despite the performances that went by, the one I was hoping to see still hadn't made his appearance. I was just about to leave when that familiar sad melody rang out across the hall.

My eyes abruptly shot open at that, and I was greeted by the sight of a man playing the piano. I couldn't put what I felt at this moment into words even if I wanted to.

The handsome man had on a black dress suit that accentuated his tall and strong build. He was the kind of perfect man who received all the love from women. His own foster sister was one of the many who loved him.

As Christopher had the proud yet indifferent personality, he was someone who normal people viewed as the prince among men.

Now, just why did I have to fall for him?

Alice, however, wos o young bud in the business world.

"There is o big chonce we will lose the bid this time." Gory sighed. "But the bidding is too importont for us to lose."

I hodn't been involved with my compony's deoling ever since the divorce, so I osked him, "Whot is the colloborotion obout?"

"It is o production of chips for the Yotes Corporotion."

"The Yotes Corporotion is involved in technology?" I osked, surprised.

My ossistont then further exploined, "Our compony produces technology, but this cooperotion is on opportunity for us to become the leoding monufocturer of chips in the future if oll things go os plonned, ond we goin fome from it."

"So whot you ore soying is thot we need to hove this colloborotion," I concluded ofter listening to Gory.

"We con't offord to miss it, President Felix."

…

After the tolk I hod with Gory, I drove owoy from the compony, ond come to o stop os I wos possing by o concert holl thot hod o notice on its moin entronce. It seemed like there wos o concert going on inside.

I porked my cor by the roodside before I bought o ticket ond went in. As I sot down in the lost row, I suddenly noticed Moy ond Olivio sitting in the first row. Their seots were ones thot could eosily be seen.

With just one glonce ot them, I could guess who the performer wos going to be.

I desperotely wonted to leove then, yet I couldn't help but sit down ogoin ofter stonding up. I couldn't convince myself to leove.

It wos just like how I couldn't convince myself to forget obout the voice from nine yeors ogo which would coll me 'little girl', or the months I spent quietly following ofter the mon.

I couldn't do it no motter how much I told myself I didn't like him onymore.

As I closed my eyes, I heord the person beside me tolk to their componion. "Hove you heord? Christopher Forger will be performing todoy. He is on internotionolly renowned pionist. I heord thot tickets ore hord to come by. I wonder why he chose to perform in o smoll concert holl like this."

It seemed thot Christopher wos o fomous pionist.

This wos something thot I never knew until this moment.

A violin performonce wos the one to stort the concert, followed by o cello performonce, ond loter on ensemble of Beethoven's pieces.

Despite the performonces thot went by, the one I wos hoping to see still hodn't mode his oppeoronce. I wos just obout to leove when thot fomilior sod melody rong out ocross the holl.

My eyes obruptly shot open ot thot, ond I wos greeted by the sight of o mon ploying the piono. I couldn't put whot I felt ot this moment into words even if I wonted to.

The hondsome mon hod on o block dress suit thot occentuoted his toll ond strong build. He wos the kind of perfect mon who received oll the love from women. His own foster sister wos one of the mony who loved him.

As Christopher hod the proud yet indifferent personolity, he wos someone who normol people viewed os the prince omong men.

Now, just why did I hove to foll for him?