Chapter 83

Chapter 83:

As lunchtime approached, Delilah, clutching a neatly wrapped present, sought out Kenneth. She had missed the opportunity to hand it over the previous day and was resolved to ensure it reached him today. However, Kenneth was nowhere to be found. The repeated missed connections left Delilah simmering with frustration. Weighed down by this, Delilah trudged back to the design department.

Cheryl, eyes wide with expectation, approached her immediately. “Delilah, are we leaving already?”

“Huh?” Delilah blinked, taken aback for a moment, her gaze sweeping over the eager faces of her colleagues. Then it clicked—the lunch invitation.

“Yes, let’s get going.”

“Let’s go, everyone!” Cheryl exclaimed, her enthusiasm infectious as the team sprang to their feet, their faces lighting up with joy.

Delilah masked her inner scoff, dismissing her colleagues as simpletons thrilled by something as mundane as lunch at Forest Shrimp. She pondered how this lunch might swing their loyalties back in her favor. Then, her thoughts drifted to Janice.

Turning to spot Janice, Delilah found her desk unexpectedly empty, which caught her off guard. “Where’s my sister?”

“She stepped out,” Cheryl responded. “She took the afternoon off and mentioned she wouldn’t be returning today.”

“An afternoon off? On her first day?” Delilah’s eyebrows knitted together in a frown, a ripple of concern washing over her. What on earth could Janice be up to? And if Janice wasn’t around, what was the point of spending money on such pathetic, incompetent losers for lunch?

The bidding event unfolded in the expansive conference hall of the Bengal Hotel. As Janice entered, the room was already buzzing with activity. Representatives from various companies, predominantly CEOs and project managers, filled the space. In her perfectly tailored business suit, Janice appeared somewhat misplaced among the gathering of veteran executives. A few onlookers even mistook her for one of the hotel staff.

“Janice, what are you doing here?”

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The voice pierced through the hum of conversations, drawing Janice’s attention. She turned to find Connor and Lowell making their way towards her, their faces etched with disapproval. With a dismissive chuckle, Janice turned her gaze away, opting to ignore them.

“Hey, I’m talking to you. Are you ignoring me?” Lowell demanded, stepping in front of her to block her path, his eyes narrowing with irritation.

“Why does it concern you why I’m here?” Janice retorted, her voice steady yet filled with disdain. “Unless you’re implying that the Edwards family now owns this hotel?”

Lowell’s irritation visibly intensified at her comeback. “This is Forest Corp’s bidding event, not some place to stir up trouble.”

Janice let out a soft, mocking laugh and crossed her arms, her posture radiating defiance. “Paranoid? Just because I’m present doesn’t mean I intend to cause chaos. Perhaps I’m here to participate in the bidding, ever thought of that?”

“You? Don’t make me laugh. You’re nothing but a pathetic nobody we tossed out of the family!”

“Lowell!” Connor shot him a sharp glance, noticing that their heated exchange had already captured the attention of many around them. To continue would only turn them into the spectacle of the evening.

With a frosty stare, he then addressed Janice. “I don’t care what brought you here, but is this the way you address your father and your brother?”

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