Chapter 814 Agnes sat there, her gaze fixed on the photograph clipped to the file. Her mind seemed to wander far from the conference room where Judsonâs voice had been a steady presence It was Ryder, of all people, staring back at her from the photo He looked different, transformed almost Dressed to the nines in a tailored suit, his hair combed with military precision, he exuded the aura of a corporate titan.
She was so accustomed to the sight of him in his white lab coat that this new Ryder seemed almost alien to her Yet, despite the change in attire, one thing remained the same the icy coolness that seemed to radiate from him âAgnes, whatâs wrong? Judsonâs voice cut through her reverie, calling her back to the present Truth be told, she had heard every word Judson had said. He wanted her to be the liaison for a big project with the TV network Without a second thought, Agnes refused. âBoss, I canât take on that interview Judson removed his glasses, a sign of his growing impatience âWhy not?â
â want to focus on making. The Primary Perspectiveâ a success, Agnes said, grasping at excuses. âI donât have the bandwidth for more, and there are plenty of seasoned reporters at the station, people with far more experience in business than me. Iâm just not cut out for this liaison roleâ
Judson sighed heavily âI know itâs a tough ask, but this is a major initiative, high profile, with government backing. The Thomas Group has entrusted all their postâproject PR to our network âBut if itâs such a highâstakes project, surely itâs all the more reason not to send a rookie like me, Agnes countered, playing her last card. âIâve only just returned to the country, after all Judson leaned forward, âIf the client hadnât specifically asked for you by name, I wouldnât dream of burdening you with this.â
That statement made something heavy settle in Agnes stomach.
Requested her? By nameâ
Judson seemed uncomfortable as he continued, âLook, Agnes, I need you to step up here. Itâs a highâpriority project, good for the country, good for the people And Iâve touched base with them, it wonât be too demanding. The Thomas Groupâs HQ is in the Capital, and the project lead wonât be here all the time. Itâs just a bit of a push at the start Now that Judson had laid it out like that. Agnes couldnât refuse without good reason, especially if it was a direct request. And Agnes had her own masons for wanting to see Ryder again Alright, sir I do the interview this afternoonâ
The interview was scheduled at the Caesar International Hotelâs auditorium. Agnes and her cameraman, Ben, arrived early to prepare the site.
She went over the script one more time The questions Judson had prepared were all highbrow, industry stuff While Agnes was focused on the task at hand, her colleague Ramona was gushing over the photo in the script, âBoss, can we just talk about how dreamy Mr Ryder Rumor has it heâs from the Capital, the son of billionaire Cilian Whitfield, and currently the big shot managing director of the Thomas Group. Heâs probably going to be chairman one day its like he stepped right out of one of those bossy CEO romance novels I mean, what kind of girl lands a realâlife prince like that? Iâm dying to know who hell end up with Ramonas gossip was distracting, but Agnes felt a weight upon her heart. Her feelings for Ryder were anything but simple The interview was set for the late afternoon, at halfâpast four As the clock struck the appointed hour, the doors to the auditorium swung open, and Ryder appeared, punctual as ever