For some reason, whenever he heard the word âdieâ from Rachel, the uneasiness in Victorâs heart would grow stronger every time. âAlright, I wonât say it again. Can I just go to the bathroom now?â
Rachel asked. âThe maid will go with you,â said Victor, his gaze deep. It didnât surprise Rachel anymore. She nodded and gave the maid a hint and went to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Quintin spoke again. âBoss, we only have half an hour left.
Our people will pick you up according to the plan. Iâve also requested someone to release Alice.â When Rachel finally reached the bathroom, she looked up and saw the maidâs reflection in the big mirror above the sink. The young womanâs eyes were green with envy and Rachel smirked.
âI heard you like this dress,â Rachel said, her gaze drawn to the maidâs expression in the mirror. âIâ¦â âI get you, itâs a beautiful dress after all. Thereâs no shame in liking it. If youâd like, I can give it to you,â
Rachel added. When the maid came to her senses, she quickly waved her hands. âNo! How can I wear your dress, Miss Bennet?â
âYou donât have to hold back. Just be honest. If I give you a chance to wear this dress, will you take it?â
Rachel turned around and looked at her seriously. Looking at Rachelâs outfit, the maid gulped and was eager to try it on, almost blurting out a âyes.â
But when she thought of her position as a maid, she hesitated again. âIâ¦. Umâ¦â
âItâs okay. If you donât want to, then forget what Iâ¦â
âIâd like to!â The maid suddenly raised her voice.
âPlease, Miss Bennet. It would be my greatest dream.â She swore to herself that she would do anything to be able to wear this dress even just once.
Tonight was the last night of the cruise, which meant that she would never get another chance to mingle with the upper-class men. This was the only time she could meet a rich man and change her fate. She thought if she could wear the dress, she could attract the attention of rich young men on the ship Victor was on the deck, unaware that Rachel and the maid had exchanged their dresses. He took notice of Roger coming his way.
Roger took a glass of wine from a waiter and approached Victor. âMr. Sullivan, congratulations on winning the necklace.â Victorâs deep eyes narrowed. He calmly made a toast with Roger.
âThank you. I didnât expect you to like it so much, Mr. Jimenez.â âItâs not my thing. I just thought it would look great on the woman I love. It turns out that this necklace does fit her very well. Itâs a shame I lost my chance to give it to her,â Roger explained, taking a sip of the red wine in his hand.
He was, of course, referring to Rachel. Roger wasnât giving up. He even declared war on Victor. âThe woman you love?â Victorâs face darkened. The air between them suddenly became tense. âIt appears that you are not destined to be together with the woman you love. Perhaps you should look for someone else. Just like this necklace, sheâs not meant to be with you.
So no matter how hard you try, you wonât be able to win her.â âWhat a bold statement, Mr. Sullivan.â
Roger chuckled. âHow do you know who sheâll end up with?â
All of a sudden, the atmosphere turned cold. The two of them looked at each other. One had a sharp and intimidating expression on his face, while the other had a kind smile with no fear in his eyes.
Everyone around the deck sensed the tension between them and chose to stay quiet.
When the president heard the secretaryâs urgent report, he quickly walked over to them after greeting the other guests. âMr. Sullivan, Mr. Jimenez, glad to see you both here.â His laughter broke the ice between them.
Victor and Roger simultaneously looked at him. They knew he was here to relieve the tension, so they greeted him. Despite their high status and superiority, they had to respect the president of the Chamber of Commerce. After all, he was the one who organized the cruise tour. âIâm truly honored that you both attended the cruise.â When the president saw that they decided to drop the conflict, he let out a sigh of relief.
âMr. Sullivan, I havenât congratulated you yet! I heard that you won the bid for the necklace.
Congratulations!â Victor nodded and had a toast with him. When he took a sip of wine, he noticed a familiar figure walking up to the deck and heading towards the dessert area. âBy the way, Mr. Jimenez, congratulations to you as well. I should have visited you two days ago. But every time I went there, your sister said you were busy, so I didnât dare to bother you.â
The president gave Roger a smile. âThank you. But why did you say congratulations?â âYes, I congratulate you for being appointed as the new CEO of Jimenez Group. Iâve known for a long time that youâre a highly capable young man, and now Iâve seen it for myself! I hope that you can support our projects in the future, Iâm sure it will be mutually beneficial.â The president had been in the business world for many years.
He almost resolved the conflict between Victor and Roger with just a few words. âOf course, sir,â Roger said politely. Soon, the presidentâs secretary came over to them and exchanged a glance with him. The president nodded. Seeing that Victor was about to leave, he said, âItâs very rare to meet both of you at the same time. I was wondering if I could chat with the two of you for a while. I want to introduce you two to some directors.â
Hearing this, Victor looked at the woman standing not far away. She was in front of the railing, looking at the open sea. After thinking for a while, he nodded. On the other hand, after exchanging a knowing look with the president, the secretary turned around and headed towards the woman standing in front of the railing.
She suddenly stopped a waiter and asked, âI remember thereâs a bottle of Chardonnay that the president has brought with him, right?â âYes.â The waiter nodded. âOkay. Could you serve it up here?â
the secretary asked, glancing at the womanâs back. The waiter bowed in response and hurriedly went to prepare the wine.
The secretary gently shook the glass of red wine in her palm, recalling the presidentâs words to her earlier. If the president was right, then this Rachel girl must really be something Since the president had asked her to find a way to get in touch with Rachel, she must be well-prepared.
The presidentâs expensive Chardonnay was supposed to be his collection. But this was the price they had to pay if they wanted to get close to Rachel. With a determined expression, the secretary took a sip of the red wine and smiled. Little did she know, Rachel was in someplace else.