Chapter 421
Chapter 421
“Fair enough.” Neil Whitmore opened his PayPal, “Send me your payment request, I’ll settle it. I’m done playing.”
Ariana managed to muster up a small smile, opened up her PayPal.
After Neil had paid, he stood up and left to smoke outside the living room.
Mitch had been silently observing from the sidelines. His expression was unreadable, but when Ariana glanced at him, he quickly averted his gaze and retreated to the kitchen.
For Stella’s happiness, I ultimately found myself stepping outside to find Neil, who was out in the patio smoking.
He was wearing a simple black t-shirt, revealing the toned muscles of his arms. It was just right, not too skinny, not too muscular. It seemed his smoking habit was growing, as he was often seen with a cigarette in his hands.
Upon seeing me, Neil raised an eyebrow before stepping away.
I approached him once more.
“Don’t you dislike the smell of smoke?” he questioned, surprised to see me seeking him out. His eyes were focused on me, reflecting the slight irritation on my face.
I didn’t respond to his question but instead asked, “Tell me, do you know what’s going on between Mitch and Ariana?”
At the mention of their names, a meaningful look crossed Nell’s face. He glanced back towards the living room and snuffed out his cigarette beneath his shoe, “I have a hunch, what about
it?”
“How far have things gone between them?” I pressed.
“All I said was that I sensed something was off, how would I know how far they’ve taken things?” Neil looked at me, slightly exasperated, “Irene Finch, take it easy.”
I was naturally frantic, considering this matter affected Stella’s marital happiness, and my tone wasn’t the kindest.
Neil’s reminder brought me back to my senses.
“I’m sorry, I’m just a bit on edge.” I slightly adjusted my tone, “Since Mitch is currently partnering with you and you spend quite a bit of time together, I thought I’d ask you.”
Neil gave a small laugh with a slightly devilish look in his eyes.
Despite being a man in his thirties, there wasn’t a wrinkle on his face. Instead, his age seemed to have added a mature and composed air to his already exceptional character, making him even more charming.
Karina had to be careful, as it seemed that Neil was even more attractive e to Ariana than Mitch was.
At the same time, I felt a sense of relief. Thank goodness this kind of man was no longer my husband, or else I’d have to be on guard against all sorts of other women for the rest of my life. During my past life, I wasn’t able to fend off Bonnie Tueley, and in this life, I couldn’t fend off Karina. It seems I’m destined to be single.
“Most of my interactions with him are solely work-related, we haven’t met up much privately recently. As my tone softened, so did Neil’s.
“How did you sense that something was off between Mitch and Ariana?” I asked, furrowing my brows.
Neil answered, “At one of the executive gatherings, Ariana shouldn’t have been there, but Mitch invited her. Also, some job promotions and demptions reveal that he treats Ariana differently.”
Hearing this made my blood boil.
Apparently, it wasn’t just the insinuations in the chat history between Stella and Mitch. Mitch seemed to be giving Ariana special treatment.
I calmed myself down and asked, “What’s Ariana’s educational background? Which company did she work for before?”
Neil looked at me with a half-smile, “Curious?”
Of course, I was curious. If Ariana was genuinely competent, then I could understand Mitch’s actions. But if she wasn’t, then Mitch’s actions would indicate an inappropriate relationship
“Yes, do you know?” I admitted openly.
“I don’t.” Neil’s response was curt, his face expressing disinterest, “I’m partnering with Mitch, but our companies aren’t merged. We each manage our people. I have no interest in Ariana’s background.”
I had nothing to say to this, as it was a reasonable point.
So, I’ll have to investigate Ariana myself and get to the bottom of this.
Just as I was pondering my next steps, Neil spoke up again, “I could pull up her resume for you if you want my help?”
“Can you?” I was definitely in need.
If Neil could help me access Ariana’s information, it would save me a lot of time and help me figure out if Mitch was indeed in the wrong.
“I can. But as you know, I’m a businessman. I believe in quid pro quo.” Neil’s gaze pinned me down, “What do you say?”
“State your terms first,” I asked directly.
“I haven’t decided yet.” Neil shrugged after a moment of thought.
“Then, forget it.” I immediately rejected his offer.
Although I wanted to help Stella, Neil wasn’t exactly the most trustworthy person. I didn’t want to fall into his trap and invite Karina’s wrath, causing trouble for myself.
Seeing my refusal, Neil quickly moved to stop me, “I promise it won’t be anything you can’t handle.”
“Really?” I was skeptical.
“Yes. You should know that our companies keep employee information confidential to prevent poaching by competitors. So if you were to investigate on your own, it would be quite difficult. By the time you get what you need, it might already be too late.” Neil kindly reminded me.
I wasn’t entirely aware of this, but Neil probably wasn’t lying.
Some companies do encrypt employee data, especially for key positions.
But was Ariana worthy of such measures?
She wasn’t, but Mitch, being the fool he was, might just do something like that.
The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. Any injustice Stella suffered felt like an Injustice to me, and I couldn’t stand for it.
“I have two conditions: first, it can’t involve my two children, and second, it can’t require me to do anything that goes against my conscience.” Right now, all I wanted was to figure out Ariana’s background as soon as possible and come up with a counter strategy for Stella.
“What do you consider being against your conscience?” Neil seemed a little confused..
“Anything that crosses the line between a man and a woman, or anything illegal,” I answered solemnly.
Neil paused for a moment, a low chuckle emanating from his throat. “You think I’m still hung up on you, don’t you? That I’d use some scandal to make you fall into my arms?
I didn’t respond because I was somewhat worried about that. If I admitted it, I’d sound too vain.
Neil’s smile deepened, followed by a sigh, “Irene, when did you get so self-assured? I’m not so far gone that I’d resort to such a pathetic tactic.
“You wouldn’t be the first time you’ve used such tactics on me, Neil. You seem to overestimate your own sense of morality,” I retorted icily.
Neil’s smile gradually faded, his gaze showing a hint of complexity. Then he nodded, “Yes, I admit I had been out of line in the past.”
