The Husband I Loved for Eight Years Never Loved Me-Chapter 166: The Dropped Pocket Watch

Chapter 166: The Dropped Pocket Watch

"Rachel!"

Rachel Royce came back to her senses.

She turned to look.

She saw Ian Quinn getting out of a car.

Suzanne Sullivan, who was about to walk into the lobby, stopped short when he heard the shout. He glanced back over his shoulder.

When Ian Quinn saw Suzanne Sullivan, he walked forward and said to Rachel Royce, "We should go say hello."

It was only proper to exchange greetings since they had run into each other.

The two of them walked up to Suzanne Sullivan.

Ian Quinn was the first to extend his hand. "President Sullivan, a pleasure."

Suzanne Sullivan shook his hand and said calmly, "A pleasure."

He seemed entirely unsurprised by their arrival, his handsome face remaining calm.

They didn’t exchange many words.

One after another, they entered the company lobby.

Rachel Royce and Ian Quinn waited in the lobby for the person who would take them upstairs.

Looking in the direction Suzanne Sullivan had gone, Rachel Royce said, "It looks like Suzanne Sullivan already knows about the partnership between Rowan and Hector Ainsworth."

"He must have known for a while," Ian Quinn said. "In any case, neither the Ainsworth Family nor Suzanne Sullivan is willing to back down an inch right now. They haven’t reached the point of open hostility, but they’re close. There’s only a thin veil separating them."

Rachel Royce said, "It’s just a matter of who tears that veil first."

"Exactly."

「A few minutes later.」

Hector Ainsworth’s assistant came downstairs to greet them.

"President Quinn, Miss Evelynn, sorry to keep you waiting. This way, please."

Rachel Royce and Ian Quinn followed the assistant upstairs to Hector Ainsworth’s office.

Hector Ainsworth enthusiastically shook their hands in greeting.

"Please, have a seat."

The two parties exchanged a few simple pleasantries and got straight to the point.

Hector Ainsworth showed Ian Quinn a cooperation proposal.

It concerned a major investment project in the Lakewood District, covering fields like the new online economy, creative design, and artificial intelligence.

Of course, MK Group wasn’t the only company signing on.

Hector Ainsworth was mainly involved in infrastructure and industrial project investments, with a total investment of up to fifteen billion.

A subsidiary of MK Group, Chuangke, had signed on to the project to handle the artificial intelligence sector. Chuangke was now completely under Suzanne Sullivan’s control.

Although they were all part of MK Group, the company had long been internally divided into different factions, each vying for dominance.

Artificial intelligence had huge future prospects, but Suzanne Sullivan had already seized the initiative by successfully acquiring Ascendant this year.

On that point alone...

Suzanne Sullivan held a decisive advantage.

"Prodigy has very strong momentum. They’re already cooperating with the government and the military on their core technology. I’ve received intel that Suzanne Sullivan wants to use Ascendant to acquire Prodigy, and I’ve already warned President Jennings about it."

’Hector Ainsworth knew Rowan was a shareholder in Prodigy. One of his reasons for choosing to partner with Rowan was to establish a connection with Prodigy. He hoped to get a piece of the pie, or at least avoid being completely dominated by Suzanne Sullivan in this sector.’

’Suzanne Sullivan must have anticipated Hector Ainsworth’s move, which is why he made the preemptive play of acquiring Ascendant first, with his sights set on Prodigy next.’

’Such meticulous scheming was truly terrifying.’

’He was definitely the kind of person who could be friends with Tristan Sterling.’

’In any case, neither Suzanne Sullivan nor Hector Ainsworth was someone to be trifled with.’

’Prodigy was just one of the chess pieces in their game.’

’So, Prodigy can’t be acquired, and it can’t cooperate with the Ainsworth Family either.’

Ian Quinn temporarily steered the conversation away from AI cooperation, focusing instead on the industrial project investments.

Hector Ainsworth took the hint, and the topic was dropped.

They talked for over two hours.

The meeting didn’t conclude until four in the afternoon.

Tomorrow, they still had to go to the Lakewood District site to check on the construction progress.

Hector Ainsworth had scheduled a dinner meeting for that evening.

It was an invitation that couldn’t be refused, so Ian Quinn accepted.

Hector Ainsworth personally escorted the two of them downstairs as they left.

「In Suzanne Sullivan’s office.」

An assistant knocked and entered. "President Sullivan, President Quinn and the others from Rowan have left."

Suzanne Sullivan handed him a signed document and said emotionlessly, "They talked for quite a long time. What’s the progress with Ascendant?"

The assistant replied, "I just got a call. President Preston of Prodigy is refusing to recognize the contract President Reynolds signed without authorization. The two of them have not reached an agreement."

"Peter Preston must have found out something. The partnership with Prodigy must be secured. You have to make that clear to the people at Ascendant." His tone brooked no argument.

"Yes, sir."

The assistant took the document and turned to leave the office.

Just then...

His phone vibrated.

Suzanne Sullivan glanced at the caller ID, put down the document he was holding, leaned back in his chair, and answered, "Tristan, what’s up?"

Tristan Sterling said, "How did the talks go?"

Suzanne Sullivan knew what he was asking about.

Tristan Sterling’s sudden move against Eastgate was partly to tie up Julian Jennings.

Suzanne Sullivan said, "Since a strategic partnership has been reached, signing the contract is a logical next step. Of course, we can’t let their collaboration go *too* smoothly."

Tristan Sterling hummed softly.

"Your wife was also here for the talks today."

Tristan Sterling said, "I know. She’s in Portington with Melissa?"

Suzanne Sullivan paused for a moment. "You two are in the middle of a lawsuit. Aren’t you worried she’ll fight for custody of Melissa?"

Tristan Sterling let out a light laugh. "Do you think that’s possible?"

Suzanne Sullivan mulled it over for a moment but said nothing more.

"I’ll be in Portington in a couple of days."

"So you really can’t be separated from your daughter for too long, is that it?"

Tristan Sterling didn’t answer. "I’m hanging up."

「On the way back to the company.」

Ian Quinn said, "The waters at MK Group are deeper than I imagined. I now suspect Tristan Sterling’s sudden move against Eastgate was to tie up Julian."

Rachel Royce’s expression darkened. She had guessed as much. "So, in the end, Tristan Sterling is still siding with Suzanne Sullivan."

Whether it was the Ainsworth Family or Suzanne Sullivan, it made little difference to Claire Ainsworth. Both sides doted on her unconditionally.

"That seems to be the case," Ian Quinn said. "Suzanne Sullivan definitely won’t back down on Prodigy. I hope Peter Preston can hold his ground."

Rachel Royce hummed softly, her expression grim.

Ian Quinn looked at her and offered a comforting smile. "Rachel, don’t worry too much. You have to trust your brother and have faith in Rowan. Rowan has faced this kind of competition countless times as it’s grown. Prodigy can’t stay stagnant forever. To make a quantum leap, you have to fight a hard battle. Maybe this is that opportunity."

Rachel Royce nodded in response.

Just then...

Rachel Royce got a call from June Jennings.

June said she was finished with her work and asked where Rachel was staying. She wanted to bring Stella over to play with Melissa.

Rachel Royce gave her the address.

"Okay, Stella and I are on our way now."

「7:00 p.m.」

Rachel Royce and Ian Quinn arrived at the restaurant for the dinner meeting.

The two walked into the hotel.

As Rachel Royce was chatting with Ian Quinn, she suddenly stepped on something. It felt hard under her foot, and she distinctly heard a CRACKING sound.

She stopped, and when she moved her foot, she saw a broken pocket watch on the floor. She bent down to pick it up.

"Who dropped a pocket watch?" Ian Quinn asked, just as he saw someone striding toward them.

Rachel Royce was about to open it for a closer look when she, too, saw the approaching figure.

Suzanne Sullivan walked up to Rachel Royce. His gaze fell on the pocket watch in her hand, its case broken at the hinge, and he couldn’t help but frown.