Dumping My Fiancé For His Uncle

Chapter 31

Tm Liam Bennett, the manager's son, the man said in a smooth, confident tone. "My dad knew you and Mr. Hendrix were coming for the inspection, so he asked me to assist you while you're here." Thea nodded politely. "Thanks, but we're all set. We've seen enough and need to head back soon. She turned to leave.

Liam quickly caught up to her. "Ms. Rowland, I know this place better than Darwin. Are you sure you don't want more thorough tour! I doubt Mr. Hendrix intended for you to just take a quick glance around." He had a point. Still, Thea had an instinctive wariness of unfamiliar men, which made her hesitate. Sensing her reluctance, Liam put on a troubled expression and sighed. "Or is it because I'm just the branch manager's son, not important enough to talk to you?" catch the attention of nearby employees, who o started glancing in their direction with curiosity. Thea masked her annoyance with a calm smile. "Alright then, M 1 Bennett. Thank you."

His voice was just loud enough to c appeared to

Liam a

Before long,

it was

to focus purely on business as they continued the tour, behaving professionally. That put Thea more at ease. She listened attentively, learning what she could. lunchtime. Thea gathered her notes and said. Thank you for your time, Mr. Bennett, Get some rest after lunch. I'll be reporting back to Mr. Hendrix with everything I've learned about the Virtuex Group." Liam smiled, but it I didn't t quite reach his eyes. "Why not try our cafeteria before you leave? It's part of the inspection, after all. My dad had them prepare a special lunch for you. It'd be a shame to waste it. The found Liam okay overall but disliked how he constantly used work obligations to put her in situations she couldn't easily refuse.

Still, she kept her cool I and agreed, telling herself this would be the last time she indulged his persistence for Nicolas's sake.

After lunch, Thea hurried out of the building, eager to be done with the tour.

Once she was gone, a few employees gathered around Liam, eager for gossip.

"Nice move, Liam! Getting lunch with that gorgeous secretary from headquarters," one teased.

"Yeah, you two looked pretty cozy all morning. She's definitely into you, another chimed in.

Liam's friendly facade dropped, replaced by a I by a sneer. "Her? She's nice to look at, but that's it. You know how girls like that get to be Mr. Hendrix's secretary, right?"

The group laughed and nodded in agreement.

One guy, more cautious, asked, "But isn't it risky getting involved with Mr. Hendrix's girl

Lian shot him a glare. "Idiot. She's just a plaything. No one catches feelings. Give me three days, and I'll have her wrapped around my finger. After that, I'll use her to climb the ladder to Avon Ventures and headquarters. That's simple." Meanwhile, Thea finally felt at ease, far from Liam's presence.

Back at Nicolas's office, she organized her notes, preparing to brief him.

But just as she was about to knock, a sultry female voice drifted through the door. "Mr. Hendrix-

Thea got goosebumps. Her first reaction wasn't curiosity; it was a surge of inexplicable anger. Without thinking, she pushed the door open,

Inside, she saw a curvy, attractive woman awkwardly leaning toward Nicolas. It was clear the woman had tried to "accidentally" fall into his arms, but Nicolas had sidestepped, leaving her half-propped against him, attempting to look graceful Nicolas's expression was icy, and his clothes were perfectly neat and pristine except for a large soup stain on his chest. His barely restrained fury was palpable.

The woman stood abruptly and, flustered by the interruption, confronted Thea. "Who are you? This is Mr. Hendrix's office! You have no right to be here. What? Trying to seduce him?"

Thea couldn't help but laugh at the accusation. She'd planned to let the woman save face, but now she felt no such obligation. She could not only walk into Nicolas's office freely but also had every right to do as she pleased. Thea strode in coldly, her heels clicking. She radiated authority and dropped her files on the desk with a thud, immediately overpowering the woman,

The woman flinched and then turned to Nicolas, batting her eyes. "Mr. Hendrix, she's being so mean."

Standing tall beside Nicolas, Thea tilted her chin up confidently Mr. Hendrix, tell her who I am."

The woman was initially shocked, ,then amused. She knew Nicolas's reputation for being cold and despising anyone who threw his name around.

She had barely worked up the nerve to flirt with him. This girl hast think she's important enough just because she's been his secretary for a few days. How ridiculous, she thought. as he turned toward Thea.

As expected, Nicolas's exp s's expression stayed cold as he

The

woman

smirked, confident she'd be proven right.

But then, to her surprise, Nicolas asked Thea seriously, "How do you want to handle this?"

Thea, who had felt a bit nervous, suddenly smiled. "Send her back where she came from. She shouldn't show her face here again."

Without hesitation, Nicolas nodded, completely ignoring the woman's tearful attempts to plead her case. He called Darwin in. "Do as Thea says."

Though Nicolas hadn't directly answered Thea's earlier question his stance was crystal clear.

Thea kept her head held high, but her heart was racing. She couldn't stop smiling. For the first time, she felt truly protected without hesitation. A thrill ran through her.

"So, why did you come to see me? What did you learn about the Virtuex Group?" Nicolas's casual question brought her back to reality, snapping her out of her daydream

Thea slid the neatly organized files across the desk toward him. This is everything gathered this morning. It's mostly basic company information, but it gives a good overview," With that, she looked at him expectantly, eager for his response