Chapter 96

With keen intuition, Edwin discreetly shut the door to the private room and stole a glimpse of Winnie's profile. He, too, found her intriguing. Surprisingly, the chairman had taken notice of Winnie even before he did.

Edwin smiled wryly and left. Inside the private room, Winnie immediately took out a paper and a pen, feeling apologetic, she said, "I have already come up with a preliminary idea for Mrs. Harrington's necklace but I didn't expect to meet you today so I didn't bring it. However, I can redraw it for you here."

Rock saw that she didn't even touch her food since she was completely focused on her work. A hint of admiration sparkled in his warm eyes. He nodded and said, "Your memory is quite good."

"It is okay. If you're satisfied with this draft, I will choose the best jewelry for it." Winnie began to sketch. Rock stood up and walked over, his hand casually in his pocket.

He spoke elegantly, "Don't call me Mr. Rock, I don't like it. It makes me feel old even though I am indeed ten years older than you. I've never seen such a young female CEO. You're quite impressive."

Winnie met his playful gaze, feeling a tad bashful at his compliment. She offered a gentle smile and inquired, "How about this design, Rock?"

"Sure." He agreed.

He stood next to her chair, watching her drawing.

Back at Imperial Jewelry, Darcy received a report from her assistant and her eyes gleamed with delight. "The Rock from the Harrington family? Are you sure?"

The assistant explained the situation carefully and Darcy hung up the phone, a deep smile appearing on her lips. She didn't anticipate that the company associated to Winnie's male classmate was the Harrington Group, owned by Rock Harrington.

Rock had a substantial background, posing a more formidable figure compared to Winnie's male classmate. Darcy found this situation intriguing and promptly returned to the meeting room just as Mr. Rodriguez concluded his meeting with the leaders and emerged from the urban planning bureau.

It was lunchtime and Darcy touched her stomach, casually saying, "I know of a nice restaurant called Golden Club. Shall we go there to eat? We still have something to do at the urban planning bureau in the afternoon."

It was close by so Mr. Rodriguez nodded in agreement. He didn't care where they were going for lunch. Then, he glanced at his phone, slightly disappointed that Winnie hadn't bothered to ask if he had lunch yet. She seemed to be completely absorbed in her work.

With a displeased expression, he pressed the accelerator down and arrived at the Golden Club in no time. When they got out of the car, Darcy walked in front of him. She glanced at the private room near the window of Golden Club and suddenly stopped. She hesitated for a moment before stating, "Mr. Rodriguez, last night you asked me to find out who Ms. Winnie had been in contact with among the suppliers. I found out." Darcy pointed at the window of the private room.

The hesitation from Darcy was enough time for Mr. Rodriguez to take a drag from his cigarette. He casually glanced to one side and after a momentary pause, he saw a man and a woman in a room covered with white curtains. His face turned cold.

His eyes were fixated on Winnie in the private room. She wore a snug pink sweater paired with a white pencil skirt, accentuating her curves perfectly. The attractive man leaned casually against her chair, his head tilted downward. From Mr. Rodriguez's perspective, the man's lips hovered tantalizingly close to the top of Winnie's head.

As they leaned in toward each other, engaged in hushed conversation, the room remained empty of anyone else. The curtains were only partially drawn, creating an air of ambiguity.

That man turned out to be Rock Harrington, a recognition that dawned on Mr. Rodriguez instantly. Rock was the second son of the influential Harrington family and held a prominent position within the Harrington Group.

His fists were clenched tightly and he sneered. "So, she is currently discussing with the male supplier that she had found herself?" He turned his head sharply and looked at Darcy.

Darcy, who had been avoiding eye contact, appeared stunned as her gaze fixed on the window. In frustration, she muttered, "How is this even possible? Damn it. Mr. Rodriguez, Ms. Winnie, she..."

"She discovered Rock? The Rock you were investigating?" Mr. Rodriguez's eyes turned utterly cold.

A low chuckle escaped the man's throat. "Refusing my help and insisting on finding a man to cooperate with who turned out to be the chairman of the Harrington Group, not bad."

He had reasoned for her last night, believing that she didn't trust him enough. But now, he doubted that it was genuinely about trust. Perhaps she still didn't know his identity and looked down on his assistance.

Mr. Rodriguez, as icy as a glacier, gazed at her enchanting countenance as she charmed another man, sensing a piercing pang in his heart. She appeared to relish being a social butterfly, effortlessly mingling with men and leveraging her beauty to seal business deals.

It appeared that women in the business world were never straightforward. Recalling the events of the previous night, he remembered her audacious flirting. He found it hard to believe that Winnie could be so innocent yet irresistibly captivating in his presence.

This was no simple matter. When she set her sights on reclaiming Triton, he should have anticipated her ambition. She was inherently driven. The man's icy demeanor intensified, his brow furrowing. He recalled the last time, when he had misunderstood the situation between her and Daniel.

After their disagreement, they vowed to place more trust in each other. He reminded himself not to be so upset and resolved to clarify things with her. He then pulled out his phone and dialed Winnie's number.

Winnie's pocket vibrated suddenly, startling her from her thoughts. She suddenly noticed Rock who was looking down at the manuscript, a little too close to her.

"Mr. Rock?" She hurriedly furrowed her eyebrows.

Rock gazed at her delicate hands, her silky skin radiating a milk-like fragrance. The sweet scent of a girl enveloped him and for an instant, he found himself slightly captivated.

Shaking off his trance, Rock suppressed his unease and slowly stood up. "Sorry, my vision isn't very good. I wanted to see clearly what you were drawing."

Winnie saw Mr. Rodriguez's call and immediately stood up. "Let me take a call first, Rock." Rock nodded.

She eagerly answered the call with a hint of a smile on her face, making him wonder who could be calling her to evoke such excitement.

Winnie walked to the window outside the private room and answered the call. Her cherry lips curved into a sweet smile. "Mr. Rodriguez, why are you calling me? Have you eaten?"

"Where are you?" The man's voice was colder than usual.

Winnie hesitated, wondering why he sounded so displeased. She quickly replied, "Oh, I'm outside discussing on a collaboration."

"With whom? A man or a woman?" Mr. Rodriguez stared intensely at the smiling face in the window, his eyes filled with coldness.

Winnie suddenly felt a chill down her spine. She turned to look at Rock in the private room. It reminded her of her encounter with Daniel in the restroom which had left her somewhat traumatized.

If Mr. Rodriguez knew it was a young man, he would definitely make unwarranted assumptions and his current tone wasn't pleasant. Subconsciously not wanting him to be suspicious, she lied. "It's a woman. I'm just doing my job. Do you really need to check up on me?"

"Fine." Mr. Rodriguez sneered abruptly before he abruptly hung up the phone.

He tightly closed his eyes for a few seconds and when he reopened his eyes, they exuded a terrifying aura that could freeze everything within a five-meter radius!

The bewildered executives exchanged confused glances. Darcy couldn't help but laugh on the inside, but on her face, she looked anxious as she weakly grasped at Mr. Rodriguez's sleeve.

"Mr. Rodriguez, please don't be angry. Ms. Winnie was indeed in the wrong this time. You kindly helped her in vain. She rejected such a great opportunity and instead turned to Mr. Rock. However, she may not realize that you and him aren't compatible. I have faith in her. I believe she wouldn't go behind your back to pursue after Mr. Rock's wealth and connections."