Ambition and obsession - Season 1 Episode 12

The next morning, Nicole got ready before changing into black formal wear. She had a great curvy figure, and her fitted suit hugged her voluptuous curves in all the right places, making her look mature and somewhat professional from a distance. She waited for Hayden to get up. After they had breakfast together, she told him to stay home and be good; only after that did she leave the house in a hurry.

Unbeknownst to her, however, as soon as she left the house, Hayden took out her cell phone and dialed Colton’s phone number…

…

On the top floor of a tall building, a man dressed in a black suit sat in a brightly lit office, giving off icy vibes with a hint of uneasiness in his narrowed eyes. Tapping his cold, pale finger on the table, he said in a voice as cold as the cold, piercing winter wind, “Is this how you guys are doing your job?”

Those before him lowered their heads without making a sound.

As time passed, the chill in the air became even more apparent. Finally, someone bit the bullet and stepped forward, saying in a timid voice, “President Gardner, it was Miss Anderson who did this. W-we don’t dare stop her.” They had chosen a manufacturer to order this batch of materials from, but Queenie insisted that they order from another manufacturer. Knowing about her relationship with Colton, everyone didn’t dare stop her.

Queenie, huh… Colton pursed his thin lips before waving his hand. “Ignore her decisions from now on. Just throw away this batch of substandard materials and reorder the materials.”

Hearing Colton’s words, everyone finally sighed in relief. It would be fine as long as he doesn’t blame us, they thought. Now that Colton had given his word, they replied, “Alright, President Colton,” in relief. Then, they immediately left, fearing that he would backtrack.

Colton closed his eyes for a short break as he was left alone in the office. His skin was cold and pale, and his fingers were slender; he placed his fingers gently around his eyes, massaging them slowly. Five years ago, he had been drugged by a business rival, but Queenie had saved him at the critical moment. That was her first time, and I had spent five years returning the favor since then. For the past five years, I had gratified all her vanity, granting her every wish. Still, I didn’t expect that not only was she not satisfied with this, but she had also risked her luck by ordering goods from another manufacturer without permission! Since that’s how it is…

At this moment, his cell phone suddenly rang; it was an incoming call from an unknown number. He looked down, picked up the phone, and answered the call.

On the other end of the line was a clear child’s voice, which sounded a bit like an adult despite its childish quality. “Hello, are you Mr. Colton Gardner?”

“Uh-huh,” Colton muttered. If I remember correctly, that voice belongs to the guy from the airport, he thought. He was a little curious about what kind of tricks this kid would pull—or what kind of tricks his mother would like to pull, to be exact.

“I’m calling to tell you that my mother is coming to your company soon. She’s going to give you a document, and the second-to-last page of the document has my hair on it,” Hayden said quickly; he had tucked the hair into the document without Nicole’s knowledge. “I’m your biological son. If you don’t believe me, you can take a DNA paternity test on my hair.”

Secretly, Colton was amused, but when he wanted to speak, Hayden interrupted him arrogantly. “You don’t have to say anything. Just listen to me. I’m four years old now. You might want to think about whether you’ve had contact with a woman in the past five years, especially during the period between December and February. If you have, please take the DNA paternity test,”

“You’re the CEO of Gardner Corporation. Owning 51% of the company’s stock, you have full ownership of the company. We’ve met before and I’m pleased with your appearance. And besides, we’re blood relatives, so I consider you qualified to be my father,” Hayden continued. Concerned, he added, “It won’t be long before you take the paternity test. Regardless of whether I’m lying or not, isn’t it great to be able to clear up your doubts?” With that, he quickly hung up without giving Colton a chance to respond.

Looking at his phone, Colton couldn’t help but be amused. This is the first time I’ve been told how to do things—and by a boy, of all people? As I recall, the child’s mother’s name is Nicole, huh?

…

Meanwhile, having arrived at Gardner Corporation, Nicole looked up at the building towering into the sky. The company deserved its reputation as a leading corporation in the country. The fact that it could afford such a tall building in downtown Goldwick—an area where real estate prices were sky-high—as its facilities The announcement was proof enough of the company’s enormous potential.

When Nicole walked up to the front desk with the contract, the receptionist politely asked, “Good morning, Miss. May I help you?”

Nicole nodded slightly, saying, “I’m Lisa from F&M Apparel, and I have an appointment with President Gardner today. Please tell him I’ve arrived.”

As soon as Nicole revealed her identity, a look of surprise flashed across the receptionist’s face.

Recalling the rumors spread by Zachary, Nicole had no choice but to hand over the work badge in her bag. Carrying her work badge everywhere she went was not her style, but because of what happened last time, she decided to bring it on this trip.

Seeing that the work badge had the F&M Apparel logo on it, the receptionist finally greeted her respectfully, “Nice to meet you, Ms. Lisa. President Gardner specifically told us that you can take the elevator to the 28th floor directly. The office will be on your left.”

“Alright. Thank you very much,” Nicole said with a smile before taking back her work badge and walking upstairs.

Although it was rush hour, the elevator Nicole took was the president’s private elevator, which could go directly to the president’s office, making her the only person in the empty elevator. After arriving at the president’s office, she gave a professional smile and gently knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Nicole frowned slightly; she couldn’t help but feel that she had heard the voice somewhere. However, she didn’t think much about it, pushed open the door and walked in.

As soon as she entered the spacious and well-lit office, she saw a reddish-brown desk, behind which sat a man dressed in a suit that projected the aura of an elite from every pore. At this point, he was handling documents with his head down, allowing Nicole to see his sleekly cropped black hair and chiseled jaw.

“Hi, I’m Lisa from F&M Apparel. This time, I’m here on behalf of F&M Apparel to discuss our upcoming collaboration with Gardner Corporation next summer,” Nicole said, introducing herself.

As soon as she finished introducing herself, the man finally looked up, revealing his bold eyebrows, dark eyes, upturned nose, and thin lips. Surprisingly, it was a face Nicole was very familiar with. It’s Colton Gardner, the weirdo I met at the airport the other day! And to think, he’s the president of Gardner Corporation!