Betrayed By Husband, Stolen By Brother In Law
Chapter 172: Vicious (2)

Chapter 172: Vicious (2)

"What do you know about her other than she was Lady Collins’ friend’s granddaughter and Spencer’s ex-wife? Has she ever told you anything about herself?"

Saira stopped when she did not hear a reply. She’d turned away from him when he’d disregarded her but now that she had raised doubts in his mind and possibly disgust in his mind for Melanie, she wanted to look at his expression. He’d probably look ashen and have something to say now at least.

He sat there, calm and detached, one leg stretched out, head tilted slightly back against the seat rest and playing on his phone. And now she noticed — a pair of sleek, black noise-canceling headphones sat snugly over his ears, covering them completely.

He hadn’t heard a single word she had said.

Saira stared at him, her mouth slightly open, the burn of humiliation flooding her cheeks. Her earlier satisfaction crumbled into dust. Her hands clenched tightly in her lap, trembling from the effort it took to keep from exploding.

Adam, sensing her gaze, lazily sent her a look. He caught her furious expression and gave her the faintest hint of a smirk — so slight she could have imagined it. Then, without a word, turned back to his game, shutting her out like she was no more than an irritating buzzing mosquito in the background.

Saira wanted to scream but she forced herself to calm down. So what he had not heard her? She could always use another opportunity. After all, they were trapped on this plane together for the next few hours and together in Maniwa for the next few days. Time was on her side.

She forced a small, sweet smile onto her face, masking the fury roiling inside her. Fine. Let him play his games for now. Let him act superior, untouchable. But Adam Collins had a temper, and Saira knew how to chip away at it. She knew the cracks under that cool mask better than anyone. And she would like to see when his face when he found out the truth about Melanie’s past.

***

Melanie had no time to brood or even think about her discussion from this morning with Adam because she was totally engrossed in work. The phone buzzed incessantly in her pocket, but she barely registered the notifications as she typed out emails, took calls, and made notes for her upcoming project. Somehow, despite employing new employees, she was getting busier instead or relatively free.

The morning’s conversation with Adam that had left her unsettled — slipped further and further from her mind as the hours passed.

She barely noticed when her phone buzzed again with some incoming message. Instead, she clicked through her supplier list, considering new options for her upcoming designs. She needed high-quality materials for her furniture line, and the thought of being stuck with subpar stock made her stomach tighten.

It had been a struggle to bring back their name to the top and keep up with demand, and some of her best suppliers were either raising their prices or falling short on delivery. She was almost tempted to bang her head against her own desk! Why could things not go normally and smoothly for once!

Just then, the phone on her desk buzzed and she answered without thinking. And this time, it was a call from one of their long-time suppliers. As she heard his voice, she could not help but ask eagerly," Please tell me you have the walnut and oak wood.

The older man laughed into the phone," I do not have the wood for you. But I’ve got news that you need to hear."

"Well, you know that wood supplier, Peterson & Co., right? The one who always has the best walnut and oak for furniture? Turns out they’re closing their business. Retirement or something, I’m not exactly sure. But here’s the kicker—they’re holding an closed auction for their final batch of materials."

Melanie’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of Peterson & Co. Their wood was the best, and she’d been struggling to source a consistent supply.

"An auction?" she asked, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice. "How soon is it?"

"Tomorrow." he answered, sounding almost as eager as she felt. "I thought of you immediately. If you’re interested, you could go there and be the big buyer. That could solve your supply problem for months, even years. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this. You might have to go immediately."

"Send me the details," she said, already plotting out her the finances in her mind. "I’ll be there. Thanks for the heads-up."

Melanie hung up the phone, her heart pounding with excitement. The thought of securing Peterson & Co.’s final batch of materials — the finest walnut and oak — was too good to pass up. It was the break she needed to solve the supply problem and elevate their reputation.

She quickly dialed Ben’s number.

"Ben, I need you to cancel all my meetings for the rest of the day and tomorrow," she said in a voice clipped with urgency.

Ben seemed to hesitate, clearly surprised by the abruptness of the request. "But, Melanie, you’ve got—"

"I don’t have time for this," she cut him off, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. "Just make it happen."

Without waiting for another response, she ended the call and began gathering her things. Her mind raced, still calculating the financials and the logistics of the auction. She glanced at her phone and raced through the office already thinking of the best bid.

As she walked away from the office, she realized that there was also a message from Adam. She frowned. Why would he message her?

Just as she clicked on the phone to check the message, her phone bizzzed with another incoming call. Forgetting about the message, she quickly answered the call, only to hear her voice whine into her ear about the problem with the wood.

She took a deep breath and asked her to calm down, while assuring her that she would soon resolve this problem... And that is how she reached the airport to take the next flight out...