His Mistress is His Ex-Wife
Chapter 64: Collaboration

Chapter 64: Collaboration

[ At Goddess Elixirs Cafe... ]

Lanny was the one who set the location for today’s meeting with Sasha. This newly established Cafe was also owned by Vladimir. But one of his loyal subordinates was overseeing the operation of this shop.

Lanny booked the entire cafe for the whole morning. With that, the shop won’t entertain customers today except Lanny, Athena, and the representatives from W Diamond Group.

Athena was wearing her gold Venetian half-mask, maintaining her mysterious aura.

Dressed in an elegant yet comfortable outfit, she entered the cafe with Lanny who also looked stunning in her blue casual dress.

The cafe manager guided them to the second floor where Sasha and Bella were waiting for them. The two women who were dressed in sleek business attire turned in their direction. Bella smiled at them while Sasha maintained her indifferent expression.

Sasha didn’t want to admit it but Athena exuded an air of elegance. Not only her, but even her manager, Lanny was such a beauty.

Meanwhile, Bella tried her best to stay calm. It was so hard for her not to shriek and scream in joy upon meeting her idol face-to-face. ’OMG. This is a dream come true! I can finally touch and shake Athena’s hands and talk to her up close.’ Bella observed Athena with her dreamy eyes.

"Director Sasha Smith, I presume?" Lanny greeted Sasha with a smile before turning to Bella. "And you must be the Marketing Coordinator, Miss Bella Stones?"

Both Sasha and Bella nodded in acknowledgment. "Please join us," Bella politely said, gesturing for them to sit down. Her eyes never left Athena’s face. She was over the moon when Athena smiled back at her.

’Oh my goodness! I swooned!’ Bella chewed on her lower lip.

"Director Smith and Miss Stones, thank you for meeting us here," Lanny conversed with them, allowing Athena to silently observe Sasha.

Gael was right. Sasha didn’t look like she was interested in recruiting Athena. A subtle hint of displeasure could be seen in her eyes as she stared at Athena.

"It’s our pleasure to have you, Athena, and Miss Lanny. We should be the ones thanking you for responding to our invitation. We are here to discuss an exciting opportunity with you," Bella began, leaning forward with anticipation.

Sasha’s face contorted when Bella spoke up, not minding her position. Sasha was the Director and she should be the one talking, not her.

Athena smiled inwardly seeing Sasha’s annoyed expression. "I’m all ears. Tell us more about this opportunity."

"Bella, Miss Lanny, can you please excuse us for a moment? I want to talk to Athena alone." Sasha broke her silence.

Lanny and Bella exchanged glances with one another. The two of them shifted their gaze to Athena as if they were asking her opinion.

Athena nodded, giving them a reassuring smile. "Sure. Let’s do that. Ladies, can you leave us?"

Feeling dejected, Bella could only comply with their request. Lanny, on the other hand, winked at Athena. She was confident that Athena could deal with Sasha easily so she didn’t have to worry.

"Come, Bella. I’ll treat you. Let’s go downstairs and order them some foodies and drinks." Lanny grabbed Bella, leading her downstairs. Though reluctant, Bella could only follow her.

"I’ll be frank with you, Athena. I don’t like you. I think Minerva is more deserving of this endorsement than you. It’s just that the management of our company wanted a new face. And it happens to be you."

’She is a sore loser.’ Athena thought to herself.

Instead of mocking Sasha, Athena maintained her friendly smile. "What should I do to make you like me, Director Smith? What a shame! I like you... your frankness and bold attitude. I want you to become my friend."

Sasha raised an eyebrow, intrigued. She didn’t expect to hear those praises from Athena.

"Tell me, Director Smith. Did I do something to offend you? Please enlighten me." Athena was testing how honest Sasha could be. Would she mention Dominique and the auction?

Sasha clenched her fists before confronting Athena. "Do you know Dominique Smith? My husband." She deliberately emphasized the word "husband".

’Oh great! This is what I am waiting for.’ Athena’s eyes lit up.

"Wait! So you are Dominique’s wife?!" Athena gasped, pretending to be shocked.

Sasha’s expression darkened further when she heard that. ’So she knew my husband. She met him!’

"Yes. I’m his WIFE."

"Oh, nice! I’m so curious about you, Mrs. Smith! I’m glad I’ve finally met you! Your husband spoke so highly of you! I can say that he is madly in love with you!"

Sasha was taken aback for a moment. She was confused by Athena’s strange reaction. Instead of being threatened or intimidated, Athena looked more cheerful and elated about knowing her.

"Why are you saying this? Have you talked to him?"

"Of course! I met Mr. Smith at the Circles Event. He was the one who won the bid."

Sasha stood up with clenched fists. She had the urge to slap Athena because she didn’t even deny meeting Dominique. She even felt proud about it.

However, just before Sasha could raise her hand to strike, Athena continued speaking with enthusiasm. "Mr. Smith is a good friend of Mr. Ashton Davis! He assisted his friend in winning the bidding. Did you know that Ashton is a devoted fan of mine? He’s quite charming. Among my fans, he stands out as one of my favorites."

Sasha: "..."

Sasha remained in a state of confusion as Athena shifted the conversation to Ashton, her hand frozen midair.

"I vividly recall Ashton’s gentlemanly gesture. I invited him on stage during one of my performances. Can you guess what he did? He kissed my hand like a prince charming from a Cinderella story."

"D-Do you like Ashton?" Sasha asked her in disbelief.

"Yes, of course. That’s why I recognized him right away during our first meeting in the Circles Event."

Sasha blinked in amusement, lowering her hand. She felt a little bit embarrassed. She almost slapped Athena. But it turned out Ashton was telling the truth. Athena’s words supported Ashton’s story wherein he stated that Dominique only helped his best friend to win the bid.

’I was so wrong to assume and get jealous of Athena for nothing.’ Sasha mused to herself.

Meanwhile, Athena tried her best to conceal her triumphant smile. She could feel that Sasha’s hatred toward her had gone.

’Haha! She believes my words. I didn’t expect that I could easily change her impression of me, letting her believe that I’m more interested in Ashton than Dominique.’

After a while, Athena gasped and blurted out. "Oh my gosh. Director Smith, perhaps... did you get mad at me because of Mr. Smith? I’m so sorry about that. But believe me, I don’t have something to do with him. And I’ve heard a lot of stories about you and him. You are a famous couple here in York City."

"Mr. Smith is also faithful to you. He is a good husband," Athena added without batting an eyelid.

"But I’ve noticed something during the Circles Event. You have to be wary of someone. There is a woman who kept pestering Mr. Smith. My manager saw her flirting and seducing him. Wait... what is her name again..." Athena paused for a moment.

"Oh, I remembered. Her name is Melody! I hate the likes of her. Innocent outside, but a bitch inside."

Athena was trying her best to earn Sasha’s trust and gain her favor. She even used Melody’s name. It was a good diversion tactic. Instead of Sasha focusing on her, she used Melody to divert her anger and jealousy. After all, the two were rivals!

Meanwhile, Sasha remained silent. After hearing Athena’s remarks, she returned to her seat.

"I think I should apologize to you for my rudeness, Miss Athena. I misjudged you." Sasha finally eased up in front of Athena. Her dark expression was long gone. She was now smiling at her.

"Oh. It’s alright. I understand you, Director Smith. If I were in your position, I would have acted the same way. But thank you for giving me a chance to clear this misunderstanding with you." Athena’s eyes sparkled with delight. It looked like she successfully deceived Sasha.

It did not take long before Sasha handed Athena a document containing the proposal for Athena to become the product endorser for Mystery Jewel Product Launch.

Athena browsed through the portfolio, studying the visuals and campaign concept. She shifted her gaze from the document to Sasha and said, "I must admit, it’s an interesting proposal."

"As the face of Mystery Jewel, you will not only represent the brand but also embody its essence," Sasha explained, her eyes fixed on Athena. "Your influence, grace, and enigmatic charisma align perfectly with the image we want to convey to our audience."

After a few moments of contemplation, Athena nodded with a confident smile. "I’m honored by the offer, Sasha. I like the theme of Mystery Jewel. I believe this collaboration could be mutually beneficial." She extended her right hand, accepting Sasha’s offer.

Sasha accepted her hand, relieved by Athena’s positive response. "I’m glad. Your presence will undoubtedly elevate Mystery Jewel especially W Diamond Group to new heights. Let’s sign the contract."

"Sure... and let’s be friends!" Athena declared, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

Sasha let out a soft giggle as she continued to shake Athena’s hand. "Okay. Let’s be friends."

Soon, Sasha and Athena allowed Bella and Lanny to join them once again. They continued to discuss the details of the endorsement. Athena and Lanny secretly met each other’s gaze, smiling triumphantly.