shuhaige
Chapter 31
Chapter 31
So what?
Was he expecting her to call out his full name?
“Others might think it disrespectful of me, right?” Madison always had a subconscious habit of considering other people’s feelings.
The car doors had been opened, and the two of them got into the backseat one after the other.
This time, Ethan initiated the privacy divider between the front and back seats…
William rolled his eyes in the front seat. Did they really need secrets between them now?
As soon as the divider came down, Ethan spoke, “Why concern. yourself with those who bring you no benefit? As long as I don’t feel disrespected by you, isn’t that all that matters?”
Madison tilted her head, her voice tentative as she asked, “May I inquire what exactly would make you feel… disrespected by me?”
Silence filled the car, punctuated only by the hum of the road
eneath them.
Just when Madison thought she might have asked the wrong question, the man replied, “If you were to show any leniency towards that reservist ex-husband of yours, I would take it as a lack of respect
towards me.”
???
How were the two even connected?
Madison was baffled.
Truth be told, she had many questions.
Like, how did her boss come to nickname her reservist ex-husband
so casually?
And why was her boss so concerned about her personal affairs?
But Ethan didn’t offer any explanation on this topic.
He gazed out the window, his voice slow but pointed, “The dinner may or may not include a drinks reception. If you can’t handle your liquor, don’t pick up a wine glass. Sticking to soft drinks is fine.”
After a pause, he added, “Don’t worry about what others might say. Not today, nor any other day. As long as you’re with me, you needn’t have any concerns.”
Madison’s normally steady heart skipped a beat at his words.
She wasn’t so naive as to have never experienced romance before.
This kind of protectiveness….
It seemed to go beyond the usual boss-subordinate relationship.
But Madison, clever as ever, didn’t ask. She adhered to the role of a good subordinate, “Got it.”
smiled faintly, absentmindedly tucking a stray lock of hair her ear, “Good girl.”
dison instinctively turned her face away, feeling her ears grow
explicably warm.
Later, the privacy divider was raised again.
William, ever tactful, didn’t look back, instead sharing, “Jingzhou issued an earthquake warning signal this morning.”
Ethan’s demeanor instantly turned serious, “Inform the company
now, cancel all flights to Jingzhou for the next three days. All crews currently stranded in Jingzhou should return immediately, even if it means flying empty planes back.”
William had anticipated this response and was already drafting the company announcement.
Madison touched her earlobe, “It’s the second time Jingzhou has had this problem.”
Ethan nodded, “The last time was over a decade ago. Delayed
actions then resulted in one of our planes being damaged, and three crew members never made it back.”
Jingzhou, notorious for frequent tsunamis and earthquakes, had rarely seen flights in its direction over the years. Yet, it couldn’t be denied that its urban development was exceptionally well-done.
“President Grant, I anticipate we’ll need to head there tomorrow or the day after. The city conference has over two thousand pre-booked passengers. We can’t just return the flights empty.”
Normally, such circumstances would see the company’s executives rush to the scene, but Ethan never allowed his pilots to venture into such peril personally.
“We’ll go the day after tomorrow,” Ethan declared.
lison glanced at him.
She remembered a conversation with an old pilot who mentioned that a certain airline owner would personally rush to the scene.
whenever his staff faced any danger
Could they be talking about Ethan?
Unsurprised, Ethan confirmed, “Set it for the day after tomorrow.”
Outside the red carpet event.
Celebrities and big names arrived in waves, clad in dazzling formal attire, all vying for the chance to present their most glamorous selves in front of the cameras for that brief moment on the carpet.
“Sophia! Sophia!”
“SophiaSophia!”
Fans shouted Sophia’s name passionately from behind the barriers. Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
Sophia, who had just appeared, donned a black evening gown. Not too form-fitting, to conceal her slightly rounded belly, her style leaned towards an elegant and noble demeanor-consistent with her public image of being well-read and sensible.
But only Sophia knew, the fans chanting her name were people Lucas had paid to rally support, fearing no one would recognize Sophia and cause her embarrassment.
The walk down the red carpet was organized by the celebrity’s status, with various well-known figures from all fields taking the
finale.
“I’ve heard Mukino International’s boss might be here today,” Sophia mentioned casually.
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d at her, “Have you met them?”
I’ve heard they’re quite young,” Sophia replied, adjusting
the outside, the stars stood at various points, some exchanging reetings in a pretense of cordiality.
When the time came, organizers began ushering celebrities inside.
Lucas had spent over ten million to ensure Sophia’s entrance was
timed just right, placing her in the middle of the procession.
Small stars, rising stars, A-listers, and international award winners-
everyone made their successive entrances,
Sophia deliberately lingered on the red carpet longer than most, striking poses in every direction, desperate for the cameras to capture her.
Yet for someone of Sophia’s status, the paparazzi were reluctant to snap more than one shot-that was already a boon.
After over a hundred celebrities had walked the red carpet and
settled inside, the renowned figures from various industries began to
appear.
Inside the venue.
Even the current top actress was inquiring quietly, “Has the
Chairman of Mukino International arrived?”
“Doesn’t seem so yet.”
The front row seats remained vacant, the number of empty spaces quite low.
Those arriving tonight all had their companions, mostly agents or ssistants of the stars in attendance.
“Sophia, did you change assistants?” a lesser-known celebrity inquired.
Sophia laughed it off, “No, he’s an old friend of mine, been
supporting me for years. He came especially to cheer me on today.”
The crowd didn’t think much of it; after all, if there was anything
The crow they wouldn’t dare bring them out so openly.
“Here they come!”.
“That one leading the way is the boss of Hongxing Media, right?”
murmured someone, “The company that’s launched eighteen award- winning actors?”
“And the one behind is…”
“Their boss is here too?”
Envy and jealousy shone in the eyes of the actresses as they admired the female companions of these powerful men.
These influential figures were now making their way into the venue, taking their seats in the first row.
After about seven or eight chairpersons had sat down, a buzz of excitement began to spread.
An established actress sitting in the second row remarked, “The
Chairman of Mukino International has arrived.”
Nearby stars craned their necks to see, some even stretching
forward.
From afar, at the entrance, there was a sparkling cascade of lights.
A tall man was visible among the crowd, dressed in a black suit. much like the other chairpersons.
And by his side was a woman with a delicate and graceful silhouette.
Sophia could only make out the general figure, “The woman by the side of Mukino International’s Chairman must be someone special,
right?”
Lucas, sitting beside her, scoffed quietly to himself.