Chapter 4 The Divorce Was Worth It
1034 Words
The shareholder meeting proceeded with everyone on edge, fearful of being caught in an error by Adelyn.
By the time it concluded, it was already midday.
As the other shareholders went out, only Carl and Adelyn remained in the expansive room.
"You really gave Tyrell a tough time," Carl said, chuckling at the thought of Tyrell's frustrated face.
"I was just stating the truth. If his management is a mess, he shouldn't strut around here acting all high and mighty," Adelyn retorted with a scoff.
Carl gave her a thumbs-up. "My sister is always right. You can always handle things perfectly."
"Except for marrying Randal," Adelyn quipped, "but thank goodness, it's over now."
"Anyway, what did Tyrell mean by whom you side with? What happened?"
Carl frowned and explained, "It's about the restoration of St. John's Church. I planned to have A&C Studio and Barnett Construction compete for the bid, but Tyrell opposed it."
A&C Studio was a gift from Carl to Adelyn after she graduated.
Over the years, as Adelyn hurried into marriage and lacked the energy to manage it, the studio had just managed to keep afloat.
Tyrell's opposition stemmed from the high visibility of the St. John's Church restoration project and A&C Studio's lack of notable experience.
Additionally, since Eaton Enterprise had never ventured into the construction sector, he was reluctant to get involved.
"He thinks A&C Studio stands no chance against Barnett Construction, and it would only embarrass our company. He also wants to recommend a construction firm he knows," Carl added.
A&C Studio was actually once quite competitive.
Adelyn had secretly secured three architectural projects impressive enough to astonish the world, but because of her full devotion to Randal, she had given them to him to help stabilize his position at Barnett Construction.
Now, she could only regard her past decisions as foolish.
The stagnation of A&C Studio was entirely due to that decision.
But this time, she was determined to win.
Her involvement was the biggest competitive edge for A&C Studio!
"When does the bidding for St. John's Church start?"
"At 1 PM, Monday."
Adelyn made up her mind. "Hey, hand over the team to me in secret. I'll lead the bid this time! I'll have a head-to-head battle with Randal for this project!"
Carl was pleasantly surprised. He exclaimed with a smile, "The divorce was worth it."
His confident and capable sister was finally back!
Adelyn said, feeling a bit worried, "It's just that finding a mural restoration expert is quite challenging."
Carl had someone in mind. "You remember Trent, the guy you saw earlier? One reason I agreed to let him buy shares is that his company has a top-notch mural restoration expert. You should talk to him."
Adelyn found Trent downstairs in the cafe. He was sitting gracefully, holding a coffee in one hand and browsing a tablet with the other. A seafood lunch was laid out in front of him.
"Mr. Morrell." Adelyn approached. "Is this seat taken?"
"No, please take a seat," Trent replied, putting down his things.
Adelyn got straight to the point. "I want to discuss a potential collaboration. With your help, A&C Studio will surely win the upcoming bid."
Trent paused, thinking for a moment. "I'd like to see what A&C Studio is capable of first. Would you be willing to take on a challenge?"
Adelyn considered briefly. "I understand your concerns. A&C Studio won't fail you."
"I have a stable that needs renovation. Can you handle it?"
Adelyn agreed without hesitation.
After lunch, Trent's Alfa Romeo arrived to pick them up.
Soon, they reached the outskirts of the city, arriving at a large ranch. Adelyn realized that the "stable" Trent wanted to renovate was actually the famous Starlight Ranch!
The place was enormous, spanning almost the size of six or seven football fields. Known for its high membership fees, it catered to the elite and offered professional services, making it extremely popular.
She was surprised to learn that this impressive property belonged to Trent!
A&C Studio's first project was a major one, requiring careful planning to balance both convenience and professionalism in the design.
Despite the challenge, Adelyn was confident.
However, she could really use some help with the site survey...
Alone, she pulled out her tools. "I'll start the site survey and try to have a layout drawn up by this afternoon."
"Take your time. If you need anything, just let my assistant know," Trent said, assigning a staff member to assist her.
Under the scorching sun, Adelyn's forehead soon glistened with sweat as she measured and recorded data. Dust clung to her clothes, but even without makeup, her beauty remained unaffected.
Before long, she had a floor plan sketched out, marking current issues and potential improvements.
As she was about to find Trent, a loud, mocking voice interrupted her.
"Well, well, look who it is! Isn't that Adelyn?"
Adelyn looked up and saw Randal and his friends approaching.
The speaker was one of Randal's buddies.
"Didn't expect to see you working as a stable hand after leaving Randal."
They burst into laughter, clearly thinking Adelyn's life had gone downhill since leaving Randal.
Adelyn frowned but decided to ignore them. She had more important things to focus on.
"What? Trying to ignore us? If you hadn't divorced Randal, he could still be giving you money. Who are you fooling?"
"Whether I work here or anywhere else is none of your business. Besides, without your parents' money, you'd be nothing."
"You!"
"Hey, don't get so aggressive. If you want money, we can make a bet. How about a horse race? If you win, I'll give you a hundred thousand dollars, and you won't have to work here anymore. And if you lose, you apologize to Randal and admit the divorce was a mistake."
"No!" Adelyn refused.
The rich kid was about to mock her again when Adelyn continued, "I'll race you, but if I win, you have to crawl out of this ranch on your knees like a dog."
Infuriated by the proposal, the rich kid snapped, "Deal! And if you lose, you'll not only apologize to Randal, but you'll also kneel and admit the divorce was your fault!"
- Writer
