Chapter 11
725 Words
The moment Luke saw Nate getting ready to leave, he quickly stepped into his path with a pleasant smile.
"Uncle Nate," he greeted cheerfully.
Nate looked slightly surprised before returning a polite smile. "Luke. Fancy seeing you here."
"It's been quite a while since we last met. Looks like business has been keeping you busy."
Nate nodded. "You're right. I am a very busy person indeed," he replied, emphasizing every word as he calmly held Luke's gaze.
"Yeah... right," Luke answered with an awkward smile.
He wasn't stupid enough to miss what Nate was implying. The man was busy and clearly wanted to leave. But that wasn't why he had stopped him.
"Oh, by the way, Mom's here too," Luke said, gesturing toward their table.
Madam Sofia smiled warmly at Nate. "Good afternoon, Nate."
"Good afternoon, Sofia," Nate greeted politely before his gaze shifted to the woman sitting beside her.
Noticing Nate's reaction, Luke immediately seized the opportunity.
"And this is my fiancée, Celine."
Nate looked visibly surprised. "Your fiancée?" he repeated.
A proud smile spread across Luke's face. "Yeah."
Nate's brows slowly knitted together. "But... aren't you married to Barbara Ferrer?" he asked, clearly confused.
"Oh, I guess you haven't heard yet. Barbara and I already went our separate ways after she sold her company to me."
"She sold her company to you?" Nate asked again, making sure he had heard correctly.
When he had spoken with Barbara, she had never mentioned anything about selling Oceana. What exactly had happened between them that Luke had ended up owning the company?
"Yeah."
Nate's frown deepened.
"Why?"
"Barbara couldn't handle Oceana anymore. You know how she is—she's not good at business. Ever since we got married, I was the one running the company because she wasn't capable of managing it herself. Even the board didn't want an incompetent CEO, so she decided to sell the company to me instead," Luke explained confidently.
Nate silently shook his head. He had spoken with Barbara several times already, and he had never been wrong when it came to judging people.
Barbara was exceptional in business.
That much, he was certain of.
At that moment, Sofia stood up and moved beside Luke.
"That's right. Luke is now the head of Oceana, and we're currently looking for valuable partnership opportunities. I believe Stavros Logistics would be a perfect match for Oceana. Don't you think so?"
The corner of Nate's lips slowly lifted. It was more accurate to say that Oceana needed Stavros Logistics—not the other way around.
But there was no point correcting both mother and son.
Sofia nearly clapped in delight when she noticed the interest in Nate's eyes.
Just a little more...
Once they secured his favor, they would finally have a strong connection with Stavros Corporation.
After their brief conversation, Nate excused himself.
As he settled into his car, he continued watching the three of them through the window for a few moments before the vehicle finally pulled away from the restaurant.
"Did Luke really buy Lady Barbara's company, Master Nate?" Ryan asked curiously.
If Luke had acquired Oceana through a completely legal transaction, Lady Barbara would have no grounds to reclaim it.
But from what Ryan had observed, it seemed obvious that Luke had done something to get the company into his hands.
"Find out everything about the ownership transfer of Oceana," Nate ordered authoritatively. "I'm going to need that information in the future."
"Understood, Master Nate."
Barbara slept soundly that afternoon and didn't wake until evening.
After freshening up, she stepped out of her bedroom.
She immediately found Debbie waiting in the living room, as though she had been expecting her. The moment Debbie saw her, she quickly stood and approached her.
"Are you hungry, Lady Barbara? What would you like to eat? I'll prepare it for you," she offered enthusiastically.
"You know how to cook?"
"Yes, Lady Barbara. I can do all the household chores. Those were Master Nate's requirements so he wouldn't have to hire too many people to maintain the penthouse."
Barbara nodded thoughtfully.
"I'm not hungry yet, but I need you to do something for me."
"What is it, Lady Barbara?"
"Tell Ryan that I'd like to speak with his boss tonight."
She paused, her eyes turning determined.
"I have something important I need to discuss with him."
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