Chapter: 411

"Is the meeting over?" he asked.

"Yeah." Unable to sidestep the encounter, Bethany offered a polite nod and smile.

Ryan held up a lunch box. “I drove an hour just to bring this to you. You haven't eaten yet, right? It's a local specialty from Westsilver."

Bethany responded, "Thanks, but I'm not hungry at the moment. I was planning to eat something at the hotel later.”

“You're that wary of eating something I bring? Afraid I added something extra? Here, I'll taste it first," Ryan joked.

Feeling cornered, Bethany waved off the offer. “No, really, I'm not hungry! I'll take it back to the hotel and eat it there."

Realizing Ryan would persist if she refused, Bethany accepted the lunch box with a forced smile.

"That's the spirit." Ryan strode into her office and sat at the new desk. "I'll be working here from now on. Colt mentioned a few contracts that need my signature, and it's cumbersome to deal with them back at the hotel."

Bethany was shocked.

Ryan planned to share an office with her?

Why would someone of Ryan's status need to work in such a makeshift office for a subsidiary project?

His motives seemed suspect.

“By the way, you're scheduled for a business trip to Brokdon next week," Ryan continued.

Taken aback, Bethany replied, "I intended to leave the country after this project, not take on new assignments."

"Even if you're going abroad, you'll still need to earn, right?" Ryan raised his eyebrows and spread his hands. "I have no choice. You're the only one in the company who meets my standards for due diligence. For this project, just head to Brokdon, conduct the due diligence, write up a report, and I'll include your name on the project."

In the past, Bethany would have jumped at such an opportunity.

Having another project to her name brought numerous advantages.

But now...

"I don't want to go to Brokdon," Bethany said firmly.

"Do you have some bad memories there?" Ryan knew she was originally from Brokdon, which influenced his decision. Sensing her reluctance, he began, “Alright then, you can—"

“Never mind, I'll go! I'll take my two assistants with me," Bethany cut in, changing her stance abruptly. “I know Brokdon well, and it's just due diligence. Send me the details of the project."

Feeling overwhelmed by recent events in Westsilver, she thought a change of scenery might be beneficial. Moreover, Ryan's proposal was tempting-rejecting a financially rewarding opportunity seemed unwise.

Another motive lingered: before moving abroad, revisiting Brokdon one last time seemed necessary.

To revisit the places she had lived, worked, and studied.