At the Sharp residence in Ashthorne, Natalie returned to her room and hadn’t come out
since.
She was the daughter that Jeffrey loved and adored the most. Although it might not be genuine, he viewed Natalie as a stepping stone for his own advancement due to her. connections with Jacob.
He wanted to use her to move up the ranks.
Jeffrey knew he had to do something after seeing her sad expression, so he pushed open the door and asked her about it. She sat on the bed, hugged her knees, and wore a pitiful expression.
“Liesel is showing up to the resort’s ribbon–cutting ceremony and dinner party tonight as Jacob’s plus–one.” She uttered softly, “I’m his secretary, but Liesel had to tag along to the dinner party instead. The whole company is going to laugh at me!”
At least Natalie was self–aware.
Typically, the plus–ones accompanying the management team at the dinner were either their secretaries or assistants.
Choosing Liesel over her was a loud message to her that Jacob wasn’t convinced by her capability yet. As such, he chose the safest option and let Liesel take her place.
The secretary department had long looked down on her and would be thrilled by the news once they found out. Even the thick–skinned Natalie couldn’t handle their gossip.
“Sharp Group actually received an invitation to the dinner party tonight. Let me bring you.”
Natalie’s eyes reddened. “How is that the same…”
Although she was now Jacob’s secretary, barely anyone in the circle knew of her existence. Whenever they thought of Jacob’s secretary, they would automatically think of Liesel.
In their minds, Drew and Liesel were Jacob’s right–hand men and not Natalie.
Jeffrey couldn’t help but feel worried to see her this upset. He quickly made a promise. It’s okay, Nat. I have a way to teach her a lesson”
Natalie wiped away her tears. “I simply hope Liesel can stop being so selfish and let me do my job at Ford Corporation.”
Jeffrey chuckled and softly comforted her. A completely estranged father and daughter found temporary common ground because their enemy happened to be Liesel. In his eyes, Liesel was just the daughter of his ex–wife and a tool to be used for his own transactions.
Even after marrying Jacob, she had never brought any benefits to the Sharp family; she
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Chapter 38
should’ve stepped down and let Natalle take over instead.
Yet, no matter how duplicitous Natalie was, she would stay a good daughter in his eyes as long as she defended and helped the Sharps. And that was the cruel reality.
Many prominent figures in Ashthorne were invited to the ribbon–cutting ceremony. Some members from smaller families also leveraged their connections to attend the dinner party in celebration of the resort tonight.
Everyone was well aware that this collaboration between Ford Corporation and the authorities was a high–profile and significant project.
The attendees were either wealthy or influential, so it was naturally beneficial to make connections with them and expand one’s network.
Alex, a mutual friend of Jacob and Liesel, arrived early to the event.
At that moment, he sat leisurely on a couch in the corner. Whenever someone would come to flirt with him, he would pretend to be severely drunk, perfectly showcasing his convincing acting skills.
He watched from a distance as Liesel accompanied Jacob while smiling and nodding gracefully at all the businessmen. When the other party mentioned an unconventional collaboration, she subtly shifted the topic with a faint smile.
So, what were the criteria for being the Ford Corporation’s executive secretary?
They needed to be as charming as Drew and as gentle as Liesel.
At first, one might perceive these two as approachable and persuadable. However, only those who had truly interacted with them would realize that both possessed a rebellious streak. They were capable of cornering opponents during negotiations.
