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This was good news.
So on the weekend, Leo and I went to the county together.
The school principal was very polite to me and kept praising Leo as outstanding, intelligent,
and having a promising future. “The admissions officer who came this time has been picking
students in our county for three consecutive years but hasn’t selected anyone. They not only value the students‘ academic performance but also the parents‘ qualities. For Leo’s future, Ms. Bright, please be well–prepared.”
I nodded and followed the principal to the door of the meeting room.
At the door, the principal whispered, “Sir, Leonardo’s mother has arrived.”
The doors opened, and I straightened my clothes, walking in slowly. “Hello, I’m Irene Bright,
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Leo’s mother.”
I was about to extend my hand when I suddenly heard a sharp intake of breath and the crisp
sound of a cup hitting the ground.
I instinctively looked up and met a pair of familiar eyes, dazed, stunned, with endless
silence.
this.
Unexpectedly, I reunited with someone I hadn’t anticipated seeing again.
He looked thinner, and his face was gaunt, full of sorrow and exhaustion.
He approached me, jaw clenched, eyes bloodshot.
I lowered my head and stood respectfully, just as everyone did when facing him.
The way a nobody and a big shot should handle each other was like this, and it should be like
“Irene!”
Albert’s voice was low as if suppressing a torrent of anger and deep pain.
He looked very emotional, and I was surprised to see him lose control.
Albert and I were worlds apart.
The Austin Group, once on the brink of collapse, was rescued by my father, earning deep
gratitude from Paul Austin, who vowed to repay him, leaving an equity certificate.
But my father’s rescue of the Austin Group brought about retaliation from business rivals. On
his deathbed, he asked me to go north and seek the protection of the Austin family.
After going through countless hardships and narrowly escaping death, I finally arrived at the
Austin Group’s building.
Paul, overwhelmed by guilt for my father’s death, believed marriage to the Austins would
secure my comfort and compensate for my loss.
Therefore, Paul introduced me to Albert.
In the winter, I stood in the company’s lobby and saw a tall figure approaching from afar.
Amid the falling snow, he wore a black windbreaker, standing tall and with an outstanding
presence.
When I met Albert, he was already a business tycoon.
Facing such an extraordinary person, I felt admiration, which was natural.
However, I knew I was not his match.
I politely declined Paul’s offer and suggested that he use generous compensation and an apartment in the city center as repayment. That would be enough for me.
I studied medicine with my father since my youth, aspiring to a worry–free life, seeking little
else.
My straightforward request made Vera, who was dissatisfied with this engagement, sne and mock me as taking advantage of the situation. “I’m glad she has some self–awareness. How could such an elite from a prestigious family like the Austins marry a country girl like her? Besides, everyone in the business world knows that Albert and the Paisley family’s daughter have
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grown up together and love each other. They are going to get engaged and married as soon as Lindsey graduates. They are a perfect match, not something a bumpkin who can’t even tell high–end brands apart can interfere with.”
I never intended to interfere.
Paul pledged to arrange the compensation and apartment after Christmas upon realizing my decision.
On Christmas Day, the Austin Group’s building was brightly lit.
Vera hosted a dinner party and invited many celebrities and dignitaries to gather on the
top–floor observation deck, with Lindsey Paisley at the forefront.
I held a glass of champagne, avoiding the crowd and enjoying the moon alone in a corner when suddenly I was pushed to the edge of the swimming pool by a force.
