BookToReadChapter 156 Curtis just smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
"I'm with Ms. Marchand," he said smoothly.
Someone in the audience chimed in with flattery, and soon the executives and staff all raised their cocktails in a show of support.
Even Mr. Garcia had to bow to the power of capital-how could the rest of them do anything but follow suit? Violet soaked in the attention, clearly pleased to be at the center of it all.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe'd always been the star back in school, the one everyone watched. That lasted until about a year after she started at Northriver University-then a girl from the next class down arrived and completely overshadowed her. This new girl was a campus sensation: stunning looks, a perfect figure, talent in everything she touched, and a wealthy family to top it off.
The moment she appeared, Violet found herself instantly eclipsed.
Violet refused to even hear the girl's name. By junior year, she'd transferred to another college just to avoid her. Only after the girl left did Violet return to Northriver for her master's and finally earn her degree.
To this day, the memory of that girl remained a shadow over Violet's life-one she never liked to mention.
But now, Violet was untouchable. With McNeil's backing and her own relentless drive, she was the brightest star in the room-no one could steal her spotlight.
Ailie stood beside Victoria, downing her drink in one swift gulp.
"Hiking? Camping? Has she lost her mind? She wants us all out there suffering for fun? We're used to the cushy office life-no one with a lick of sense would suggest this unless they were bored out of their skull." Ailie wanted nothing to do with Violet's plan. She was the sort who saw weekends as an excuse to stay in bed all day, and on weekdays, she preferred sitting to standing and lying down to sitting. Now she was supposed to go hiking and sleep outside? Just the thought made Ailie want to curl up somewhere cozy.
Victoria tried to reassure her. "I'll be there too, so don't worry. I've done this kind of thing a lot when I lived abroad-got a few years of outdoor survival under my belt. I'll make sure you're okay." Violet was a master at creating her own mystique—a woman as fierce and sharp as her nsuggested. Meanwhile, Victoria quietly shrank into a corner, doing her best to go unnoticed in the crowd.
Violet announced the company's hiking and camping trip. Curtis had everyone on board-besides the front desk staff and a few older employees who stayed behind, it was pretty much an all-hands event.
The next morning, everyone gathered outside the office. McNeil pulled up in his luxury RV to pick up Violet. Today, Violet looked nothing like her usual polished, businesslike self. She wore a charcoal-gray outdoor jacket, and McNeil, standing beside her, seemed to be wearing a matching set.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHis collar was popped, his features striking and sharp against the dark fabric.
"Wow, Mr. Langford looks amazing," one of the early-arriving young women whispered, cheeks flushing when McNeil cinto view. "Ms. Marchand looks pretty cool too." Curtis, also dressed in black, had a more laid-back vibe than McNeil's razor- edged presence.
Victoria kept it low-key, her hair in a messy bun. She wore simple m practical hiking gear, looking every bit the fresh-faced recent grad. She wasn't dressed to impress, and she didn't have any special status here-but somehow, every guy present found their eyes drawn to her.
McNeil's gaze lingered on her flawless face, then dropped to her lips-still flushed from a spicy om breakfast. She'd piled on the chili powder, and her lips were a little swollen. Staring at her, McNeil found his mind drifting back to that night she'd been pinned beneath him.
Violet seemed to sense the tension and turned to Victoria.
"Ms. Turner, why don't you ride with us? Mr. Garcia will be there too."
She made a point of mentioning Curtis. Victoria started to refuse, but Ailie grabbed her arm, glaring at Violet as if she might swallow Victoria whole.
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