Chapter 101

Brandon then invited one of the leaders to come up and say a few words. Judging by Brandon's overly eager expression, I could tell this was the top dog.

The leader didn't waste any time and stepped up to the stage. He started by talking about his hopes for the company's continued growth and success, and then he stressed the importance of supporting other businesses so everyone could move forward and profit together.

The room burst into applause. After all, what he said hit home for everyone-profit is the bottom line, and everything else is just noise.

But then, the leader pointed at me and said, "I just found out today that the founder of this company is a woman. I always thought it was Mr. Jordan. Since that's the case, why don't we have this lady come up and say a few words?"

"And in this overseas project collaboration, Ms. Sharp has been a crucial part. Without her, this collaboration wouldn't have happened. So let's hear what Ms. Sharp has to say!"

All eyes turned to me. I could confidently say that almost everyone in this city knew who I was after everything that had happened recently.

But now, I was about to step into the spotlight again.

Brandon's face darkened. This was supposed to be his moment, and if I went up, it would definitely steal his thunder.

Brandon looked at me with an unreadable expression.

He seemed to be hoping I would decline, showing weakness, and then he could smoothly take the stage himself. But he was wrong-I was not that kind of person.

I stood up and confidently walked to the stage.

Brandon's face turned completely grim.

I shared some stories about the company's journey over the years with the audience.

Soon, the room was filled with thunderous applause.

I had chosen to share some of the most interesting experiences I had gone through.

When I finished, I felt a bit dazed. I used to come up on this stage often, but I had never felt this way before. Now, I felt a long-lost excitement.

I was born for the business world.

Not for the small circle of a housewife.

I now realized how wrong my initial choice had been, but thankfully, there was still a chance to make things right.

I stepped down from the stage amidst the applause. Brandon gritted his teeth and said to me, "Honey, you did great up there."

I glanced to the side and saw Kathy, Joanna, and Isadora all giving me thumbs up, as if they were cheering me on.

I felt incredibly satisfied, like I had finally released all the pent-up frustration from these years in one go.

There were no more speeches after this, as the leader had already given the closing remarks. So, Brandon didn't get his moment in the spotlight after all.

Karen's face was equally displeased. This was supposed to be the Jordan family's moment to shine, but I had taken the stage instead.

She walked over to me, gritting her teeth. "What were you doing up there? This was Brandon's event. Don't you know to give him the opportunity? You don't understand anything."

I rolled my eyes. "The leader asked me to go up. Was I supposed to say no? If you have a problem, take it up with him."

Karen fell silent. She was the type to be tough at home but would never dare to offend anyone with power. She would only flatter others and belittle her own family.

I enjoyed the meal immensely, but the Jordan family was not happy, especially Brandon and Karen. They were in a foul mood, having missed their chance to shine.

After dinner, there were some performances to watch. The leader had left early, leaving just us businesspeople. That's when I unexpectedly saw Irene and Renee.

I was surprised because I hadn't seen them earlier. It was like they had just appeared out of nowhere.

I stood with Joanna, Isadora, and Kathy, looking at the two from a distance.

"Did you see them earlier?" Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn't.

I was puzzled. Where had they been hiding? How did they suddenly appear?

Just then, I saw Irene walking toward us. She didn't even glance at me but extended her hand to Joanna. "Ms. Thorne, I'm Irene."

Her eager expression made it clear she wanted to get to know Joanna.

Joanna and I exchanged a glance. She extended her hand and looked at Irene. "And you are?"

Irene's gaze fell on me. "Didn't Caroline introduce me? I'm her husband's aunt, Irene, and I'm also the company's CFO."

I patted Irene's shoulder. "Ms. Thorne, you should know that my aunt has been crucial to the company's success."

Since she wanted to play this game, I decided to flatter her a bit.

Sure enough, Irene was pleased with my words and nodded proudly.

She took out a business card and handed it to Joanna. "If you need anything, feel free to contact me."

It seemed she had gotten a taste of success and was now overconfident, thinking she had become Joanna's go-to person.

Joanna took the card with a smile.

After Irene left, I winked at Joanna. "That woman is so full of herself."

Joanna chuckled and casually tossed Irene's card into the trash.

After seeing Joanna and the others off, I finally noticed Paula.

I remembered that Paula was also an employee of the company and should have been at the celebration. I hadn't seen her earlier because she was probably handling some logistics. Now that the big shots had left, she had come out.

Paula didn't notice me and quietly walked away.

I had a gut feeling she was heading somewhere suspicious, so I followed her. To my surprise, Renee was following her too.

I was stunned. Something felt off. When did these two start hanging out together? I had to find out the truth, so I followed them without hesitation.

The event was held at a hotel, so after Paula left the venue, she entered the hotel lobby. I followed her, but she quickly disappeared.

I was startled and looked around, worried she had spotted me.

Thankfully, I soon realized I had just lost track of her. Ahead was the hotel's restaurant with private dining rooms. I decided to check each one, figuring she must be in one of them.