Free Web NovelChapter 74: Chapter 74: Their General Manager Has Been Staring at You
Georgia Thorne went to a business dinner with Nicole Kane and saw Justin Sullivan sitting at the head of the table.
Surprise flashed in her eyes, and the moment the man’s gaze shifted toward her, she instantly looked away.
Justin Sullivan was different from Zane Lennox.
Zane Lennox only cared about the result, no matter what methods were used to achieve it.
Justin Sullivan, however, respected Georgia Thorne. He watched her sit beside Nicole Kane, his gaze never leaving her for a single moment throughout the entire meal.
He’d had someone investigate. Georgia Thorne and Zane Lennox were indeed alumni, and Zane had even publicly acknowledged their relationship in front of the entire school.
The results of the investigation were more or less what Zane had said, but what Zane hadn’t mentioned was that he had gone abroad shortly after.
’After such a short time, Georgia’s feelings for Zane couldn’t have been that deep. She’s probably forgotten him by now.’
Georgia Thorne lowered her head to sip her water, and Nicole Kane leaned in from the side.
A faint, pleasant scent wafted toward her, and Nicole Kane’s voice whispered in her ear, "Their general manager has been staring at you."
Even if Nicole hadn’t said anything, Georgia could feel it.
Ever since she had walked in, an intense gaze had been fixed on her, never once wavering. ƒreewebɳovel.com
It was such a blatant stare that anyone with a bit of perception could see it.
She kept her gaze downcast, maintaining a perfect poker face as she deliberately showered the other party with praise.
Surprisingly, Nicole Kane didn’t push Georgia Thorne into the spotlight today.
Instead, she was protective, constantly helping Georgia fend off drinks.
Georgia felt bad letting Nicole keep drinking, so she took Nicole’s glass and downed it herself.
Justin Sullivan had never liked seeing Georgia Thorne drink. His gaze grew even darker.
His eyes were glued to Georgia. A trickle of the white liquor slid from the corner of her crimson lips, gliding down her slender, fair neck.
It soaked her collar, but Georgia suddenly didn’t seem to care.
Having been forced to drink round after round in the past, Georgia now had experience.
After downing the glass, Georgia sat back down with a smile, her expression showing no sign of anything unusual.
A little while later, a fierce, burning sensation started in her stomach.
She hadn’t been feeling well to begin with and hadn’t eaten anything all day.
Drinking on an empty stomach was harsh, and a dull ache began to throb in her gut. freewebnσvel.cѳm
She made an excuse and temporarily left the private room.
In the restroom, Georgia threw up, and the burning in her stomach finally eased.
She turned on the faucet, cupped some clean water in her hands to rinse her mouth, and then walked out.
Justin Sullivan was standing right outside.
The restroom was at the end of the hallway, a place no one would pass by.
Georgia froze in place, looking up at him.
Justin Sullivan didn’t seem to have noticed her come out. He was leaning against the wall, a cigarette held between two fingers.
’She’d seen Elliot Sheridan smoke countless times; that man was an absolute pro.’
’Had he been smoking for at least twenty years?’
Justin Sullivan’s posture as he smoked wasn’t very practiced. His fingers trembled slightly, and his eyelids were lowered, his gaze fixed on the glowing red tip of the cigarette.
Georgia felt a sense of pity.
Justin Sullivan had once been a refined, scholarly man who studied art, possessing one of the most talented pairs of hands in the world.
She had once seen him use those gifted hands to create peerless works of art. But now? Those hands, which no longer painted, were slowly falling into ruin.
The hands that once held a paintbrush now held a cigarette butt.
Compared to the man he was now, Georgia much preferred the Justin Sullivan of the past.
’He wasn’t like Elliot Sheridan. He had a gentle smile and was suited for a carefree life.’
’Elliot, on the other hand, was a born predator. The business world was his arena, his kingdom.’
Justin Sullivan finished his cigarette before he noticed Georgia had come out.
He dropped the butt and stamped it out under his foot.
He stood up straight. His silver-gray suit was worn impeccably, giving him the air of a businessman, but he also reeked of money from head to toe.
’For a moment, she was in a daze. It was as if he was no longer the Justin Sullivan she knew.’
"Work has been stressful lately. Smoking helps relieve it," Justin Sullivan explained, looking into Georgia’s eyes.
Georgia was taken aback. She hadn’t expected him to explain.
Under the lights, the man’s handsome face looked much thinner.
’He must be facing a lot of difficulties, having just started at the company.’
Georgia responded softly, "It’s your body. Even if work is stressful, you have to take care of yourself."
She hadn’t intended to say that, but when she saw the dimness in his eyes, her heart softened, and she added the line.
’Smoking is bad for your health. He should quit as soon as possible before he gets addicted.’
Her words of concern reached Justin Sullivan’s ears.
His dark eyes instantly brightened. He took a few steps forward, about to excitedly grab Georgia’s hand, but she instinctively pulled back, dodging him.
"Georgia, I didn’t mean anything by it! I’m just so happy that you still care about me!"
Justin Sullivan watched Georgia retreat, and his steps faltered.
He didn’t like her avoiding him. He missed the way things used to be.
She used to love relying on him, loved taking the initiative to get close to him.
But now, just a single sentence of concern from Georgia was enough to make him overjoyed.
Georgia took a deep breath. "I’ve been out long enough. I should go back."
"Georgia!"
"I’m sorry!"
Cutting him off forcefully, Georgia kept her head down and hurried past him, heading back toward the private room.
She was terrified that his next words would make her lose control.
In the depths of her heart, Georgia had a scale.
On one side was Selena Sheridan, and on the other was Justin Sullivan.
Choosing Justin Sullivan would undoubtedly shatter her sisterly bond with Selena. Choosing Selena meant she could never have anything to do with Justin again.
Justin Sullivan turned, watching Georgia’s retreating figure, and a bitter smile touched his lips.
Ever since she returned to the country, she had done nothing but avoid him.
With Selena Sheridan standing between them, it was as if an impassable chasm had opened up.
Justin Sullivan didn’t hurry back. Instead, he stayed outside and smoked another cigarette.
Halfway through, he got a call from Selena Sheridan asking where he was.
"At a business dinner. I’ve been busy with company matters lately. I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting you."
On the other end of the line, Selena Sheridan sounded slightly surprised.
Justin Sullivan rarely apologized to her. This was the third time.
"Jean, your voice is still a little hoarse. Is your cold still not better?"
"No, it’s fine. You should get to bed early tonight. When I have some free time, we’ll go out to eat."
"Okay. You need to take care of yourself, too," Selena Sheridan urged with concern before hanging up.
After hanging up, Justin Sullivan returned to the private room and saw Georgia Thorne drinking again.
They were all opportunists who knew how to play the game. Even though they knew Justin Sullivan had a girlfriend, they figured, what man doesn’t have a few flings on the side during business dinners?
Their intentions were obvious, and Georgia was in no position to refuse. The burning in her stomach, which had just started to ease, slowly flared up again.
By the time the meal ended, Georgia had drunk a lot, and her head was spinning.
There was another colleague who had come with her and Nicole Kane.
Nicole had drunk even more than she had tonight, so the other colleague was tasked with taking Nicole home.
Georgia was walking at the very back. As Justin Sullivan passed her, he said, "Georgia, wait here for me for ten minutes."
’Wait for him for ten minutes? What for!’
Georgia gave him a bitter smile and, emboldened by the alcohol, finally said what she’d been wanting to say. "Justin Sullivan, no matter what you do, we can never go back to the way we were!"
Time waits for no one. She had once stood in place, waiting and waiting, until she fell into despair.
Just when fate had finally given her a glimmer of hope, it was cruelly snuffed out.
