11-06
Chapter 80
Ines naturally overheard Amella’s words, a faint smile playing on her lips as she seemed to catch a glimpse of another side of Amelia.
“Ines, If you’re not a fan of these events, you can find a place to chill for a bit. I’ll call you when it’s time to leave.”
Ines nodded her agreement. She felt like she wasn’t much help to Amelia, but rather a bit of a burden, needing her to help her out constantly.
Ines found a secluded sofa and couldn’t help but text Ethan on her phone.
[At a party at Diamond Hotel. So bored being here alone.]
After waiting a while without receiving a reply from Ethan, she assumed he was busy and didn’t bother him further. She scrolled through Instagram, seeing Phoebe, the foodie, sharing loads of delicious food posts. Suddenly, Ines felt a little peckish and got up to grab some food.
Just as she turned around, she saw Jaime waving her over from not too far away.
Ines had no choice but to put down her plate and walk over to him. As she approached, she noticed Hunter standing beside him, with Emma clinging to Aiden’s arm. The moment they saw her, their expressions went through a series of changes. As an employee under Jaime, she always took her job seriously. Despite her extreme dislike for the Galeana family, she steeled herself and approached Jaime. Jaime grinned warmly at her, “Ines, come let Mr. Galeana have a look at you. He was just saying you look familiar.”
Ines looked at Hunter, who seemed a bit pale, as though he hadn’t fully recovered yet. She felt a twinge of nervousness, but she was good at hiding her emotions. She pretended not to recognize the man before her, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Galeana.”
Listening to her tone, Hunter felt a bit uncomfortable, but he didn’t say anything in front of so many people. He just nodded slightly.
The atmosphere was a bit weird, Jaime tried to smooth things over with a laugh. “Now Mr. Galeana, you can take a good look at Ines and see if she looks like someone you know. Maybe a long–lost relative?” Ines smirked, her words dripping with sarcasm, “You’re joking. I just happen to share a surname with Mr. Galeana. Maybe he got the wrong person. My family for three generations are all country folks, still living in the countryside. Even when we move out of the countryside, we can’t shake off our rustic manners. How could someone like me ever know a big shot like Mr. Galeana?”
As Ines spoke, she glanced at Hunter and Emma. Emma was visibly upset. Growing up in the countryside was something she never wanted to bring up. Her current friends were only interested in her because of her status as the heiress to the Galeana Group. Behind her back, they mocked her for being a bumpkin.
This was actually Emma’s problem. The reason Ines said those words was partly because she was able to face her own background with no prejudice against her ancestors; and partly to provoke Emma, who always despised her own past.
Sure enough, this really got to Emma. She reacted like a cat with its tail stepped on, her anger flaring up as she glared at Ines, “Ines, don’t you forget, my…” My ancestors are your ancestors too.
Emma was about to say something, but Hunter and Aiden’s looks stopped her. She pouted in dissatisfaction.
The smile on Jaime’s face froze, he seemed a bit annoyed with Ines, as if he was blaming her for crossing a line.
Ines had given Hunter a hard time recently, he had seen worse from her, and his mental endurance had grown stronger. Looking at the face that resembled his ex–wife, he did not get angry, instead, he felt a bit dazed. His ex–wife also loved purple, always wearing a purple dress when accompanying him to any event, her radiant smile lighting up his world. In business battles, she was sharp–tongued, leaving others defenseless, a truly worthy partner.
However, the person before him was cold, reminding him that she was not his wife, but a daughter he had disowned. Regaining his composure, Hunter said, “I must have mistaken you for someone else.”
Aiden looked at Ines, sighing helplessly. Seeing Aiden’s dispirited expression, Emma’s anger completely took over her common sense, she stamped her foot, let go of his hand, and stormed off.
Jaime’s face changed, he made a gesture of apology towards Hunter, “Mr. Galeana, sorry about that, seems like I upset your daughter.” Jaime was a smart man, he could tell the relationship between these people was complicated. He had been trying to secure the Galeana Group’s annual review project, so he approached Hunter when he saw him. But he saw Hunter gazing thoughtfully at a woman’s figure, as if lost in distant memories, and that woman was his employee, Ines. He naturally assumed the best and invited Ines over.
1/2
But seeing the current situation, was it really a good idea to call Ines over?
“Don’t mind her, she’s spoiled, always been like this.” Hunter said grumpily, then turned to Jaime, “What exactly does Ms. Galeana do at the firm?”
Jaime’s eyes flickered, unsure of Hunter’s intention. His daughter seemed to really dislike Ines, but he was quite lenient with Ines. Even his future son–in–law seemed hesitant when looking at Ines.
Others might not notice Ines‘ impatience, but he had interacted with her a few times. Usually, she was polite and well–mannered in her words and deeds, showing great upbringing. But today, her tone seemed a bit excessive.
What exactly was going on between these people?
Jaime pondered for a few seconds, then grinned, “Ines just got back from B City. She worked in a buddy of mine’s company, a real whiz at her job. Despite her young age, she’s already an auditor with a few years of experience under her belt. She’s one of the young guns we’re grooming in our company.” Hunter took a glance at Ines, an indescribable feeling welling up inside him. He faintly remembered many years ago, probably when she had just started college, she came back from school, threw her arms around his neck from behind, and cooed about her dislike for business management. She wanted to switch her major to accounting and aim for a career as a certified public accountant.
Back then, he was hell–bent on having her take over the company and didn’t think twice before rejecting her idea. She pulled at his beard in annoyance and stormed off, her brows furrowed. He found it both irritating and amusing at the time and didn’t take it seriously.
Who knew that after she left the Galeana family, she really did steer her career in that direction.
Aiden also looked at Ines curiously, but once their eyes met, they seemed glued together, unable to look away. Ines maintained a poker face the whole time, not looking at Hunter, let alone Aiden, as if the person standing in front of her was a stranger who had nothing to do with her. Hunter sighed, “I didn’t expect your company to be such a talent place, even boasting a young yet seasoned auditor like her.”
