Stella Fletcher looked at the messages from Vivian Lynch, feeling a bit hesitant. She knew it wasn’t right, but she couldn’t resist Vivian’s curiosity. She sneaked a glance at Silas Everett, seeing him focused on the documents, seemingly unaware of her. So, Stella cautiously picked up her phone, pointed the camera at Silas, and quickly pressed the shutter. However, just as she pressed the shutter, Silas suddenly raised his head, his gaze locking with hers. Stella was so startled that her hand trembled, nearly dropping the phone. Her face flushed instantly, awkward and at a loss. "What are you doing?" Silas slightly furrowed his brows, a hint of perplexity in his eyes. Stella stammered, "I...I...it’s nothing." Silas looked at her flustered appearance, seeming to understand something. His lips curved slightly, revealing a meaningful smile. "Taking a picture, huh?" Silas asked. Stella’s face became even redder, she lowered her head, not daring to meet Silas’s eyes, it was truly a major social embarrassment moment. "I’m sorry, President Everett, I didn’t mean to. My friend was curious about what you look like, so I..." Silas chuckled, "No worries, since your friend is so curious, let her take a look." Stella raised her head in surprise, unable to believe her ears. "Really? President Everett, you’re not mad?" Silas shook his head, "Not mad. But next time, don’t be so sneaky about it." Stella quickly nodded, "I understand, President Everett. Thank you for your generosity." Saying this, Stella sent Silas’s profile picture to Vivian through WeChat. At that moment, in Hartswell Manor, Vivian was sitting on the sofa. Hearing her phone ring beside her, she casually picked it up. When she saw it was a WeChat from Stella, displaying her boss’s profile, she clicked it open. That look made Vivian feel that the side profile seemed extraordinarily familiar. She couldn’t help but enlarge the photo and examine it carefully, "Hmm, why does it look more and more like Silas Everett?" Thinking of this, Vivian hurriedly sent a WeChat message to Stella to inquire. Vivian: [Your boss’s surname is Everett. Could he be Silas Everett?] Stella: [Surprised/How do you know?] Vivian was shocked in her heart, not expecting Stella’s new boss to actually be Silas Everett. She quickly replied: "We’ve met a few times, can’t believe your new boss is him." Stella: [What a coincidence, you guys know each other!] Vivian replied, "Not very familiar, just acquainted. Stella, how does it feel working under him?" Stella replied, "President Everett is very nice, doesn’t throw his weight around, often cares about the employees. I feel quite lucky to work under him." Vivian slightly furrowed her brows, thought for a while, then replied, "Stella, you still have to be cautious. Some people may appear good on the surface but are not that way truly." Stella expressed some confusion, "Vivian, why do you say that? President Everett seems really great." Vivian replied, "I can’t say exactly, just a kind of intuition. Anyway, just be careful and don’t be too naive." Even though Stella still didn’t quite understand, she replied: "Alright, I’ll be cautious." At this moment, Stella and Silas had already arrived at the venue for the social engagement. After entering the private room, Stella saw many bosses were there. Although she didn’t know them, as Silas’s secretary, she only needed to stand by his side. After a while, someone called out, "Master Hawthorne is here." Master Hawthorne? Caden Hawthorne? Upon hearing this title, Stella looked surprised. Could it be such a coincidence? Her best friend’s husband Caden Hawthorne was also here at tonight’s social engagement? Stella felt both shocked and a bit nervous, she couldn’t help but secretly glance towards the door. Only to see a man with a powerful presence walk in; indeed, it was Caden Hawthorne. Caden wore a well-tailored black custom suit, the high-quality fabric subtly gleaming under the lights. A white shirt paired with a deep blue tie, simple yet elegant. His face was sharply defined, his deep eyes radiated a keen light, beneath his prominent nose, his thin lips were slightly pressed, giving off an innate aura of authority. With Caden’s appearance, the entire room’s atmosphere changed. Everyone rose to greet him, Silas also smiled and nodded towards Caden in greeting. Stella stood beside Silas, trying to remain calm, it was best not to greet Caden Hawthorne at this moment. Caden’s gaze swept across everyone, momentarily pausing on Stella, but he quickly recovered his composure. "Master Hawthorne, please have a seat." Silas maintained a calm demeanor, a subtle smile on his face, gesturing for Caden to sit down. Caden remained silent, his expression indifferent as he sat down, his assistant Bryan Coleman standing behind him. Silas then clapped his hands, and the waiter immediately brought the dishes. "Stella, pour some wine for Master Hawthorne." Upon hearing Silas’s words, Stella came to her senses, quickly nodded, picked up the red wine on the table, and walked over to Caden Hawthorne to pour him wine. Caden only subtly furrowed his brow, his expression complexly glancing at Silas. When did Stella start working under him? This text is hosted at noveⅼfire.net Stella cautiously poured the wine, feeling very tense inside. She could feel Caden’s gaze on her, mixed with confusion and puzzlement. After pouring the wine, Stella swiftly returned to Silas’s side, lowering her head, not daring to look at Caden. Silas seemed to sense Caden’s peculiarity, smiling as he said, "Master Hawthorne, this is my new secretary, Stella Fletcher. I hope you can take care of her in the future." "President Everett, such a grand meeting arrangement, say what you have directly!" Caden didn’t like beating around the bush, so he got straight to the point. "Since that’s the case, we’ll speak frankly. We arranged this meeting with Master Hawthorne to discuss a business deal." Silas smiled, his smile containing something Caden couldn’t decipher. Caden slightly narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Silas. "What business? Tell me." Silas spoke slowly, "Recently, our Everett Group has a major project, and I believe Master Hawthorne’s company would make a great partner. If we join forces, it would be a win-win situation." Upon hearing this, Caden couldn’t help but sneer, "Why does President Everett think I would cooperate with you?" Silas subtly raised the corner of his lips, confidence gleaming in his eyes. "Master Hawthorne, I believe you’re a visionary businessman. The potential of this project is immense, beneficial to both our parties. Moreover, you’re aware of the Everett Group’s strength and reputation in the industry. I trust our collaboration will be successful." Caden pondered silently for a moment, lightly tapping his fingers on the table, "Show me the potential of your Everett Group." Upon hearing this, Silas signaled to Stella with his eyes. Stella nodded and promptly placed the project’s proposal in front of Caden, "President Hawthorne, this is our company’s proposal, please take a look." Caden slightly raised his eyes to glance at Stella, then picked up the proposal, seriously going through it. His demeanor was focused and serious, the room quiet except for the sound of pages turning. Stella stared nervously at Caden, silently praying he’d be satisfied with this proposal. While Silas sat seemingly calm next to her, his eyes also showed a hint of anticipation. After a while, Caden set down the proposal, slightly furrowing his brow, "This proposal has some highlights but also some issues."