The woman, noticing Fiona's willingness to play along, flashed a satisfied smile and gave the security guards a smug order, “Keep a sharp eye out and don’t let just anyone stroll in here. Make sure these packages get safely to the front desk. These are valuable items; if anything happens to them, your paychecks won’t cover it!”
“Ms. Pearl, this young lady seems to actually know Mr. Woods. Should I let him know?” one of the security guards asked, frowning as he vaguely remembered Kimberly bringing Fiona to the company before.
“Shut it! Is it your place to decide? You better watch out, or you might find yourself out of a job!”
Fiona didn’t pay her any mind. The midday sun was blazing, and Fiona's fair skin quickly turned red. The woman wouldn’t even let her stay by the entrance, pushing Fiona further away under the shade of a large tree.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Jackson stopped the meeting as soon as he heard Fiona was around. Tossing his documents onto the table, he exclaimed, “Wyatt, your daughter’s a real piece of work!”
The board members exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what Jackson was getting at.
“Mr. Woods, what exactly are you saying?”
“The head of International Glam showed up to sort things out, and your clever daughter had her waiting outside in this heat. Wyatt, you’ve really outdone yourself!”
Faces around the meeting room turned serious; this was no small issue. With the Bryant Group’s plagiarism scandal affecting Woods Corporation, International Glam's visit was critical. Treating them poorly, especially under the harsh sun, was unacceptable. If International Glam canceled their contract, the loss would be significant.
“Wyatt, you’ve really dropped the ball!”
“How did you let your daughter act like this?”
He rushed to get into the elevator, but the doors closed right in front of him, forcing him to take the stairs.
Under the tree’s shade, sweat dripped down Fiona’s face. A security guard handed her a few bottles of water, restricted by Pearl’s orders and unable to let Fiona and her group inside. He suggested Nash head to the lobby.
“Sorry, this is the best I can do.”
Fiona took a sip of the cold water and answered, “Thanks.”
Jackson and the others made it to the ground floor quickly. From a distance, he noticed Fiona standing in the blistering sun and felt a pang of sympathy. He hurried over and swiftly brought her into the lobby.
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