Because of this, after this meeting, the looks from everyone changed. Gone were the admiration and envy from their eyes. Instead, there were only disgust, pity, and amus.e.m.e.nt. They were looking at Marc the way they looked at Lara Abenson when she was found c.r.a.pping nakedly on a coffee table after having who knows how many rounds of s.e.x with a married man!
Alright, Marc didn"t witness this great joke of the century as he was overseas dealing with another company related matters there. However, when he sensed that something suddenly became different, he was not stupid to not realize the change in people"s impression of him. It was no longer that of a golden bachelor every lady in the world wanted to bear monkeys for!
"What happened to them? Why are they peeking at me like that? Are they looking down on me just because I lost a battle of words against Gio?"
His face crumpled at the thought that he was being seen as a loser as a consequence of failing to make Gio lose face there. He really hated being compared to the man. The two of them were very capable and intelligent people. Both of them could win against many, no matter if it was about money, power, women. They were ahead of all men around their age. The only thing unacceptable for Marc was the fact that he rarely won against Gio.
People might find it weird that despite claiming rivalry against the other, he was still a board member in many of Gio"s ventures. Actually, the other man was also like that. Marc was also someone who had numerous companies and in his corporation, Gio was also a shareholder. If others might say, they didn"t look compet.i.tors, but bosom friends. It could be traced that they were both from the military before. Both were from reputable old rich families. They began dipping into business at the same time. If they were real compet.i.tors, then their compet.i.tion was way too weird, way too healthy.
Then again, which stupid company owner would let an enemy be part of his own business?
Well, we had an answer. For Gio, it was pure business. For Marc, he really wanted to win against the other and step all over him, proving to the world that once Conrad Albarez steps down, it would be him who would be crowned as the new king of Country F"s business world!
True, he failed to win today.
But fortunately, the lost this time was just a very minor one.
Apart from this, he had already thought of what the next compet.i.tion would be, his lips curling up at the idea. How about compete for Sofony Silver? That girl seemed to be someone Gio was treasuring completely, right? Doesn"t it mean stealing this woman out of his rival"s embrace would be a great victory? It should be, right? The girl seemed to hate him. But he was not worried because as people say, the more you hate, the more you love.
The thought was really making him grin from ear to ear.
Sometimes, being oblivious to the truth was a sweet poison. It would not hurt. It would only show that it had damaged and slowly killed someone once heavy symptoms that could no longer be concealed show. But until then, the one afflicted would stay living in a beautiful daydream, a.s.suming things were still okay and that fate was not slowly ferrying them to death or despair, but constant normality or success.
Marc was completely oblivious to it. But the target he had set was long out of reach. Also, behind his back, everyone was secretly thinking,
"I can"t believe this! But Marc Goldwin, one of the two golden bachelors of Alina City, is ACTUALLY into THAT!?"
"No, no, no. That"s just unbelievable! It"s totally impossible!"
"Wait, maybe my brain is not properly working... Must be...."
"Haha, most likely I"m hallucinating badly today. I think I have to set an appointment with a psychiatrist... I hope Dr. Morris doesn"t have many girls like me queuing in front of his clinic..."
"My good lord. I feel like my world has crashed into Mars! Why! Why him out of all people! There are so many beautiful men in the world! But why him? Why one of the few who has money, body, face, and all! He"s the dream of countless women in the world! Fate, you"re so cruel! Why him!!!"
Contrary to the collective wails of the women of all ages in the conference hall, every man there, Gio"s secretaries included, were gloatingly snickering and scoffing at Marc.
"Hehe, so he is actually a man with a very heavy taste. I totally didn"t see it coming! It"s hard to see through his facade. d.a.m.n it! He"s a great pretender! I can totally bet my whole fortune that at least a thousand women will be crying rivers after today! Hahaha!"
"What? You want to tell me that Marc Goldwin is like Gio Albarez who has money, looks, and everything? Oh, please! He"s most likely fed up with being one-upped by Gio most of the times hence he finally decided to become the king in an aspect Gio Albarez will not ever try to explore!"
"He"s a national husband, you say? Are you by any chance talking about that guy regularly partic.i.p.ating in an all men"s orgy?"
Hehe. Really... Humanity"s ability and potential in badmouthing and demonizing a hated and envied someone in their mind is as limitless as imagination...
Two minutes later.
When the system notified her of bonuses for this funny task, Sofony had to escape into the restroom to maintain her normal girl image and not burst out laughing before everyone"s prying eyes...
....