When only one pair of polished leather shoes echoed down the hallways, leisurely taking their time, she could only a.s.sume the position of Vice President would soon be empty. If Wei Hantao was coming here, his footsteps would be frantic, as he would be rus.h.i.+ng to keep his position. Huo Qiudong came around the corner with a cup of coffee in his hands.
Zhao Lifei hid the smile threatening to break out. At least someone from her personal team was adequate enough. She understood the underlying message behind Huo Qiudong"s cup of coffee. By bringing it to her personally, he was stepping up to fill in the vacant position. But she did not voice her thoughts.
Huo Qiudong carefully handed the coffee to her, worried that she might burn her hands. He watched as she took a sip of the coffee, her brows raising a bit. She enjoyed it.
"I"m surprised." Zhao Lifei began. "This is the first time I requested Wei Hantao to get me a cup of coffee and he already knows my preference." She decided to test Huo Qiudong. If he allowed Wei Hantao to easily take the credit, it would mean he would not be suitable for this compet.i.tive world.
"The coffee was made by me." Huo Qiudong let out a breath he did not know he was holding in. Seeing as she was enjoying the coffee unlike the untouched one beside Zheng Tianyi, he safely a.s.sumed her anger was quelled a bit.
"And why did Wei Hantao not make it for me?" She asked, placing down the magazine and checking the time.
Huo Qiudong hesitated. He did not want to sell out the man he worked for so quickly, but he would be willing to do so if it meant he could climb higher in his position.
Unlike Wei Hantao who had an obligation to his father, Huo Qiudong had none. He would not be fearful of rejecting enormous companies, as they have done it multiple times in the past. For the sake of his family"s connection, Wei Hantao easily accepted Zheng Tianyi"s request for a meeting. This was a crucial mistake, for it showed where one"s true loyalty lies.
"He was busy bootlicking President Zheng. It seems he was exhausted after getting President Zheng a cup of coffee."
Zhao Lifei let out a small laugh, highly entertained at how quickly Huo Qiudong was able to sell out his Vice President. "I hope you understand what you have done."
"Yes, and I will fully embrace the consequences of this betrayal."
Zhao Lifei tilted her head, an unreadable smile on her face. "Who said anything about the consequences of betrayal?"
Huo Qiudong"s lips twitched. He wisely chose not to respond.
"I do like your cup of coffee though, it"s absolutely perfect for my taste." Zhao Lifei muttered before taking another sip of the creamy but bitter, like her heart, coffee.
"I will always go out of my way to get it for you." Huo Qiudong honestly said. Unlike Wei Hantao whose position as Vice President was easily handed to him because of his connection to Zhao Lifei, Huo Qiudong had worked his way up from being an intern to a secretary. He understood how to lower himself when needed.
Zhao Lifei hid the smile behind the coffee. "Is that so…" She stood up after checking the time. It was five minutes past 2 PM.
She brushed past him. "I didn"t think a Vice President would do such demeaning things for a job."
Huo Qiudong blinked. It took him five seconds for him to register what she had just said. By the time he did so, she was already down the halls. He immediately chased after her, but halfway, bolted back to his desk for a copy of the proposal, and then dead-ran to her again — catching up to her in the nick of time.
"We"re late." He whispered to her when they were just a few steps away from the meeting room.
"A Queen is never late. Everyone else is simply early." She quoted, a smirk on her face. "Also, reach out to our IT admin. Shut down Wei Hantao"s access to every single file." She paused and said, "Contact our lawyers to prepare non-disclosure agreements, the non-compete contracts [1], and severance package [2]."
She examined her nails and decided to get it painted soon. "Lock him down."
"Yes, ma"am." Huo Qiudong smiled as he watched her saunter off into the distance. She was not dressed for success, she was dressed to kill.
- - - - -
By the time 2:10 came around, Zheng Tianyi"s face was darkened with fury. The irritating CEO made him wait for forty minutes. He was already cursing her inside his head. "What an intolerable and disrespectful CEO you have here. No wonder this company is barely making profits." He snarled to Wei Hantao.
Wei Hantao raised a brow. Not making revenue? Hey buddy, our value is in the billions here! We"re one of the leading investment firms of our generation! "I-I"m sure there is a mix-up here. Please, don"t worry—"
"My father will hear of this disrespect." Zheng Tianyi snarled. "You said you texted her. Were you lying?" He seethed, stalking to Wei Hantao.
"Who do you guys think you are?" Zheng Tianyi slammed his hand onto the table. "This company has no basic etiquette. You"ll never make it with such a horrible mentality, especially when the CEO leading one of the big five companies is here!" Zheng Tianyi had reached the brink of his patience.
"We went out of our way to come here early to show respect to Weida Law Firm." He hissed. "And this is how you and your pathetic CEO treat me?"
"I hope this company falls to ruins. You people are utter trash." He snarled, picking up the proposal and threatening to smash it across Wei Hantao"s face.
"There are multiple investment firms located throughout the city. I can easily go to another one whose CEO would come to me the second I arrive!"
"Then, with all due respect, please, go to another one." A feminine voice rang throughout the room. It was beautiful and enchanting, like that of a siren luring pirates to their death. A sweet smile entered the room just as she did.
Chen Xing"s clipboard fell out of her hand, her jaw dropped wide open. No. Freaking. Way.
Standing by the doorway of the room was none other than Zhao Lifei herself. It seemed her appearance was constantly improving each time they met. She was stunning today and the healthy glow around her clearly outshone the pitiful Xia Mengxi, whose confidence was stripped away by Zheng Tianyi"s belittling words during their arguments.
Xia Mengxi used to s.h.i.+ne like a thirty-five-carat diamond. She was innocent and pure when she collided with Zheng Tianyi. Like a refres.h.i.+ng breath of spring, she swayed into his life, with the wings of an angel and the face of a fairy from heaven.
Chen Xing used to think Zhao Lifei was the most pathetic heiress she had ever encountered.
When she saw how much the woman begged and grovel for her President, her impression towards her worsened. She still remembered a woman, thin and fragile, with unhealthy grey skin from all the sleepless nights. The slur of her voice, the way her body collapsed before Zheng Tianyi"s feet and the bloodshot eyes of an alcoholic were hard to miss. The wails of a betrayed, ill-tempered heiress were a mockery to Chen Xing"s ears on that cold winter night when Zhao Lifei was stripped naked before the Zheng Mansion. It was night time and the wind hallowed louder than her broken heart, the paparazzi were barely able to take a picture of her. Thinning hair from lack of sleep and food, pale lips that were parched from screaming, and a brittle temperament, she was the epitome of a scorned lover.