Chapter 156: Adrian Grant? He’s here.

Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Adrian Grant? He’s here.

After hanging up, Caroline Whitman stood up. "I have a client visiting. Make yourself at home."

Adrian Grant nodded without saying anything.

Seeing this, Caroline Whitman was surprised. "Aren’t you going to ask who it is?"

Adrian Grant found it a little amusing. "This is your company’s business. Even if I wanted to keep tabs on you, I wouldn’t be so tactless."

"However, since you’re suddenly asking me, it must mean I know this person. So, is it Ethan Xavier?"

"..."

Faced with a difficult question, Caroline Whitman made an excuse and slipped away.

...

As Franklin Whitman stepped out of the elevator holding a small, masked child, he saw Caroline Whitman’s secretary. He glanced in the direction of her office and asked guiltily,

"Has Caroline come in to work yet?"

When the secretary looked up, the first thing she noticed was the child in Franklin Whitman’s arms, and she paused in surprise.

To be honest, with Franklin Whitman’s large frame, it was actually hard to spot the child nestled in his arms without looking closely.

Secretary Lawson averted her gaze from the back of the child’s head and said quickly,

"President Whitman is already at the office. She went to meet a client about ten minutes ago. President Grant is in her office right now."

The child in Franklin Whitman’s arms stirred. Upon hearing the name "President Grant," he couldn’t help but turn his head to look toward Caroline Whitman’s office.

"President Grant? Which President Grant?" Franklin Whitman asked, startled and confused.

"Adrian Grant from the Grant Group," the secretary said.

Franklin Whitman had been about to walk to his own office, but he suddenly stopped. "Adrian Grant? He’s here."

At that, Tiny, who was in Franklin Whitman’s arms, immediately went still, perking up his little ears to listen to their conversation.

"Yes, Director Whitman. President Grant came with President Whitman this morning to sign a contract."

’Came together to sign a contract? More like they came to the office from home together, right?’ Franklin Whitman thought to himself.

"Director Whitman, would you like to go in and see him now?" Secretary Lynch asked again.

Ordinarily, Franklin Whitman definitely would have gone. But today was a special situation. Having brought a child to the company without any notice, he felt a bit sheepish.

It wasn’t that he had intentionally brought the child to the office. The boy had just recovered from a cold, and logically, he shouldn’t be taking him out and about.

He wasn’t supposed to be at the company today; he was supposed to be at home looking after the child. Unfortunately, the little guy was eager to see Caroline.

Franklin Whitman figured that since the child was staying another night at the old residence, it wasn’t a big deal to bring him for a visit during the day if he wanted to see his mother.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked if Caroline was in the office right after arriving.

Now, hearing that Adrian Grant was also here... what a coincidence.

While he was hesitating, Ryan Grant tugged on Franklin Whitman’s collar and wiggled his little body. Franklin Whitman glanced down; it seemed the boy wanted to see his dad.

"Alright, I’ll go see him now."

He gently patted the little one’s back with his large hand, signaling for him to be patient.

As Secretary Lynch watched Franklin Whitman carry the child toward Caroline Whitman’s office, she hesitated, wanting to say something. ’Is it really okay to bring a child to a client meeting?’

But that wasn’t her place to worry.

When the office door opened,

before Adrian Grant could even look up, he heard a familiar, childish voice.

"Daddy."

Since there were no strangers around, the moment Ryan Grant entered and saw the familiar man, he waved his little hands, excitedly lunged forward, and called out, "Daddy!"

’What the hell? How can I still hear that little brat calling for me here?’

’Am I hallucinating at work?’

When he turned and looked toward the door, his temple throbbed the moment he saw who was entering.

Franklin Whitman was walking in with Ryan Grant, a broad smile on his face.

"..."

"Ryan said he wanted to see Caroline, so I brought him over for a quick visit. I didn’t expect you to be here too. What a coincidence," Franklin Whitman explained.

"You guys weren’t home last night, and I missed Mommy today, so I had Grandpa bring me to find her. But I’m so happy I get to see you here, Daddy!" Ryan Grant said, throwing himself into Adrian’s arms and nuzzling his head against him.

"Are you happy to see me here, Daddy?"

As he spoke, the little guy lifted his head and asked in a cute, childish voice.

That was a masterfully posed question. Of course, Adrian Grant wasn’t going to say something like "no," which would make the child cry.

"Of course I’m happy," Adrian Grant said in a gentle voice, lifting the child onto his lap.

...

「In the reception room.」

"Mr. Xavier, I recognize your sincerity, but business is all about profit. If you concede this much, will your shareholders agree? The Whitman Group wouldn’t dare to take this on."

Caroline Whitman looked at the new terms for the collaborative project that Ethan Xavier had personally delivered, secretly amazed.

Honestly, if the background check hadn’t shown that there was nothing wrong with him, she would have thought these projects he was offering were part of a pig-butchering scam designed to trap her.

But after learning about his bet with Chase Ford, she realized it wasn’t much different from one.

Ethan Xavier just smiled. "Business is all about profit. I’m sincerely trying to partner with you and have offered up such a large margin, yet it’s still not enough to catch the Whitman Group’s eye. That can only mean I haven’t offered enough."

Although his company was just breaking into the domestic market and wasn’t well-known yet, with Vincent Fuller backing him, he shouldn’t be getting turned away so many times.

Being rejected once or twice was something Ethan Xavier could accept, but being turned down again and again...

If for no other reason than his own competitive spirit, he had to land this project with the Whitman Group.

Seeing his persistence, Caroline Whitman could only say,

"As far as I know, you’re not short on potential partners. Why are you so set on the Whitman Group?"

Ethan Xavier replied, "Everyone knows the Whitman Group has a golden reputation in the investment world. Any project chosen by Whitman has a 75% chance of becoming the next big thing.

"If your group selects us, I won’t have to take so many detours while expanding into the domestic market. It stands to reason that if we can get this strong start, it’s perfectly normal for our company to concede some of the profit."

Caroline Whitman said, "You overestimate us."

She continued her light chat with Ethan Xavier until it was almost noon. Finally, he changed the subject.

"Would you do me the honor of having lunch together?"

Caroline Whitman stood up to see him out. "I’m sorry, I have plans for lunch. Please, Mr. Xavier, don’t let me keep you."

After chatting with Caroline Whitman for so long, even someone as dense as Ethan Xavier could tell that she was deliberately avoiding him.

He was a bit curious. "May I be so bold as to ask you a question?"

Caroline Whitman raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."

Ethan Xavier asked, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

’I was waiting for him to ask that. After all, if I’d brought up my relationship status myself while dealing with someone so persistent, it would have made me sound narcissistic.’

She smiled. "I do."

Ethan Xavier said, "No wonder. I understand now."

After a pause, he added, "Is it because of your boyfriend that you’re unwilling to work with me?"

Caroline Whitman smiled again. "You have a sense of humor, Mr. Xavier. Our company’s decisions have nothing to do with my personal relationships."

Ethan Xavier chuckled. "Understood. I hope we’ll have a chance to work together next time."

After seeing Ethan Xavier out, Caroline Whitman passed by the secretary’s desk and asked, "Has Adrian Grant left?"

"Not yet. He’s in the office with Director Whitman."