Chapter 17

Nicole shook her head. "I don't have an appointment, but Mr. Blake requested that my boss have the drawings ready and come to the company for a discussion today." Another receptionist nearby scoffed and muttered, "She doesn't even know how to come up with a good excuse." The receptionist in front of Nicole rolled her eyes. "You won't be able to see Mr. Blake without an appointment. Why don't you ask your boss to make an appointment before coming back?" Nicole frowned. "Mr. Blake asked for the designs to be delivered today. You have a phone at the front desk. Instead of questioning me, why don't you make a call and find out if it's true?" "Mr. Blake is very busy. Unlike small companies like yours, he doesn't wait by the phone 24/7. If everyone demanded a call, he wouldn't be able to work. He would just be doing customer service all day!" Before Nicole could speak, the receptionist rolled her eyes and pointed at the clock above. "Mr. Blake will come down for his lunch break in two hours." Another receptionist chimed in, "If you're really here to discuss a project, have your boss call Mr. Blake. Then you can meet him now, right?" Faced with the double dose of sarcasm, Nicole inhaled sharply, a wave of dizziness washing over her. The receptionist's words echoed in her head, and for a moment, she was worried that her fever was returning. Nicole gritted her teeth and irritably took out her phone, glancing at the familiar avatar in the chat box. After pursing her lips, she dialed Jacob's number. Jacob was in a board meeting upstairs. His phone was on silent and set aside, so he didn't notice Nicole's call. "Damn, Jacob! Are you doing this on purpose?" Nicole hung up the phone, cursing Jacob silently with intense resentment. Upon hearing the unreachable phone ringtone, the receptionist sneered, "See? Even if you managed to get Mr. Blake's number, it doesn't mean he'll answer any random call!" If it had been in the past three years, Nicole might have tried to flaunt her status as Mrs. Blake to salvage some dignity in her pitiful marriage. However, too many painful lessons had taught Nicole that this would only lead to greater humiliation. Jacob would stare at Nicole with his icy gaze and ridicule. "Mrs. Blake? Did I ever acknowledge this marriage?" Without a care for the fact that she was about to be thrown out by security, he would stride into the elevator, indifferent to her embarrassment and discomfort. Nicole lifted her head to glance at the receptionists but ultimately lowered her gaze and let out a self-mocking laugh. She walked over to a sofa in the lobby and sat down to wait. Seeing that Nicole had no intention of leaving, the two receptionists became even more convinced that she had ulterior motives. They watched her from a distance, their expressions growing increasingly hostile. An hour later, Sarah, looking glamorous in a white dress and carrying a thermos, walked into the Blake Group lobby. The receptionists recognized her immediately. Sarah was a famous actress who had visited Jacob several times. In their minds, they had long considered her as Mrs. Blake. "Hello, Ms. Green!" The two receptionists greeted her eagerly. Sarah smiled sweetly and said gently, "I've brought lunch for Jacob." "Ms. Green, you're so thoughtful," one of the receptionists replied warmly. "Yeah! We're so envious that Mr. Blake has someone like you as his girlfriend." "Ms. Green, you wouldn't believe what happened," the receptionist said while glancing at Nicole seated in the distance. "Earlier today, a woman came looking for Mr. Blake. Even after we turned her away, she refused to leave!" Sarah's expression briefly turned chilly before she smiled and asked, "Who was it?" Pointing toward Nicole, the receptionist continued, "She's sitting over there and refuses to leave." Following the receptionist's gesture, Sarah immediately spotted Nicole seated not far away. Tightening her grip on the thermos, she gracefully pivoted on her high heels and approached Nicole. "Ms. Barnes, what a coincidence. Are you here to see Jacob as well?" Nicole lazily raised her head. However, her illness made her look a little fragile. "What's the matter?" Thinking Nicole's weak appearance was intentional, Sarah smiled and remarked, "I'm here to bring Jacob lunch. I heard they didn't allow you to go upstairs. Why don't you come with me? "The receptionists don't recognize you, so it's understandable they wouldn't let you up. Don't take it personally, Ms. Barnes." Sarah was clearly trying to hint that she was a familiar face at the front desk. Nicole looked up with a faint, mocking smile. "I don't have a camera here. Why are you keeping up your pretense? Your acting skills may falter on set, but now they seem top-notch?" Sarah's expression darkened, and she clenched her jaw. "Nicole Barnes, stop being so shameless! You're about to divorce Jacob. He'll soon be mine, so you better back off!" she whispered. Nicole's smile widened. "I have no interest in hand-me-downs. If you enjoy using someone else's leftovers, go ahead. Don't let them go to waste." "How dare you!" Sarah took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes. "I guess you're still kept in the dark. Jacob and I spent an intimate night at Luminous Lounge." Memories of that night flooded back. Waves of passion crashed against Natalie as she enjoyed the man's intense, commanding presence. Nicole's head spun even more. She raised a hand to her forehead, saying nothing. Sarah thought she had struck a nerve and continued smugly, "Jacob even arranged for the top talent agency..." However, Nicole's headache made it difficult for her to listen to Sarah's incessant chatter. "You're too noisy." Nicole stood up and covered Sarah's mouth. Ignoring Sarah's shocked expression, Nicole pinched her lips together as if silencing a squawking bird. "Stop hallucinating. Were you really the one who slept with Jacob?" Suddenly, Sarah's eyes widened, seemingly shocked that her secret had been revealed! How did this wretch know that I wasn't the one who slept with Jacob? Could it be… Sarah recalled that by the time she arrived, Jacob's room was empty. Besides her, the only other person who knew about this was the woman who had been with Jacob that day! Sarah took two steps back to break free from Nicole's grip. Her heart raced even faster as she said, "If it wasn't me, as if it could be you! Stop spreading rumors." Sarah subconsciously smoothed her clothes. "I still have to give Jacob his lunch. I can't be bothered to argue with you!" As soon as Sarah turned to leave, Nicole's phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, a surge of anger rose in Nicole. She answered the phone and yelled, "Jacob Blake! Does your company only hire idiots as receptionists? Is idiocy the service motto of your company? Do you have to be an idiot to work at the Blake Group?" Sarah turned back, her expression slightly annoyed. "Nicole Barnes, how dare you speak to Jacob like that!" Nicole rolled her eyes at her. "Why do you care?" Just as Jacob finished his meeting, he picked up his phone and saw a missed call from an hour ago. Seeing it was from Nicole, he hesitated for a moment before calling back. He didn't expect to be met with a barrage of scolding as soon as the call connected. Jacob rubbed his temples and said, "Come up if you have something to discuss."