Chapter 3

Three years later. The towering FC Group building, reaching into the clouds, stood out like a landmark in the prime location of the Silvanburg center. Cecilia emerged from the conference room carrying a stack of documents. Her assistant Tara and secretary Stacey immediately held their breath, attempting to conceal the gossip magazine in front of them, but it was too late. "Ma...Madam." Tara timidly glanced at her, then quickly lowered her head. Cecilia set down the documents, glancing at the magazine cover. The man on the cover was as handsome as he was three years ago, his refined features matured even more with time, exuding a sensual charm. Alston wore a light blue shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, confidently embracing the woman beside him. His smile was carefree, as if he didn't remember he was married. The woman beside Alston was the latest rising star of FC Entertainment, tall and voluptuous, not particularly stunning but with hints of Marian in her features. The headline on the magazine read, ‘Sandy Jeffery Stays Overnight at The Baycrest Manor, Adding Another to Alston Faber's Harem.’ "Sandy Jeffery? Her face is average, but a bit overweight," Cecilia's clear eyes scanned the page, her tone unusually calm. "Notify her manager to have her lose twenty pounds, or our marketing department won't promote her." Tara and Stacey were both stunned. They had expected Cecilia to be upset or distressed, but they didn't anticipate her complete detachment, as if nothing was wrong. Not only that, but she subtly punished the other party as well. Sandy was the curvy type of actress, but even at her heaviest, she wouldn't weigh over a hundred pounds. Losing twenty pounds would leave her at eighty pounds with a height of five foot seven. What would she look like then? If she couldn't lose weight, and the marketing department didn't promote her, what's the difference between that and being abandoned? It was well-known that FC Entertainment's artists either had to please the PR department or the marketing department to gain prominence. The PR director Radford and their director were college classmates, and if the marketing department didn't promote her, the PR department could easily make her disappear. "What's wrong? Can't you hear?" Cecilia noticed their frozen state and tapped the table. Tara, feeling worried, whispered, "Director, are you alright?" Cecilia's eyes dimmed. If this were three years ago, she might have clung to this magazine and fallen into a state of depression for three days and nights without eating. Ten years ago, she might have gone to a bar late at night to drown her sorrows in alcohol until she was completely drunk. But now, she was truly fine. No matter how deep the emotions were, they couldn't withstand the erosion of time. Moreover, in these three years, Alston had given her nothing but bone-chilling despair and endless waiting. "I'm fine," Cecilia straightened her posture, smiling even more brightly. "But what about you? Oakwood Residences is about to launch, and Alston needs to show up. How are we going to explain it to the media for today's headlines? Quickly inform the PR department so they can align their story and not disrupt the launch." Tara was startled. "Does that mean the opening ceremony will proceed as usual tomorrow?" Cecilia's eyes sparkled, then she casually dropped two words, "As usual." She took a few steps forward, then paused and turned back with a smile. "If possible, bring Sandy along. I want this project to have as much momentum as possible." "Alright, I'll arrange it." Tara knew Cecilia never went back on her word, so she quickly accepted the task and hurried to the office of the general manager on the sixty-eighth floor. *** "Sir, this is the speech that the marketing department just sent over. They mentioned that you should attend the ceremony tomorrow as usual, no need to avoid it," Secretary Boyce handed over the documents. A large hand reached out to take them. The leather strap on Alston's wrist and the prominent veins on the back of his hand complemented each other. Alston glanced at the documents, a hint of dark gloominess appearing in his otherwise calm eyes. "Didn't Cecilia see the magazine this morning?" "She... she did," Boyce gritted his teeth. "What was her reaction?" Alston casually flipped through the documents, asking nonchalantly. "No reaction," Boyce answered with a lowered head. Everyone knew about the indifferent relationship between him and Cecilia. Alston's eyes suddenly deepened, and within the icy depths of his eyes, something seemed to be fracturing inch by inch. Seeing Alston's silence, Boyce thought he had accepted it, so he continued, "The marketing department also mentioned that they hope you can bring Sandy along to make the opening ceremony more grand. Oakwood Residences is the largest project in the eastern district, and this year's performance of FC Group's real estate sector relies heavily on this project." "Bring Sandy along? Hah..." There was a mocking tone in Alston's frivolous laughter as he pursed his lips into a thin blade. "Is that the marketing department's suggestion, or Cecilia's?" Boyce's expression slightly changed, lowering his head as he answered, "It's Director Cecilia suggestion." Alston lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and then exhaled lightly, half of his face veiled in smoke. That woman really had some skills. She not only carried someone else's child, threatened his mother, but also effortlessly married him. In these three years, she even gained the approval of his father, who personally brought her into FC Group. Starting from a small manager in the marketing department, she climbed her way up to become the director of the marketing department and even entered the board of directors of FC Group. The once infamous and scorned socialite didn't get ostracized by FC Group's clearly tiered corporate culture, but instead successfully established her own reputation in the workplace. Alston felt that this woman was too scheming. Since driving Marian away three years ago, she has been scheming step by step. She didn't just want to marry him; she also aimed to seize everything from his family. It's unclear how she managed to ingratiate herself with his family, even winning the praise of his stern father. "Sir?" Boyce called out to him when he seemed lost in thought. "Hmm." Alston remained calm, not displaying even a hint of the pent-up anger he had anticipated. "As for tomorrow's opening ceremony, are you going?" Boyce continued. "I recall you had a meeting scheduled with Mr. Trafford." "Of course, I'll go," Alston replied, his gaze piercing. "If I don't, am I supposed to watch Oakwood Residences' success slip into someone else's hands?" Boyce's lips twitched. Could spouses really be referred to as "someone else"? He didn't dare to argue, only nodded. "Alright, I'll make the arrangements."