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"Mr… Mr. Cox?"
Jesse was surprised by Justin's sudden appearance, but he quickly put on a fawning smile and asked, "Why are you here?"
All the people there, including Martin, showed subtle changes in their expressions. "It looks like Mr. Cox is here to stand up for Leo," they thought.
"Why shouldn't I be here?" Justin said with a dangerous glint in his eyes. " I wouldn't want to miss this opportunity to witness your greatness now, would I?" Justin arched his brow threateningly. "Who were you trying to kick out just now?"
Justin wouldn't even have found out about this if it weren't for the men he'd stationed here to observe the event.
Both Jesse and Martin were dumbfounded. They couldn't understand why he was suddenly defending the Fords.
Rebecca and Caroline were equally flabbergasted. Both of them were now staring at Leo with disbelief in their eyes.
That was especially pronounced in Rebecca's case. She was thunderstruck when she recalled the figure she had seen walking beside Justin. She vaguely remembered that Leo was here to meet someone…
Could it be that he was here to meet Justin Cox? But how could that be the case?
Justin's sharp gaze had Jesse sweating profusely. "It… It was a mistake… Just a misunderstanding…"
"You're in charge of today's auction, Jesse." Justin eyed Jesse coldly. "So it's important for you to be fair and impartial. Am I clear?"
"Sure, sure, I understand. You can count on me, Mr. Cox!"
Caroline and Rebecca had given up on their former idea when they did not hear Justin mention Leo at all, and believed that he came here only because he was a man of principle.
Only then did Justin nod in satisfaction. He appeared to suddenly remember something and said, "By the way, I recently sold this building. I'm no longer the owner, just a minority shareholder of Atlas Beauty now."
"What?!"
Justin's words were akin to a stone stirring up a thousand ripples. Jesse, Martin, and even Caroline and Rebecca, were shocked.
They murmured silently, "Justin sold it? To whom?"
The real estate value of the International Commerce Center was astronomical.
"Surely you're joking, Mr. Cox," Jesse said. He couldn't believe it. He refused to believe it.
"Do I look like I'd joke about this?" Justin said emotionlessly. "And for your information, the buyer considers this center as just another part of his business portfolio. He's also a very busy man and would prefer to remain anonymous."
Justin patted Jesse on the shoulder lightly before leaving.
"Mr. Watson, do we still need to leave?" Leo approached Jesse and asked with a smile.
"Humph! It just so happened that Mr. Cox passed by and happened to save your asses. The Ford family dodged a bullet for now. Not that it matters. Virgil Corporation is still a joke entry in today's event."
Martin walked down from the podium with a sullen look on his face. He couldn't believe that his plan to disqualify the Ford's had been foiled.
"But just like he said, even if the Fords are given a fair chance, they're still going to blow it." Reflecting on this, Martin felt a little relieved.
The bidding then continued.
"Next up, the Virgil Corporation representing the Ford family," Jesse announced reluctantly.
Leo walked onto the stage, empty-handed.
"Where's your proposal?" Jesse asked in annoyance.
"I don't have any proposal. Nor a flash drive, for that matter." Leo replied honestly.
"What? No proposal?"
Everyone was stunned and then there was a roar of laughter in the room.
"What on earth are you doing here if you don't have a proposal? To waste our valuable time?"
"Come down now. Don't make a fool of yourself!"
"The Ford family can forget about rising up from the ashes with this piece of trash!"
The venue erupted into a mix of jeers and taunts. Both Jesse and Martin wore expressions. At this point, they didn't have to do anything to ruin the Fords; they were doing a fine job of ruining things on their own merit.
Caroline's face was as pale as a ghost, but Rebecca grasped her hands tightly, preventing her from saying something on impulse.
But Leo continued as if he did not hear anything, "The perfume 'Angel' was designed by Ms. Henderson herself, and it was the result of a lot of hard work and craftsmanship. Therefore, I believe that she had a very specific idea in mind when she designed it. The reason why she set up this bidding today is to see whose plans are in sync with hers."
The crowd sneered at Leo's words, thinking, "Who doesn't know that?"
Meanwhile, Lydia and an elegant gentleman were sitting by the window in the meeting room on the 87th floor of the International Commerce Center.
The man beside her sported a well-tailored suit and Rolex watch, and was casually sipping a cup of earl grey tea.
Although his facial features could not be described as delicate, he had genuine charisma, and looked as fresh as a daisy. He fixed his eyes on Lydia as if he was admiring a precious treasure.
Lydia, on the other hand, had been observing the live streaming of the bidding on her laptop with rapt attention.
When she saw Leo take the stage on behalf of the Ford family, she frowned slightly, and it caused a minor ripple in her otherwise calm interior.
"You look so beautiful when you're working." The man complimented her from the bottom of his heart.
Lydia shot a glance at him and said calmly, "Peter, I'd like to go back to my office if you have nothing else to say."
"Seeing you is the most important part of my day," he put down the cup and said a smile.
Lydia's face turned frosty as she said impatiently, "I'll repeat it again; I'm married and I have a child. Plus, you're not really my type."
Such a brutally blunt refusal made Peter freeze, but he soon recovered his composure. "Lydia, don't lie to me. You were just assaulted by a dirtbag five years ago. Everyone in Emerdale knows that you don't have a husband."
What he said seemed to have touched a sore spot of Lydia. Her countenance turned completely frigid.
Peter comforted her in a softer voice, "Lydia, I don't mind you having a child. I'm willing to accept Emilia, to be her father even."
"Her father?" Lydia's face became even icier. She said, stressing every syllable, "Sorry, you don't deserve the privilege. Her biological father is back in town."
With that, she left the meeting room.
Peter was left behind alone, a killing intent flickering in his eyes.
Lydia returned to the president's office, fixating her eyes on Leo on her laptop.
The man with chiseled features said, "You don't know the difference between this perfume 'Angel' and others of its ilk, but I do. Next, I'm going to tell you a story, a story about a neglectful, guilty husband."
