Secret Wealthy Marriage

Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Becoming Cautious Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Becoming Cautious For quite some time after that, Carolline Ruiz and Bryan Hawkins were both busy with their respective work. Occasionally, late at night when it was quiet, they would exchange phone calls, and only then would Carolline feel that everything was real and not just a dream.

After the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival, there wouldn’t be any holidays until New Year’s Day. Before New Year’s Day, Bryan Hawkins went to two different countries for work, which Carolline didn’t know about.

The bidding process for the Apricoom Building endorsement was ongoing, and Matilda Ferguson successfully entered the finals. On New Year’s Day, Bryan Hawkins returned at night to attend the celebration banquet.

Even though he didn’t show up in person for most of the competition, as CEO of the Hawkins Family and chief designer of the Apricoom Building project, he had no choice but to attend and host the celebration banquet for the winner.

Matilda Ferguson used every trick in the book to achieve victory. Even though Bryan Hawkins didn’t show his face during the entire event, as long as he didn’t intervene in the competition, it was easy for her to win.

Of course, Matilda got the result she wanted, and her agent Jonathan Powell was indispensable. With his connections, Matilda couldn’t compete. To get the desired result, she had to pay the appropriate price.

George Morris knew what price she had paid. He had come to terms with his current relationship with Matilda, which had transformed from a romantic one to a cooperative one. He no longer stubbornly insisted on any involvement with her.

After all, George was the kind of man for whom women were merely a fleeting pleasure. Since he had already slept with Matilda, and considering her obsession with getting close to Bryan Hawkins, George didn’t really want such a woman anyways.

To George, Matilda’s current status could be used as a tool to constrain Bryan Hawkins. Even though George didn’t have as much success as Bryan, he had been desperately trying to get ahead during the time Bryan was disabled, which allowed him to build some connections that he could utilize. From what he had heard, Bryan Hawkins was secretly investigating the car accident that had occurred previously.

Upon hearing this, George could only sneer. He was confident in the cleanliness and perfection of his own actions. The victim was already dead, and he was eager to see how Bryan could investigate it. George hoped that this issue would restrain Bryan, allowing the Morris Family business to continue its rapid development.

On the day Bryan Hawkins returned, he had a lot on his plate and didn’t inform Carolline. The Ruiz family was very particular about the festive atmosphere during important occasions such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, New Year’s Day, and Spring Festival. They always gathered together on these days.

At noon, Carolline called Mrs. Hawkins to wish her a happy holiday. The old lady was thrilled and, knowing the Ruiz family’s rules, didn’t insist on Carolline coming to their home for dinner.

Bryan Hawkins’ return was accompanied by Xavier Estrada. As soon as they landed, someone was there to pick them up.

Due to time constraints, they headed straight to the celebration banquet after landing. The top ten participants in the competition were all invited, and each woman dressed extravagantly. Even if they had lost the competition, they refused to lose in terms of appearance. Especially as Bryan Hawkins, the CEO of Hawkins Family, would be personally attending, gaining his favor was important even if they hadn’t won the contest.

This celebration banquet was grand, and everyone was invited, with the exception of the Morris Family. Even some companies with lower status than the Morris Family were invited. Of course, those companies that had a good relationship with the Morris Family were also excluded from Bryan Hawkins’ invitation list.

This time, George Morris would know that Bryan Hawkins was neither blind nor a fool. Bryan was clearly aware of what George was doing in private, who his allies were, and yet George knew nothing about Bryan’s affairs.

As the saying goes, “Know your enemy and yourself, and you’ll never be defeated.” This principle applies to business as well.

When Bryan Hawkins arrived at the banquet, the room fell silent. He first greeted the leaders of the companies present at the banquet, discussing the future of the Apricoom Building. Besides the celebrity endorsement, its success depended on word of mouth from business allies.

He was willing to listen to others’ opinions and, moreover, making friends was a survival rule for businesspeople, rather than making enemies everywhere.

If it weren’t for George Morris breaking his rules first, Bryan Hawkins wouldn’t be targeting him so relentlessly. The reason he hid his marriage with Carolline was because he wanted to deal with George first, without exposing Carolline in the process.

“CEO Hawkins,” as soon as Bryan appeared, people came up to flatter him. Bryan smiled at them and joined in their conversation.

After everyone else had finished talking, Matilda Ferguson approached Bryan Hawkins with two glasses of wine. “Bryan, let me toast to you.”

“Thank you,” Bryan Hawkins said, picking up a glass from the table.

Matilda Ferguson looked at her hand awkwardly lingering in midair, then returned the glass to where Bryan had taken his. She shrugged and said, “Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Bryan. Here’s a toast to you.”

“You’re too polite. You won with your own talent. Congratulations,” Bryan Hawkins said with a faint smile on his lips.

“CEO Hawkins, let’s begin the banquet,” Xavier Estrada said as he walked over at the appropriate moment.

“Alright, Miss Ferguson, please take your seat,” Bryan Hawkins said to Matilda Ferguson in a polite and distant manner after nodding at Xavier Estrada.

“Okay, CEO Hawkins, please,” Matilda was gradually becoming more accepting of being called Miss Ferguson by Bryan. Although she felt sad, she knew that everything would take some time.

Bryan Hawkins didn’t react to her calling him CEO. He took the main seat at the head table, with Xavier Estrada and another assistant occupying the seats to his right and left. As the first-place winner, Matilda Ferguson and her agent were also fortunate enough to be invited to sit at the main table.

When Jonathan Powell called Matilda over, she glared at the glass of wine she had just picked up, which now sat back on the table. Bryan Hawkins had become wary of her and wouldn’t even touch something that had passed through her hands, right?

From the start of the competition to the announcement of results, she hadn’t had much opportunity to see Bryan Hawkins. So, to create an opportunity, she had done whatever it took to win. Today, she was determined to win him over, but Bryan Hawkins wouldn’t even touch anything she had handled.

Looking at the smiling and chatty Bryan Hawkins, Matilda Ferguson’s heart felt a deep sense of sorrow as she slowly walked over.