Damien Vaughn’s sudden visit to Stratton was a pleasant surprise for Mr. Jordan.

After a full tour of the company, they finally reached the technical department, but Mr. Lee and Cecelia Archer weren’t there.

"They went down to the factory. Mr. Lee wants to get the newly developed product to the highland region for testing as soon as possible, so he went to the factory to inspect the samples today."

’What a coincidence.’

’He finally takes the initiative to come see Cecelia Archer for once, and they manage to miss each other perfectly?’

Damien Vaughn couldn’t help but wonder if Cecelia was just too busy with her work schedule to contact him, and that it wasn’t because she didn’t care at all.

Since he was already here, he might as well give her an out and see how she’d play it.

"Is that so? Then let’s go to the factory as well. If Mr. Lee’s new product tests successfully, it will trigger a new technological revolution in the industry. The group should naturally take it seriously."

With such a high-minded justification, how could Mr. Jordan possibly refuse him? He immediately escorted him to the factory.

Mr. Lee was conducting experiments in the lab. Coincidentally, Cecelia Archer was, once again, not by his side.

Mr. Lee explained the product’s design concept and advantages to Damien Vaughn.

He then said that the experiment was a great success and that he planned to set out the day after tomorrow. The destination for this test was Frostfall, a city at an altitude of over 4,000 meters. If the product could withstand the extreme cold and high pressure there, it would have no trouble in other regions and could go into production.

Mr. Lee was, after all, nearly sixty years old. Damien Vaughn was still a bit concerned about his health, given he was going to a place with such harsh conditions.

After offering some words of caution, he finally steered the conversation toward Cecelia Archer.

"Who are you planning to take? The team members must be carefully selected. What if someone gets injured on the job in a place like that..."

Mr. Lee said, "President Vaughn’s concerns are valid. I’m planning to take a few young technicians from the department, plus my assistant. They’re all young and strong; there shouldn’t be any problems."

"Your assistant?"

Speaking of Cecelia Archer, Mr. Lee gave Damien Vaughn a rather meaningful look.

"Yes. Normally, I wouldn’t let a young woman go to a place like that, but she’s very interested in this product and pesters me about it every day. I figured it would be a good training opportunity, so I agreed."

’Is that so?’

Damien Vaughn couldn’t resist a hint of sarcasm. "If she’s so interested, then why isn’t she here today?"

"Oh, she was here," Mr. Lee said quickly. "A small component needed to be replaced, so I had her go on a trip to the supplier with the workshop director. She just stepped out."

’No wonder I didn’t see her.’

Damien Vaughn felt a growing annoyance. It was surprisingly difficult to get a glimpse of her. That woman really knew how to play it cool!

After wandering around for over an hour, Cecelia Archer still hadn’t returned. The whole morning had been wasted, and he couldn’t delay any longer this afternoon, so Damien Vaughn decided to head back to the group’s headquarters.

Ryan was escorting him out of the factory when, unexpectedly, right at the entrance, they ran into Cecelia Archer on her way back.

She was wearing a simple black T-shirt, dark blue jeans, and white sneakers, with a sun hat on her head. She was holding a large cardboard box and sitting in the cargo bed of a tricycle, smiling as she chatted with the middle-aged man driving it.

Coming face to face with Damien Vaughn, she thought she was seeing a ghost, and her smile vanished instantly.

’How could I run into him here? This is a Stratton factory. What would a male model be doing here?’

Cecelia Archer blinked hard. When she looked again, he was still there!

’Wh-wh-what...’

Damien Vaughn decided Cecelia Archer had a certain flair for the dramatic; otherwise, why was every encounter with her so bizarre?

’A tricycle? Can that thing even be used to carry people? And she looks so happy sitting in it.’

’It seemed like she had never smiled that happily in front of him before!’

For some reason, seeing her looking as carefree as a college student, laughing so thoughtlessly, made Damien Vaughn’s anger flare up. His face went cold as he stopped at the entrance.

When Cecelia Archer saw him staring at her with that grim expression, she immediately guessed why.

’He must have come looking for me specifically. Because of what happened that night.’

She hastily jumped down from the tricycle, handed the box to the workshop director, and told him to find Mr. Lee before running over to Damien Vaughn.

Without a word, she grabbed his arm and pulled him into a corner.

After glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she finally asked him in a low voice.

"How did you find me here?"

"I’m at work right now. Is there something you couldn’t have said over the phone?"

Seeing her act so secretive, like she really didn’t want to be seen with him, left Damien Vaughn completely bewildered.

’What on earth is going through her mind?’

"Don’t you have anything to say to me?"

His question left Cecelia Archer speechless.

’What is there to say?’

’So what if something happened that night that shouldn’t have? He’s a man; it’s not like he lost out. Does he really need to track me down afterward to settle the score?’

’Or does he think he got the short end of the stick just because his bank account is bigger than mine and he has Claire Clark?’

Cecelia was speechless for a moment. "There’s nothing to say. We’re both adults; we should take responsibility for our own actions. I won’t tell anyone what happened that night, and I will absolutely not let Claire Clark find out. If that’s what you came all this way to talk about, you can rest assured."

Damien Vaughn: "???"

’Absolutely won’t tell anyone? Both adults? Take responsibility for our own actions?’

’So she’s planning to just laugh it off and forget about it?’

Damien Vaughn couldn’t believe he was so lacking in charm. "I don’t understand what you mean."

Cecelia Archer looked at his icy face and his aggressive gaze, once again rendered speechless for a moment.

"You’re a smart guy, so why are you forcing me to be so blunt? Fine. Since you’re so worried, I’ll say it again."

"I was drunk that night. I don’t remember anything. And besides, there’s nothing between us anymore... It’s best if we don’t see each other again. Even if we run into each other by accident, let’s just pretend we don’t know each other. Happy now?"

’Fine. Just fine.’

In all his years, this was the first time a woman had ever dismissed Damien Vaughn with words like that.

’Best not to see each other again? Pretend we’re strangers if we do? That’s just perfect!’

"You’d better not remember anything."

Logically, Cecelia Archer’s way of handling this was perfect. She wasn’t trying to cling to him, nor was she like Claire Clark years ago, who used their relationship to ask for his protection and favors. He should have been happy.

And yet, an inexplicable fire of rage was tearing through him.

After saying this, Damien Vaughn turned to leave in a huff, but Cecelia Archer suddenly called out to him again.

"Wait. Text me your address. I’ll wash your clothes and mail them back to you. Then we can delete each other from our contacts."

’Delete each other from contacts?’

’First she blocks me, and now she wants to delete me completely?’

’Does she have any idea how many people in this world would kill to get his private contact info, pulling every string they have, only to fail?’

Damien Vaughn was so furious he almost laughed. "Don’t bother. Just throw the clothes in the trash."

Cecelia Archer thought his clothes looked high-quality and probably expensive. It seemed like a waste to just throw them away, and she wanted to insist.

But one look at his face, as dark as the King of Hell’s, and she gave up.

"Alright, then."

’Alright, then?!’

If he stayed any longer, Damien Vaughn was going to die of anger.

’His clothes—the clothes of the great Damien Vaughn—were nothing but trash to be thrown away in her eyes?’

’This inexplicable woman!’