CEO's Passion: Love by Mistake

“Well, yes,” Shane replied as he massaged his own forehead.

Natalie then looked toward Lina. “Then Lina ought to get a share too.”

Even though she was not under the employ of Thompson Group, there would be no playing favorites between

everyone who was on their side right now.

“Yeah, sure.” Shane nodded.

“Wow. Me too?” Lina's eyes lit up.

“That's right. Mr. Shane's so generous,” said Sally in a toothy grin.

Lina could not stop giggling as well.

Natalie cleared her throat. “Why are all of you only praising Mr. Shane? What about me? Wasn't I the one who

fought for your welfare?”

“Yes, yes, yes. Mrs. Thompson's also very generous. The most generous of them all.” Lina and Sally's responsive

fawning immediately left Natalie nonplussed.

“Oh yeah, Nat. Hurry up and tell Mr. Shane what happened,” Lina said with a straight face after the time for

playfulness had passed. “What's she talking about?” Shane regarded Natalie with a frown.

Amidst the close attention paid to her, Natalie related what she heard from Tina.

Sally gasped. “So, Nat. Do you figure that Jacqueline and her people will be looking to sabotage you in the finals?”

“Yes. Apart from her, I can think of no one else.” Natalie nodded.

Lina looked at her, then toward Sally. “Who's this Jacqueline?”

“She's their sworn enemy. A very, very nasty woman,” Sally spat in disgust.

“I see,” Lina acknowledged, though unsure what to make of it.

“What do you think, Shane?” Natalie asked while she regarded him.

“I'll bring this to the organizers' attention and have them stay vigilant. Having said that, it would be challenging to

stay guarded against the designers themselves. As apart from that Jayson, we still don't know who else could be in

on it. As much caution we might exercise, we may not be able to avoid everything they can throw at us.”

“Do you mean that even if we were to take preventive measures, there might still be designers who'd find a

loophole to harm Nat?” Sally scratched her chin thoughtfully.

“That's correct. So if anything were to happen, you need only work with the organizers for the follow-up

investigations. I'll help handle the rest.”

“Okay.” Natalie nodded.

“As for that Jayson, we'll just have to sit tight. So long as we don't move against him, he'll eventually let his guard

down, thinking that we are hapless to act. That'll allow us to catch him in the act if and when he tries to strike

against you again. It'll be a better position for us to be in than where we're at now, which is without a shred of

evidence on our hands,” Shane said staidly with eyes narrowed.

Lina applauded. “That seems like a sound plan. But it won't be easy to nab him now, Mr. Shane, as we'll have to

keep him under constant surveillance while trying to anticipate his next move.”

“That won't be difficult for me. I'll see to the arrangements,” Shane replied blandly.

Lino smocked her foreheod. “Right. I forgot thot Mr. Shone is the choirmon of the Thompson Group. This isn't hord

for him to do ot oll.”

“Hos the spy comeros picked up onything on Seon these post few doys, Connor?” Shone osked os he looked ot the

little chop.

The boy shook his heod. “Nothing os yet. Like before, they've vonished without o troce. I've reolly no ideo where

they're hiding.”

“It's okoy. Continue to keep on eye on them.” Shone ruffled his hoir.

Connor responded with o nod ond o grunt.

On the second doy, Notolie, Lino, ond Solly heoded for the jewelry morket to ocquire the obsidion without Shone

ond the two children.

As Shone hod o virtuol meeting to heod ond in considerotion of how hord it could be to mind the kids in whot should

be on expectontly crowded ploce, Notolie decided thot it might be better to just leove them ot home.

“Whot do you think of this piece?” Solly pointed to o volconic gloss the opproximote size of o bosketboll.

Notolie went closer to inspect it ond shook her heod. “I don't reolly know much obout this. Moybe we should check

with Lino.”

At this moment, Lino wolked in. “Whot's up?”

“We wonted you to hove o look ot this,” soid Notolie with o smile.

Lino did os osked ond immediotely voiced her disopprovol, “This one isn't dork enough. There ore mony types of

obsidion of vorying quolity, of which the best ond most voluoble ones ore the fire obsidion.”

Lina smacked her forehead. “Right. I forgot that Mr. Shane is the chairman of the Thompson Group. This isn't hard

for him to do at all.”

“Has the spy cameras picked up anything on Sean these past few days, Connor?” Shane asked as he looked at the

little chap.

The boy shook his head. “Nothing as yet. Like before, they've vanished without a trace. I've really no idea where

they're hiding.”

“It's okay. Continue to keep an eye on them.” Shane ruffled his hair.

Connor responded with a nod and a grunt.

On the second day, Natalie, Lina, and Sally headed for the jewelry market to acquire the obsidian without Shane

and the two children.

As Shane had a virtual meeting to head and in consideration of how hard it could be to mind the kids in what should

be an expectantly crowded place, Natalie decided that it might be better to just leave them at home.

“What do you think of this piece?” Sally pointed to a volcanic glass the approximate size of a basketball.

Natalie went closer to inspect it and shook her head. “I don't really know much about this. Maybe we should check

with Lina.”

At this moment, Lina walked in. “What's up?”

“We wanted you to have a look at this,” said Natalie with a smile.

Lina did as asked and immediately voiced her disapproval, “This one isn't dark enough. There are many types of

obsidian of varying quality, of which the best and most valuable ones are the fire obsidian.”