Chapter 10

Before Mila could calm Raphael down, he hung up. She was just about to call back when Matteo's call came through. She had no choice but to answer it. "Come to Riverton," he said and hung up. He still had the same commanding tone. Mila hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to make the trip to Riverton. She wasn't going for Matteo's sake, though. She was going for Volare Corp and Raphael. The drone project was her project, one she had poured a great deal of effort into during the early stages. Back then, she had sought Raphael out and repeatedly revised the proposal until she finally secured the project. She couldn't bring herself to abandon it now. The downside was that she had to cancel her appointment with Aaron. Naturally, she got a thorough scolding over the phone. Mila promised that once this busy period was over, she would pay full attention to her treatment. … When she landed in Riverton late at night, it was pouring rain outside. The temperature had dropped sharply. She had come in a rush and hadn't prepared anything. Her lower abdomen was aching uncomfortably at the worst possible time. Forcing herself to endure it, she took a cab to the hotel. By the time she arrived, it was already past midnight. It was late, but Mila still wanted to discuss the drone project with Matteo in advance. She was worried that if they didn't align their stance beforehand, it would delay the second round of negotiations when they met Raphael the next day. After entering her room, she didn't even bother drying her rain-soaked hair before dialing Matteo's number. The phone rang several times before it was answered. Before she could speak, Penelope's voice came from the other end. "Matt, it's Ms. Wright." Matteo's reply was muffled. "Ms. Wright, Matt is taking a shower. Would you like to call back later?" she asked. Mila felt a lump in her throat. "It's nothing urgent. Sorry for bothering Mr. Hall," she said before hanging up. A man and a woman were alone in a hotel room late at night. It was the perfect setup for something to happen. The rain outside grew heavier. Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, Mila felt a chill seep straight into her bones. Riverton was colder than Jesterville after all. The dull pain in her lower abdomen intensified. She went to the bathroom and realized her period had begun. She checked the date. It had come almost a week early, and the pain was worse than it had ever been. Cold sweat soaked her as she called the hotel front desk for help. She had them bring some painkillers and sanitary supplies. When the hotel staff saw her, she was startled by how pale Mila looked. "Ms. Wright, would you like us to take you to the hospital?" Mila shook her head. "Not for now. The painkillers should help." The hotel staff still looked worried. "If you feel any discomfort, please contact the front desk immediately." "Alright." Though she had agreed to the hotel staff's offer, Mila still endured the night on her own. By the next morning, her complexion was terrible. Even makeup couldn't save it. She could only pray that Matteo wouldn't pick on her for it later. He hated it when employees didn't look energetic at work. Since she was still taking stomach medicine, Mila timed her trip to the hotel restaurant and grabbed something to eat. When she arrived, Matteo and Penelope had just finished breakfast and were leaving. The three of them ran into each other. Penelope was the first to speak. "Did you just get up? There's hardly anything left in the restaurant." "I slept in a little," Mila replied calmly. Matteo didn't look at her. He glanced outside toward the rain and spoke to Penelope instead. His voice was low and gentle. "It's raining, so the temperature will drop. I'll go get you a jacket." "Okay." Penelope nodded at Mila, then left with Matteo. So Matteo could be considerate after all. Mila stood frozen for a few seconds, clearly unused to seeing Matteo's new side. Just as Penelope had said, there really wasn't much left in the restaurant. Mila casually picked up two pieces of bread to make do for the meal. Just as she was about to sit down, Matteo called. Mila answered. "Come out." His voice was cold and detached now, nothing like the warmth from earlier. Mila glanced at the bread in her head and hesitated slightly. "Now?" "What? Are you planning on making us wait for you?" After a brief silence, Mila replied, "Okay." She stuffed the bread into her bag and hurried to the entrance. By the time she arrived, Matteo and Penelope were already in the car. They were seated together in the back, leaving only the front passenger seat for her. Mila lowered her gaze to hide the emotions in her eyes and silently took the front seat. As soon as the door closed, Matteo impatiently urged the driver to start the car. The bread in her bag was still warm, but Mila didn't have the chance to eat it. Matteo didn't like people eating in the car, after all. She had been his secretary for seven years. She knew his preferences like the back of her hand. Over the years, she had memorized them and instinctively obeyed all his rules, even when her stomach felt awful, and she desperately needed something to eat. Matteo didn't give her a chance to eat before diving straight into the project. "How did you handle the negotiations with Valore Corp?" His tone was accusatory, as if she were responsible for the project's stalled progress. Mila addressed him calmly, "This project has already gone through two rounds of negotiations. We even signed the Trade Facilitation Agreement and agreed on the investment ratio earlier. Valore Corp is bound to have objections to a sudden change like—" Before she could finish, Matteo cut her off. "As long as the process isn't complete, anything can change." He paused, then looked up. Their gazes met in the rearview mirror. "You've been with me for so long, yet you still don't understand something as basic as that?" Mila paused, then lowered her gaze. "Then may I know what the reason is for reducing the investment?" "From my experience, Valore Corp's drones aren't commercialized enough. The market outlook definitely won't meet the projections in the proposal, so I suggested reducing the ratio," Penelope answered. "Valore Corp is an established brand with solid technology and a complete after-sales system. That was precisely why Royal Investment chose to invest in them in the first place. But businessmen only look at profits, not sentiment," Penelope said, dismissing everything with a single sentence. Her lips curved into a smile as she looked at Matteo. "Matt, you really haven't trained her well." Matteo gave a light hum, then glanced at Mila indifferently. "That's why she can only be a secretary, not an investment director." "You need brains and vision to be in investment. Ms. Wright is just a bachelor's graduate. Handling projects is too much for her." Penelope sneered.