They were filled with warmth, with admiration—the tenderness I’d begged for in silence for years. The tenderness he never once gave me.
The rest of the seminar might as well have been a scripted farce. One by one, investors tripped over themselves to praise Loren, like she was the only light in the room.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
Fury boiling in my chest, I slammed the research report down in front of the assistant. “Is the Slater Family trying to crush every other team here?”
The assistant glanced at Arthur. He gave a tiny nod.
The assistant’s face immediately shifted into practiced indifference. “I’m sorry, Ms. Lora. This investment isn’t about research. It’s a personal gift from Mr. Slater to Ms. Loren. His only hope is that she’s happy. The rest is irrelevant.”
My fingers clenched around our project proposal, my knuckles white, my nails digging into the paper.
I stared at Arthur, silently demanding a reaction.
But he didn’t even glance at me.
His world began and ended with Loren.
Well done, Arthur. Very well done.
After the seminar, Loren was surrounded by a sea of reporters and adoring media. She soaked up every word, every camera flash like a celebrity.