?Chapter 944:


    Without hesitation, Brenna shook off his hand. “No, that won’t be necessary. I wouldn’t want to interrupt anything important. Clearly, I came at the wrong time.”


    A faint smile flickered across Gracie’s face as she watched the drama unfold from behind Ethan. She was happy that Brenna misunderstood the situation.


    She stepped forward with an air of politeness. “You must be Ethan’s girlfriend, right? Please don’t take this the wrong way. We were only discussing work. There’s a minor issue with mypany, and he’s been kind enough to help me find solutions.”


    “There’s nothing for me to misunderstand. Go ahead and finish whatever you were talking about. I won’t get in your way,” said Brenna. She didn’t care if Ethan’s coworkers whispered behind her back or if Gracie thought she was too blunt. Speaking her mind had alwayse naturally to her.


    Without another word, Brenna turned to leave.


    Ethan furrowed his brow, feeling frustrated, and followed her into the elevator. “Brenna, please, don’t misunderstand the situation. There’s nothing between Gracie and me,” said Ethan, his tone sincere. “Tell me what I have to do for you to trust me.”


    “I never said I don’t trust you,” said Brenna, her voice cold as she stared at the wall, clearly done with the conversation and unwilling to say another word.


    Ethan stood silent, feeling helpless. He was really bad atforting people.


    “Don’t be like this, Brenna. I really was just helping her with a small issue.” He moved to block the control panel, keeping her from choosing a floor.


    Shoving him out of the elevator with little patience, Brenna pressed the button and let the doors slide shut.


    Left alone, Ethan could only stare as the elevator doors closed, not knowing what to do.


    Gracie walked over. “Ethan, why does your girlfriend take things so personally? We didn’t do anything inappropriate, but she wouldn’t even give us a chance to exin.”


    Disappointment colored her expression as she watched Ethan’s unreadable face. She wondered what he was thinking now.


    Was there a growing rift between Ethan and Brenna now? Were they thinking about breaking up?


    Gracie believed she needed to stir things up a bit more. She said, “Maybe I should go talk to her. I think she just misunderstood us.”


    “No need for you to do that. Let’s wrap up for the day. There’s no rush; getting the Vice President’swork isn’t something anyone aplishes in one go. Doing things step by step is the only way forward. We’ll organize a wee dinner next week and invite the city’s most influential people. That will give you a chance to meet everyone who matters,” said Ethan, outlining his n, though Gracie found itcking.


    She wanted Ethan to introduce her to the key figures controlling Shirie’s economy.


    “Alright, step by step it is,” replied Gracie. Inside, she was delighted to see the rift forming between Brenna and Ethan. Triumph lit her face as she left the office in an upbeat mood.


    Once Gracie had left, Ethan fixed his gaze on ni. “Come with me.”


    There was no doubt in his mind—ni had yed a big part in how things had turned out today.


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