Chapter 80

John took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He headed over to the Golden Birch Group with a plan he'd been working on for ages.

He'd lost count of how many times he'd been here. Each visit was a fresh dose of humiliation, and today, it felt even worse.

John was already in the meeting room when James walked in, right on time.

James gave John a quick glance, a slight smirk on his lips but coldness in his eyes. He was surprised to find out that John hadn't gotten his injury treated after being knocked down by Emily yesterday.

The jewelry exhibition project was a big deal, with lots of moving parts,but the organizer was the key player. John's team was leading the charge.

John looked lost, his face showing defeat as he stared at the stack of documents in front of him. Yesterday's events had clearly taken a toll on him.

The meeting dragged on for hours, and finally, everyone else left. James casually stopped John.

"Mr. Williams, Golden Birch Group is really counting on this project. Can CloudDream Creations handle it?" James's tone was calm, but there was an underlying pressure and warning. He was subtly reminding John that this was just a partnership, and he shouldn't mess with it or overstep his bounds. John pressed his pale lips together, feeling a bitter taste in his mouth.He'd faced more talented people before, but James was his rival, and it felt like everything he'd worked for was being handed to him as a favor. It made John feel restless.

John took another deep breath. "Mr. Smith, don't worry. CloudDream Creations won't let you down."

John was starting to regain his composure, knowing he couldn't afford to clash with James. CloudDream Creations needed a big project to prove themselves,and so did he.

Plus, this project could put him over the top.

James raised an eyebrow, satisfied with John's response. "From now on,Mr.Williams, you're the overall project manager. I expect you to be on-site,working with the team, overseeing everything. And don't worry, the compensation is quite generous."

John frowned and glanced at him. The project already had multiple teams,and he had several project managers under him to handle different departments.

Even though he was the overall project manager, his main job was coordination,so he didn't need to be on-site all the time.

The east side of the city was far from the center, making the daily commute a hassle. James was clearly trying to keep him away from Emily!

Without hesitation, John nodded. "Got it. I'll be there tomorrow." Last night, Calliope and Wilder had talked with him all night. As an adult,he knew what he wanted. Lately, he'd been played by Veda like a fool. He needed some time alone to clear his head.

Leaving the Golden Birch Group,John immediately spotted Veda.

Jeremy saw her too, then glanced at John's face and quickly walked away with the files in his arms.

As John's personal assistant, Jeremy couldn't stand Veda. She was just a mistress, and he couldn't understand why she always bossed him around without any self-awareness.

When Veda saw John, her eyes lit up. She bit her lip, her face full of sorrow and grievances.

It looked like she'd been crying for a while; her eyes were puffy. She gave John a weak smile.

She walked up to him slowly, trying totake his hand, but he subtly pulled away.

With a sad look in her eyes, Veda spoke softly, "I need to go to the hospital for a check-up today. John, will you come with me?"

After losing her baby, the doctor had told her to get checked if she had any stomach issues during her period.

Veda gently held her stomach, her eyes welling up with tears, "I know I messed up before, but can you come with me to the hospital? I had your baby once." replied to a single message.

In the past, John would have been by her side all the time. She wanted that unconditional love from him again.

But Veda didn't feel the need to explain anything to John. What was done was done. They had been together, and she had been pregnant with his child. She was already his woman. But noww,every time John saw her,he looked disgusted.

He looked at Veda coldly. "Veda, even if you were pregnant now, I'd make you get an abortion."

Veda stood there, stunned. Her whole body went stiff. She lookedat John in disbelief.

"What did you say?"

She felt the autumn wind had turned even colder than before, as if her coat provided no insulation at all.

She suddenly grabbed John's arm, her hands shaking. "John,what did you say?"

He said, "Let's break up for good. Don't bother me again. I'll give you some money to go away."

Veda couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "Do you think I need your money? I love you, and I just want to be with you. You can't blame me for one mistake..." John slowly-pushed her hand away. Seeing her tears didn't make him feel anything. He said coldly, "You fell down from the balcony on purpose and lost the baby,didn't you?"

He continued, "I can't love someone who would harm their own child for their own gain. Don't talk about love to me. You deceived me. What you love is my power and status."

John paused for a moment, then smirked. "No, you don't even love those.

You just want to satisfy your vanity. You want to see Emily suffer. But Emily never did anything to you."

Veda's body went rigid, her tears stopped.

"Would we still be together if I hadn't lost the baby?"

She completely ignored what John had said before.

John smiled coldly. "It's impossíble. You're deceitful, ungrateful,and manipulative. You fooled me for three years. In those three years,I pushed Emily away. Are you happy now?"

The thought of Emily being with someone else now was breaking John's heart.