To the Love of My Life

“Bro, shouldn’t you care about Pristine’s first? This is the worst stock market drop in Pristine’s history…”

“Edward, you conduct the meeting now. I will handle this matter.” Steve Burton, once again, not waiting for Edward Woods to finish speaking, made a calm decision. Then, without affording Edward an opportunity to react, he strode towards his own office.

When he pushed open the office door, only Rusell Henris and Howard Coleman were sitting inside. Steve Burton furrowed his eyebrows, “Where is Madeleine?”

“Madeleine? I don’t know, her phone is switched off when I just called.” Rusell Henris replied. He then looked at Howard Coleman, “Howard, you always got along well with Madeleine, where is she?”

The expression on Howard Coleman’s face became somewhat stiff, his eyes flickered and then he bluntly said: “I don’t know.”

Steve Burton did not say more. He went to his desk, turned on his computer, and quickly typed something on the keyboard. He then swiftly glanced over at the news and the stock market conditions to understand the situation.

About five minutes later, when Rusell Henris noticed Steve Burton’s gaze leave the computer, he started to discuss the situation in a professional tone, “Pristine’s Enterprises is merely an investor and collaborator. The key responsibility for this project lies with Gregory’s Enterprises. They hired the construction company as well. Just now, I contacted our Public Relations Department and Legal Department who assured us that they were 90 per cent confident of keeping Pristine’s Enterprises separate from this incident.”

“Just now I also made an analysis, if we do not take responsibility for this accident, at most we’ll lose the US$6,860,000 invested in Gregory’s Enterprises…”Rusell’s voice faltered here, and then he continued, “But if Pristine’s Enterprises accepts responsibility for the accident, at most the loss could be around US$466,600,000.”

Throughout Rusell’s analysis, Steve Burton remained expressionless – until he heard the last part. He paused, looked at Rusell.

Rusell, as if understanding Steve’s gaze, calmly continued his thought, “Even if I hadn’t done the analysis, you would have taken action yourself. Because I know, usually, you would have chosen the first option without hesitation. But this time, you will definitely choose the second one.”

“Because I know you too well. You cannot bring yourself to abandon Gregory’s…”Rusell paused here, slightly smiled, then corrected himself, “It’s not that you can’t abandon Gregory’s, but you can’t abandon her.”

Steve Burton moved his lips, but didn’t speak.

Rusell turned his head and looked at Howard Coleman, “Howard, what do you think? Can we bear this US$466,600,000 and support our brother?”

Howard Coleman, dressed in a white suit and casually seated on the couch, was staring out of the window as if he hadn’t heard Rusell’s words at all.