A Vengeful Ex-Wife
Chapter 114 Wishful Thinking

Alina was in high spirits upon thinking that she was about to get the bracelet that James had personally taken back from Maria.

She was working in her office when Summer arrived. As soon as she saw Summer, she said in a lukewarm manner, "Thank you for sending the bracelet here in person. Where is it?"

'This woman is blind. It seems that she doesn't see the real situation. I will soon become James' wife, but she still keeps on helping Maria,' she thought with disdain.

With a faint smile, Summer took out the bracelet from her pocket and put it on Alina's desk. She then said casually, "Mr. Xi gave me this bracelet this morning as soon as he came out of the hotel. Ms. Tang, Mr. Xi really cares for you."

Summer deliberately mentioned that James had just gotten out of the hotel this morning to sicken Alina.

'He got out of the hotel this morning?' Alina reechoed in her mind. She instantly got what Summer was trying to say. Giving Summer a questioning gaze, she asked, "You mean the hotel where Maria is staying?"

"Yes, Ms. Tang. Oh, don't you know about it? Mr. Xi stayed in the hotel last night. He just asked me to send his clothes there this morning, then he gave the bracelet to me."

Unfriendliness flashed across Alina's eyes as she stared at Summer. But still, she tried to justify what James did. "James went there to get the bracelet for me. Maybe he had no other choice but to stay there overnight."

Summer nodded as if she understood what Alina meant. Then she asked, "Ms. Tang, do you really think that Mr. Xi had no other choice?"

"What do you mean?" Alina couldn't conceal the fury in her voice anymore.

Summer knew that she was just James' assistant and she shouldn't talk back to Alina. But every time she remembered how Alina had hit on James behind Maria's back when they were still a couple, she couldn't restrain herself. "Nothing special. This is only my opinion. I'm not sure if I'm only imagining things, but it seems that Mr. Xi doesn't really want to go against Maria."

Alina wouldn't tolerate anyone's provocation, let alone Summer, who was just a mere assistant in her eyes. "Does James know how you talk to me?"

"For me, Mr. Xi is a godlike man, who has led the huge HL Group to its glory. There is no way he is unable to deal with a woman. To put it bluntly, he probably doesn't have the heart to go against Maria." Summer knew that James had also targeted Maria before, but she deliberately didn't mention it. To piss Alina off, she focused more on emphasizing the relationship between James and Maria. Bang! A loud thud echoed in the office when Alina pounded her desk. Totally losing interest in the bracelet because of Summer's words, she stood up and threatened Summer, "Don't you want to work in HL Group anymore?" As soon as she became James' wife, she would definitely ask him to fire Summer.

"Of course, I do. Ms. Tang, please don't take my words to heart. Well, if there's nothing else, I'll leave now." Summer then turned around and left Alina's office. She had achieved her goal of ruining Alina's mood so she had to stop. Alina was still James' girlfriend. She couldn't go overboard.

As she walked out of the beauty salon, she couldn't help heaving a sigh. She just didn't like Alina at all because her loyalty was in Maria.

'Maria, please try harder. My future is in your hands,' she prayed inwardly.

Actually, James was in a dilemma. Right now, he had two special assistants, and he relied on both of them so much. However, one of them was on Alina's side while the other was on Maria's.

They all knew that once the battle for the crown as Mrs. Xi came to an end, one of them definitely had to leave HL Group.

After all, Maria couldn't tolerate Lorenzo while Alina couldn't tolerate Summer.

That day, Maria didn't leave her hotel room. She slept the whole day and only got up at dusk.

She leaned against the headboard, flipped her messy long hair, and looked at the empty jewelry box on the nightstand with a smile.

She didn't regret that she exchanged the bracelet for a night with James.

Did she suffer any loss? Not at all. It was even more worthwhile.

She got out of bed and cleaned up the mess on the floor. After taking a shower and tidying herself up, she went to Miracle Cafe.

When Maria arrived, she saw James entered the coffee shop with a man that she didn't know. Their eyes met. She looked at him with interest, but James just glanced at her like she was a stranger. With a smile, she shrugged and followed them in.

After ordering, James told the waitress, "Tell your boss to personally make our coffee."

He was not satisfied with the coffee that the baristas made for him. For him, their skills needed to be polished. He only preferred the coffee that Maria made herself.

Since the waitress was already familiar with James, she nodded. "Okay, Mr. Xi. One moment please."

Maria was working on her laptop when the waitress approached her. Upon hearing James' request, she snorted coldly, stood up, and walked towards the sink. "I'll let it pass this time. But the next time he asks this kind of favor, don't forget to ask him for a tip. Tell him it's my extra charge for my special service to him."

The waitress was a little stunned. "Tip? But Maria, how much should I ask from him?"

As far as she could remember, they had a rule in this coffee shop that they were not allowed to receive tips from customers. But this time, Maria was telling her to ask for it.

Maria washed her hands and wiped them with a paper towel. She looked in the direction of James and said, "He's a super-rich man. It's not too much to ask him for ten or one hundred thousand dollars." The waitress gaped at Maria. 'Wow! Maria, you're awesome!' she thought inwardly.

After making two cups of coffee for James and his companion, Maria personally served them to their table. While she was walking towards them, the man sitting opposite James stood up and went to the men's room. She put the tray in front of him and said, "Mr. Xi, don't forget the tip."

James looked up at her, and the first thing he saw was the hickeys on her neck. His Adam's apple bobbed. He picked up the cup of coffee, took a sip, and said in a soft voice, "I'll invest two hundred million dollars in your company. How much profit do you plan to bring me in a year?"

Maria smiled. "If you will let me use the name of HL Bank in my business, a return of millions of dollars a year won't be a problem."

James was rendered speechless. Indeed, Maria had wishful thinking. Aside from HL Group, associating HL Bank to the name of any company could definitely result in a steady profit even for startups. He thought for a while. Then he said, "I'm leaving for a business trip tomorrow. Let's talk about the details when I come back."

"Where are you going?" Maria blurted out.

James looked at her with a hint of warning in his eyes. "Why? Are you planning to use me again?"

Maria put on a dry smile. "How can it be possible? I'm just asking, okay? But anyway, never mind." With a snort, she then turned around and left.

As a matter of fact, she wasn't really interested to know where he was going.

Watching her walk away proudly, James couldn't help smiling. There was a trace of amusement in his eyes.

'You are just a woman, but why are you so arrogant and proud all the time?' he thought, shaking his head.

A few days later, Maria finally got the news that Lawrence would return to H City from his mission in S County. He had dealt with a major case and made great contributions in accomplishing it. So now, he could take a vacation for some time.

In his office, Lawrence handed over some unimportant tasks to his subordinates before calling Ethan and Maria for a drink.

When Maria arrived at the bar, she found Lawrence sitting at the bar counter, surrounded by several women. Despite his standoffish aura, he still had a magnet for women. They couldn't stop themselves from approaching him.

It was not surprising at all. With his handsome face, tall height, and sturdy, muscular physique, he looked stunning even in a simple T-shirt and jeans. It was as if he always had a placard with him that said, "I'm not only rich, but I am also handsome and strong."

But when she noticed how insensitive he was to women's seduction like winks and flirty words, Maria shook her head helplessly.

Her high heels click-clacked when she walked over to them. Putting her right hand on his shoulder, she then said in a coquettish tone, "Honey, you've come so early.

Ophelia