Hypnotizing Love
Chapter 168 Business Partners

"I'll go with you." Cole stood up, looking worried about her.

Amber was touched and amused. "No, thanks. I'm just pregnant, not injured. I'm fine by myself." After that, she grabbed her purse from the rack and left the office, driving to the hotel. Coincidentally, when Amber arrived at the hotel entrance, she met Jared and his assistant, Ben. They had just arrived as well. They didn't expect to meet Amber here, looking a bit surprised.

"Good day, Ms. Reed," Ben greeted her.

Amber nodded at him in response.

Then she glanced at Jared and greeted him, "Hello, Mr. Farrell."

Jared hummed, paused his pace, and let her enter first.

However, Amber wanted to let him enter first.

After all, Jared was the sponsor of the project and the owner of this hotel. She believed she should be after him.

Hence, they stood in front of the entrance without going inside. The atmosphere was a bit awkward.

In the end, Ben returned to his senses and understood Amber's thoughts. He coughed and reminded Jared in a low voice, "Ms. Reed wants to go in after you, Mr. Farrell. I know you want to be after her, but you are the project sponsor. If you don't go in, Ms. Reed won't enter either."

Jared frowned slightly.

He had never expected her to pay so much attention to the business manners.

That made sense. If she hadn't cared about it, she wouldn't have blamed Makenna for skipping the line in the resort.

Thinking of that, Jared walked into the hotel.

Ben followed him.

Looking at their receding figures, Amber breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, they walked in. Otherwise, she was about to break the business rules.

People who broke the business rules would be isolated by other counterparts. So in the end, Jared and Ben walked in first.

Amber lifted her purse on her shoulder, took a deep breath, and entered the hotel.

She walked to the elevator and pressed the button to go up.

Much to her surprise, as soon as she pressed it, the light on the button went out automatically.

She wondered what had happened.

Was any elevator opened?

Amber frowned and wanted to replace the opened elevator. Then she heard a voice. "Ms. Reed, here."

She subconsciously looked over, only to replace that Ben poked out his head from the third elevator in the row while smiling at her. Amber understood what had happened.

No wonder right after she had pressed the button, the light went out.

It turned out Jared and Ben had been waiting for her in the third elevator.

Seeing Amber standing in front of the first elevator motionlessly, Ben urged, "Ms. Reed, hurry up and come in. We're waiting for you."

Amber parted her lips. "No, thanks. You can go upstairs first. I..."

"We'll be late," Ben interrupted Amber's refusal after receiving Jared's gaze.

Upon hearing it, Amber raised her wrist to check the time on the watch. That was true. They only had a few minutes.

It seemed she had to take the same elevator with them.

Amber heaved a sigh and entered it.

Seeing the man standing in the center of the elevator who emanated a strong aura, Amber looked down a bit and said, "Thanks." "Not at all," Jared cast her a glance and answered.

Amber stood in the corner in silence.

Jared didn't speak, either.

As the subordinate, Ben couldn't speak when his boss didn't.

Hence, the whole elevator was so quiet that only the breathing sounds could be heard.

Ben's professional smile was natural initially, but gradually, it stiffened.

He wished they could speak or do something.

If not, it felt so cold and suppressed.

Finally, the elevator arrived at the destination floor.

Ben walked out as soon as the door was opened to block the door from closing. He heaved a sigh of relief in secret.

He didn't need to feel the suffocating atmosphere with the other two anymore.

Amber didn't know what was in Ben's mind. She left the elevator after Jared.

Then she stood in front of the elevator for two seconds deliberately. Until Jared and Ben had gone far, she lifted her foot and followed them in the distance. Soon, they arrived at the meeting room.

Ben pushed the door open.

Jared walked in. Amber followed him.

When seeing them enter the room, all the attendees stopped talking. Silence blanketed the room.

Trenton was sitting on the first seat left to the chairman's seat. Seeing Amber, he squinted. "Jared, why do you arrive with Ms. Reed together?"

"We met each other downstairs. All right. The meeting starts." Jared pulled the chair and sat down.

Trenton knew he didn't want to talk about it, so he gave up.

However, he kept gazing at Amber gloomily as if Amber had purposely come in with Jared.

Amber rolled her eyes at him secretly. Ignoring him, she opened her notebook, ready to take notes for the meeting.

On the chairman's seat, Jared glanced at all the attendees and looked at Amber for a few seconds. Then he withdrew his gaze and said, "I've finished reading all your proposals and selected the five most excellent ones. These five companies will be our business partners."

Everyone subconsciously sat upright, becoming serious.

Amber wasn't an exception. Besides being serious, she felt a bit nervous.

No matter the business competence or the company's strength, she and Goldstone were no match to the rest of the competitors at the scene.

Hence, she didn't really have much hope about this.

"Mr. Farrell, since you've made the decision. Please go ahead to announce it. We want to know who are so lucky," someone urged. "Exactly. Mr. Farrell, please."

"Yes, Jared. Please hurry up," Trenton echoed in an expectant tone.

Yesterday, after Makenna went to the Farrell Group to submit the proposal, she told Trenton they had guaranteed a seat for the project.

Hence, Trenton eagerly wanted to know if Makenna had told the truth. After all, he knew his plan well. It would be difficult to be chosen. However, it would be possible if Jared changed his mind to open a backdoor for him for Makenna's sake.

Amber gazed at Jared nervously.

Feeling her gaze, he looked over at her.

Amber didn't expect him to look over. She was taken aback and looked down. Then she turned away to dodge his gaze.

Seeing that, Jared pressed his lips and said in a deep tone, "Please announce it, Ben."

"Yes, Mr. Farrell," Ben answered. Then he read a name list, "According to the proposal selection, we finally chose five business partners for this project. They are Mr. Tubbs from Zoloha, Mr. Morris from Bisou, Mr. Boyd from JANIK, Ms. Rydell from MiAko, and..."

He paused a bit. Except for the four selected ones, others' hearts jumped to their throats.

Amber clenched her hands tightly and bit her bottom lip.

She wondered if it would be her.

Her heart hammered. She gazed at the name list in Ben's hand without a blink.

Noticing her gaze, Ben heaved a sigh. Pushing up his glasses, he raised his voice and announced the last business partner. "And Mr. Gardner from the Trident Group."

Upon hearing it, others sighed in disappointment.

Amber looked down in frustration, releasing her clenched hands.

It wasn't her.

Although she was mentally prepared, she still felt deflated when hearing the result.

K