Chapter 207 - 205: What’s the Situation?

On the other end of the line, Jasmine Sterling hadn’t expected him to answer so quickly. She was caught off guard for a moment when she suddenly heard his voice.

Then she hurriedly said, "Hello, Mr. Jennings. I-I’m Jasmine Sterling from Veridia. Do you remember me?"

"Ms. Sterling, it really is you! Of course I remember. You were the first person I thought of when I saw the caller ID."

Randall Jennings unconsciously sat up straighter as he spoke, clearly surprised that Jasmine Sterling was calling him. "Ms. Sterling, is there something I can help you with?"

Nearby, Lillian Hughes was clearing away the lunch dishes and subconsciously picked up on a key part of Randall Jennings’s conversation.

’Ms. Sterling?’

’A woman!’

She perked up her ears, watching Randall Jennings’s expression from the corner of her eye.

Jasmine Sterling didn’t beat around the bush. "Mr. Jennings, I’m so sorry to disturb you, but I’m actually in the first-floor lobby of your group’s building right now. I know this is a bit forward, but I just happened to be making God Jumps Over the Wall for my daughter and thought of you. I brought some over to thank you for helping my daughter."

Jasmine Sterling spoke cautiously, but her words were remarkably earnest. She had come specifically to express her gratitude on her daughter’s behalf.

Hearing that Jasmine Sterling was already at Jennings Tower, Randall Jennings shot up from his chair. "You’re here? At the tower? Please wait a moment, I’ll send someone down to get you."

He hung up and called out loudly, "Lawson!"

A moment later, Secretary Lawson pushed the door open. "Yes, Chairman?"

"Go down to the first floor and get someone, quickly. Ms. Sterling is here."

Lawson looked completely baffled. "M-Ms. Sterling?"

’I have the whole day’s schedule memorized, and there’s no Ms. Sterling on it!’

Seeing Lawson’s confusion, Randall Jennings waved a hand. "Never mind, I’ll go down myself."

’Even though Lawson was the one who looked into Ms. Sterling’s background, he’s never actually met her. It’d be better if I went down myself.’

Just then, Lillian Hughes approached, her curiosity piqued. "Randall, is this person very important? So important you have to go get them yourself?"

’I heard him clearly. Even though it’s a woman, Randall was using a formal title. That must mean she’s important, but they aren’t close.’

’Probably an important business partner or someone like that.’

Randall Jennings nodded and looked at Lillian Hughes. "I have an important guest. Perhaps you should head home for now."

Lillian Hughes’s expression froze. With Secretary Lawson standing right there, she felt her face flush with embarrassment. She put on a show of playful annoyance. "I came to have lunch with you, and you’re trying to shoo me away before we’ve even finished? Who is this guest that’s so important I’m not allowed to meet them?"

But such feminine wiles had little effect on Randall Jennings. He was the epitome of a perfect gentleman, which was why he had always led a scrupulous life. The countless women who had desperately tried to win him over had all left empty-handed.

Not that he was particularly bothered by her antics, though.

Seeing that Lillian Hughes didn’t want to leave, he didn’t press the issue. "Then just wait here."

With that, he strode quickly out of the office. Secretary Lawson was about to follow when Lillian Hughes grabbed his arm. "Secretary Lawson, who is this Ms. Sterling?"

Secretary Lawson genuinely couldn’t place her. The incident with Veridia didn’t even cross his mind.

So, he just shook his head, completely stumped. "I honestly have no idea."

Lillian Hughes’s expression turned suspicious. ’Someone even Secretary Lawson doesn’t recognize? That’s very strange indeed.’

Downstairs, a few young women at the reception desk watched Jasmine Sterling from afar. Seeing her standing off to the side with a thermal container, unwilling to leave, they couldn’t help but start whispering.

"We told her she can’t go up without an appointment. Why is she still here?"

"Besides, didn’t that Ms. Hughes just go up? Does she have no shame, waiting here like this?"

"Don’t tell me she’s just going to wait it out. The Chairman’s been working really late recently. She’s not planning to wait until night, is she?"

"Let’s not talk about it. We’ve seen plenty of women trying every trick in the book to get close to the Chairman lately, haven’t we? There’s always one who just won’t give up."

A short while later, Randall Jennings strode out of the exclusive elevator. As soon as he entered the lobby, he spotted Jasmine Sterling.

"Good afternoon, Chairman."

"Good afternoon, Chairman."

People passing by all stopped to greet him. The young women at the reception desk certainly noticed the Chairman’s arrival. They instantly stood ramrod straight, plastering sweet, professional smiles on their faces, terrified of making a bad impression.

Randall Jennings, however, only had eyes for Jasmine Sterling. He strode briskly toward her.

Jasmine Sterling saw him almost immediately as well. A gentle smile graced her lips as she took a few steps forward to meet him. "Mr. Jennings."

"Ms. Sterling, you should have called me ahead of time," Randall Jennings said in a low, gentle voice. "It’s a good thing I was in the office today. Otherwise, you would have made this trip for nothing."

Jasmine Sterling just smiled serenely. "I didn’t think that far ahead, I suppose. I was just worried I might be disturbing you."

She gestured with the thermal container in her hand. "When I was making this God Jumps Over the Wall, you just popped into my head. It’s fresh from the pot. I remember you enjoy it."

"You’re very thoughtful. Please, come up to my office for a bit," Randall Jennings offered.

Jasmine Sterling asked hesitantly, "Are you sure it won’t interrupt your work?"

"Not at all, not at all. This way, please."

Randall Jennings was cultured and courteous, and his attitude helped ease some of Jasmine’s nervousness and apprehension.

Only after Jasmine Sterling had followed Randall Jennings into the Chairman’s exclusive elevator did the young women at the reception desk snap back to their senses. They stared at one another in utter shock.

What...

What was that all about?

When they reached the top floor, the elevator doors opened to reveal Secretary Lawson already waiting for them.

"Lawson. Ms. Sterling. You don’t remember her?"

Randall Jennings asked, giving his secretary a probing look.

Now that he saw her in person, the gears in Lawson’s head started turning furiously. After a moment, a look of dawning comprehension crossed his face. "Ah! Ms. Sterling! You’re the Ms. Sterling from Veridia!"

This, in turn, made Jasmine Sterling a little embarrassed. She simply smiled and nodded. "Hello."

Lawson quickly returned a polite greeting, thinking to himself, ’No wonder the Chairman took this so seriously and went down to get her himself.’

"Go prepare a pot of tea."

After giving Lawson his instructions, Randall Jennings led Jasmine Sterling into the office. Lillian Hughes was sitting primly in the middle of the sofa, waiting.

Hearing the door open, she instinctively looked up. Her face bloomed into a radiant smile when she saw Randall Jennings walk in. But then she saw Jasmine Sterling trailing behind him, and in the next instant, that radiant smile froze on her face.