Open Marriage, Broken Promises: When Love Turns to Ashes novel Chapter 72

The next morning, when I arrived at the office at 9 AM, both Lukas Clark and Farah White were absent.

It seems like the battle from last night was so intense that neither of them managed to get out of bed?

I sat in Lukas Clark's executive chair and casually made a few phone calls.

Half an hour later, key leaders from the Davis and Clark families arrived in the conference room.

Only then did I slowly and deliberately call Lukas.

"Hey, darling, you said you'd come to the office to work late last night, but I came in and didn't see you. Where are you?"

Lukas must have just been woken up by the call.

He was a little groggy, but quickly snapped into full awareness.

"I stayed up all night last night, so I was too tired this morning and went to a nearby hotel to catch up on some sleep."

After giving an excuse, he quickly asked, "Why are you in the office today?"

I smiled coldly. "Our families are here for a reconciliation meeting; there seem to be some issues with a few contracts. Everyone's waiting in the conference room."

"Okay, I'll be right there!" Lukas said.

After hanging up, Lukas arrived quickly.

"Darling, next time something like this happens, just call me directly. You don't have to come in person."

Lukas acted affectionate as he came beside me, but in reality, he was blocking my view of the outside.

Soon after he arrived, Farah White snuck in behind him, burying her head at her desk, thinking she was being clever.

I didn't call her out but pointed to the contract on my desk.

"There's a discrepancy with the project and payment details here. Take a look."

Before they arrived, the finance manager had reported to me that these contracts were all drafted and signed by Farah White.

The most critical part—the payment figures—she had misplaced the decimal point by one digit.

This small mistake meant that if our company went ahead with the project, not only would we not make a profit, but we would also need to pay out over a hundred million in additional funds.

Even if we chose to terminate the contract, we would face tens of millions in penalties.

And this was the so-called "achievement" that Lukas had boasted about during the annual meeting—Farah White's work.

Lukas leaned in to glance at the contract, and his face immediately turned dark.

Without thinking, he murmured, "Who drafted this contract? Get them in here to explain!"

The finance manager glanced at Lukas, then hesitated before speaking. "It was Assistant White. All of these agreements, from negotiations to signing, were handled by her. You gave her full authority, and no one else was involved."

Lukas's forehead twitched, veins popping.

I gently pressed my temples and said slowly, "No wonder. A newcomer intern like her, yet the other party was willing to sign the contract directly. She was probably looking for a chance to fleece us on this deal."

Lukas glanced at me subtly, then came over and pinched my shoulder.

The next day, Lukas's 80 million was transferred to my private account on time.

As for me, I simply made a phone call to Mr. Wilson, the chairman of our business partner, and canceled the contract.

"Urja, I've watched you grow up. I wouldn't have done this to anyone else."

"The problem here is that my subordinates failed to report the issue to me in time. I owe you an apology."

Mr. Wilson's tone was sincere.

He had started his business from scratch, and my father had helped him a lot. They were true life-and-death brothers.

Because of this connection, our families had always been very close.

In the past, my family had even considered arranging a marriage between me and Mr. Wilson's only son, Cabot Wilson.

But back then, he was studying abroad, and I had been charmed by Lukas, so the matter never came to fruition.

In the afternoon, during the quarterly board meeting, both my parents and the Clarks were present.

Lukas and I presented our reports as usual, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But halfway through the meeting, everyone's phones vibrated simultaneously.

The entire company, from top to bottom, had received a video showing Lukas Clark and Farah White kissing in a convenience store and entering and exiting a hotel together.

The expressions of both families immediately darkened.