CHAPTER 203: CHAPTER 203: IVAN UNDERWOOD CAN USE THE MIND READING TECHNIQUE

The villa next door was sold to Henry Preston?

I can’t stop Henry from buying a house, but just thinking about becoming neighbors makes me feel uneasy.

I have no interest in celebrating becoming neighbors, but I am interested in another matter.

"Ivan Underwood sent Sean Lawson to jail, but Azure Vaughn has someone backing her. I don’t believe it was her godparents. Was it you?" I asked.

Aside from Henry, I can’t think of anyone else who could outplay Ivan.

Ivan didn’t tell me exactly how he did it, but I know he definitely used his family’s influence. I just can’t figure out why his parents agreed to it.

Henry stood with his hands in his pockets, glowing in the afternoon sun.

"Given my relationship with her now, is there anything wrong with me helping her?" he retorted.

Henry’s current relationship with Azure certainly seems intimate. To the outside world, it appears like a beautiful Cinderella and prince story. I sneered, "Ha, there’s nothing wrong with it. Thank her for me. Without her making a fuss, I wouldn’t have made up my mind to be with Ivan."

Henry seemed to want to provoke me, but after hearing my response, his face instantly turned dark.

I ignored his reaction and turned back home without looking back.

When I got home, my mom was arranging flowers in the living room. Seeing me return, she said, "Zoe, the house next door has been sold, and there’s a new neighbor. Do you want to go and say hello?"

I stopped my mom, "No need. It’s not necessary."

"Why?" my mom asked, a bit surprised, "Do you know the neighbor?"

I nodded but stayed silent, worried that saying the name "Henry Preston" would upset her.

But my mom wasn’t easily fooled, listing a series of names until she finally said, with some suspicion, "Henry Preston?"

"Yes, him." I paused and nodded again.

My mom immediately got anxious, "What is he up to? He even moved next door. Zoe, isn’t he with that Azure Vaughn? Does he still want to entangle with you?"

"Mom, he’s with Azure. Maybe he bought the house here for investment purposes. He likes buying houses everywhere." I calmed my own trepidation and reassured my mom.

But she still looked worried. She knows Henry well enough to say, "Being together doesn’t mean anything. He’s so unpredictable!"

"At worst, I’ll move out, no problem." Understanding her concerns, I took her arm and assured her again.

My mom nodded, hesitant to speak further. I had already mentioned moving out, so she said nothing more.

But to be honest, after Henry moved next door, every morning on my way to work, I’d run into him.

He was either leaving as well or on his way out, but I pretended not to see him.

To avoid him, I left half an hour early today, only to find his car right behind mine as I exited the complex, honking twice as if urging me.

I immediately hit the gas, trying to distance myself from Henry’s car, but he followed so closely it felt like he was tailing me. Our company routes don’t even align, so what was he thinking?

Just when I was about to call him to ask what he meant, his car finally turned off another path, and I let out a sigh of relief.

——

Upon arriving at the company, I was told to go to the conference room for a meeting, a high-level meeting I shouldn’t be attending given my current position. But because of my status, I had to join.

Seeing my mom’s serious expression filled me with unease.

It turned out that last night, Wendy Hawthorne and Azure Vaughn announced the establishment of a makeup company called Celeste, with business almost identical to ours!

And the company is located near our headquarters.

That’s why my mom gathered the company’s executives to discuss strategies, as the Astral Company will surely try to seize our resources and business. We had to prepare mentally for the competition.

The meeting lasted a full four hours, and afterward, I headed downstairs for lunch.

Ivan Underwood was waiting at the company entrance, dressed in a sheer white shirt, black trousers, a casual loose fit with the shirt’s hem tucked at the waist, highlighting his physique.

In terms of looks and build, he rivals Henry Preston, though his presence lacks the same aggressiveness.

Just standing there, he drew the gazes of many passing female employees.

"What are you doing here?" I pushed my worries aside and hurried over to Ivan.

Like a mind reader, Ivan softly asked, "Is it because of Azure starting the company that you’re upset?"

As he spoke, he took my bag, and he always does this when we’re together. It’s a small gesture but appreciated.

"You’re so clever." I sighed, "She’s intent on clashing with me, spending so much money to compete with my family."