Oops I Banged the CEO novel Chapter 178

Yvonne and Nydia exchanged uneasy glances.

“Isn’t the international business summit this afternoon? Why would I need to be there?” Yvonne asked, puzzled.

“Mr. Hamilton is taking you abroad soon, right? Your spoken English needs to be up to par. The summit will have a lot of international guests, so it’s the perfect opportunity for you to get some practice,” Linda replied smoothly, her excuse sounding so reasonable that Yvonne didn’t question it for a second.

“Oh, alright,” Yvonne agreed, nodding.

She figured it couldn’t hurt to broaden her horizons a little.

“Great. Make sure you’re prepared, and ride with me this afternoon,” Linda said with a smile before heading to the break room.

As soon as she was gone, Nydia’s lips curled into a smirk. “That woman really knows which way the wind blows. The minute she realizes Mr. Hamilton values you, she does a complete 180 and starts sucking up.”

“She’s always been like that—opportunistic. It’s not the first time I’ve noticed,” Yvonne replied, unimpressed.

“Still, I think the summit this afternoon is a great opportunity for you. I’ll bet Mr. Hamilton’s business trip is about our smart chip project. It’s good for you to tag along and see how these deals work.”

“You’re not going, Grace?”

Grace shrugged helplessly. “I just can’t get away. Too much on my plate.”

Nydia filled in the blanks. “Linda’s trying to show off. Even though she and Grace have the same title, Linda’s the one calling the shots on this project. She made sure Grace was tied up elsewhere so she could go to the summit with Mr. Hamilton herself.”

“How does she get away with that? Grace is a director too.”

“Yeah, but Linda’s been in the role for over three years. She’s a master at playing both sides—charming the clients and bullying the team. Plus, she and Mr. Hamilton went to college together. She throws her weight around in the office, but out there among all those socialites, she’s nothing more than an errand girl,” Nydia said, her words sharp as ever.

It didn’t even occur to her that she hadn’t left the building yet and Linda was already finding ways to use her.

When they arrived at the international conference center, Yvonne and Linda got out of the car and waited quietly.

A Rolls-Royce pulled up, and Marico stepped out. The moment his dark eyes landed on Yvonne, standing quietly by Linda’s side with the bag in hand, he seemed unable to look away.

Yvonne pretended not to notice, maintaining her demure, professional composure.

Linda stepped forward, beaming. “Mr. Hamilton!”

Marico didn’t respond. He just gave Linda a cold glance that sent a chill straight down her spine.