Chapter 562
A subtle flicker passed through Anathea’s eyes as she gave a slight shake of her head.
“So, Mr. Sinclair is here as well,” Frederick said, his expression inediately shifting into one of deference. He shot a sharp look at Shirley, silently questioning why she hadn’t informed him of Gregory’s presence.
Shirley avoided his gaze. A trace of guilt flickered in her eyes.
In truth, she’d been too preoccupied touching up her makeup to notice. But even if she had, she wouldn’t have said anything.
If she’d mentioned Gregory was here, Frederick would have likely backed out. There was no way she could go up against Anathea alone and win.
Frederick felt a headache coming on. His sister could be so competitive that she was willing to sacrifice even her own brother
just to win.
Still, with the engagement with the Lancaster family off the table now, this project was his only remaining chance. If he failed to secure it, their grandfather would never let him off the hook. For the sake of the family’s standing, he had no choice but to push forward.
“My apologies for earlier. That really was an accident,” he said to Gregory, forcing a smile. “I hope you won’t take it personally, Mr. Sinclair.”
Gregory didn’t even spare him a glance. From beginning to end, the only person he cared about was Anathea.
As for Anathea, she wouldn’t have bothered acknowledging Frederick either. The bad blood between them had long since gone beyond a simple grudge.
Frederick was left standing there awkwardly for a few seconds before Macon and Dayanna arrived.
“Well, what a coincidence! You’re here too, Frederick?” Macon said with a friendly smile. “How’s your father doing these days? Is he still keeping up with his wellness routine?”
“He’s doing well. He’s mentioned you quite often lately, Mr. Presgrave. Why don’t we arrange a get–together sometime soon?” Frederick responded, finally managing to regain his composure slightly.
Macon smiled. “That sounds good.”
Seeing an opening, Shirley quickly added, “Mr. Presgrave, we just happened to come for a game of tennis too. Why don’t we all play together?”
Macon glanced at Anathea. During the warm–up earlier, Dayanna Had said many good things about her, and he understood her subtle hint–Anathea was clearly the one they were leaning toward for the collaboration.
Even so, Frederick and Shirley were long–time family friends. That kind of relationship couldn’t be dismissed outright.
Dayanna immediately stepped in to relieve the tension. She walked up with a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat off Macon’s forehead, saying warmly, “You’ve been playing quite a while now. You must be fired. Why not take a break and let the younger ones have a few rounds?”
Her words immediately resolved the tension.
“That’s right, darling!” Macon laughed, slipping an arm around her shoulders. Turning to the others, he added warmly, “I’m not as young as I used to be. I’ll leave the court to you all and watch from the sidelines.”
“Mr. Presgrave, shouldn’t there be a little prize for whoever wins? Shirley asked sweetly.
“Of course,” he replied heartily. “Whoever wins this match gets the project. How’s that for motivation?”
“Alright! You said it, Mr. Presgrave. There’s no backing out now,” Shirley replied, grinning from ear to ear.
Anathea frowned slightly.
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Chapter 562
+25 BONUS
Shirley clearly felt confident because of her own decent tennis skills, and Anathea had already gotten a rough measure of Frederick’s abilities before. Facing either of them individually was already a challenge, Going up against both at once left her with little chance of winning.
“Since we’re playing anyway, a one–on–one match would be too simple,” Gregory said calmly. “Why not make it a mixed doubles match?”
Anathea tuned to glance at him, and he responded with a reassuring look.
“Sounds good to me,” Macon added. He was happy to oblige Gregory.
Frederick and Shirley exchanged glances. Their expressions faltered momentarily, but they quickly recovered.
No matter how strong Gregory was, with Anathea holding him back, there was no real threat. As long as they focused their attacks on her side, victory would be within reach.
Anathea could already guess what they were planning. Her grip on the racket tightened slightly as a thin sheen of sweat formed on her palm.
“Are you nervous?” Gregory asked gently, placing a warm hand over hers.
“No,” she replied flatly, calmly pulling her hand away. After taking a deep breath, she looked him in the eye and seriously said, ” I want this project so…”
She wanted to ask him to put aside their personal grievances and focus on working together for the sake of winning.
Gregory met her gaze and said gently, “Don’t worry. Whatever you want, I’ll make sure it ends up right in your hands.”
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