Chapter 20
Everyone thought Cynthia was just trying hard to save face. After all, Hitting the ball into a par–4 hole in four strokes was already impressive. A birdie, or three strokes, was hard to achieve, while an eagle–two strokes–was a feat for top athletes. But a hole–in–one… that was as rare as winning the lottery.
Cynthia took her stance at the tee, raised her club high, and swung with all her might. The white ball soared through the air in a perfect arc, heading straight for the green. Everyone dashed after it, hearts pounding.
Tommy was the first to reach the green. When he found there was no ball in sight, disbelief washed over him. Then, he went to check the hole, and sure enough, there it was–Cynthia’s golf ball triumphantly resting inside.
Tommy froze for a moment, then erupted with excitement, lifting the ball high. “Hole–in–one! Ms. Jones just got a hole–in- one!” He looked happier than if he had made the shot himself.
The others stood in shock. Even professional players might only pull a hole–in–one off once in twenty thousand swings. It required not just skill but also an incredible stroke of luck. The wealthy young men around Cynthia shifted from curiosity to pure admiration for her.
News of Cynthia’s hole–in–one spread like wildfire across the course, drawing crowds. After all, witnessing a hole–in–one was a rare event. Several fans even approached Cynthia, eager to take selfies with her.
Tradition held that after scoring a hole–in–one, golfers should tip the caddy and staff generously. Cynthia seemed ready for this, pulling out packs of monetary gifts from her sporty backpack and handing them out to the caddy one by one
The crowd gasped in amazement.
“Ms. Jones came totally prepared.”
“Looks like she was just pretending to be average at first.”
“Mr. Bennett, you’d better step up your game. Ms. Jones definitely has the upper hand now.”
“But seriously, where did she learn to play? Is she really this good?”
People changed puzzled glances–if she wasn’t confident, why would she have prepared all those monetary gifts?
Cynthia laughed off the comments and turned to Jonathan. “Mr. Bennett, about that promise you made, it still stands, right?”
Jonathan repliet coolly, “I only said I’d think about it if you won. I never agreed to anything if you beat me.”
Cynthia’s expression stiffened. For a moment, she felt like she was seeing the “shameless” Jonathan again. He always insisted it was the last time, but every time he carried her into the shower, he took those words back.
As those memories flashed through her mind, her cheeks turned red. The crowd assumed she was annoyed and gathered around her.
“Mr. Bennett, that’s just not fair. Don’t pick on a girl, okay?”
“Come on, it’s just an interview.”
“Exactly! You’re better than that, right?”
Jonathan watched as the crowd surrounded Cynthia, each one playing the gallant knight. An unfamiliar anger bubbled up inside him, and he said coldly, “I hate the scheming.”
Then he shot a warning look at his friends by Cynthia. “If any of you want to act like the knight in shining armor, don’t expect me to treat you like friends anymore.”
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15:06 Wed, Oct 30
Chapter 20
28%
Everyone stared at Jonathan, a mix of surprise and fear on their faces. Despite his higher status in Betrico, he had always treated them as friends. That was how this major project brought everyone together–he genuinely wanted them all to
benefit from it.
But now, it was clear that Jonathan was really upset, and it was all because of Cynthia. No one could figure out why, but they knew better than to cross him over a girl. So, the men around Cynthia quickly backed off.
Seeing this unfold, Lilian couldn’t help but smirk. Looks like Cynthia’s beauty has its limits!
Cynthia and Lilian returned to the station, one right after the other. Neither of them mentioned what had happened at the golf course.
In the afternoon, during a team meeting, Freddie was bursting with energy. “Finally, the big break we’ve been waiting for has come. Lilian, Cynthia–who’s getting the exclusive interview with Mr. Bennett?”
Both Cynthia and Lilian blinked, surprised. The rest of the team was just as stunned..
“Mr. Bennett agreed to our interview?” someone exclaimed.
Freddie beamed. “Yeah, BJ just called, and they scheduled it for tomorrow. They want our crew there at nine.”
Vivian chimed in, “So, who’s going to do the interview?”
Freddie replied, “They didn’t specify, just told us to have someone there at nine. Mr. Bennett has cleared out two hours for
us.”
Freddie was confused. “So how did you two come back without mentioning who set up the interview with Mr. Bennett?”
Cynthia furrowed her brow. Earlier that morning, Jonathan had made it clear that he hadn’t agreed to anything. Why the sudden change?
Just then, Lilian calmly spoke up. “It’s me.”
Freddie’s face lit up. “Great! I knew you had the chops, Lilian. Then get ready for the interview tomorrow morning at nine with Mr. Bennett. You pull this off, and your career will skyrocket!”
He couldn’t contain his excitement as he grabbed his phone. “I need to tell Alison about this. This is huge! The BCB has been trying for ages to land Mr. Bennett, yet we made it first. Alison will definitely be thrilled!”
Freddie rushed out, and the rest of the team crowded around Lilian immediately.
“Lilian, you’re incredible! How did you manage that?”
“You really graduated from a top school, didn’t you? Your skills are clearly different from those of some of the pretty faces here.”
“You deserve to be the prime–time host.”
“When you land that prime–time gig, you better take us out for a big meal!”
Lilian smiled shyly, and her expression was modest. “I just got lucky. Tonight I’m treating everyone to dinner at Tasty House.”
Tasty House was a high–end restaurant famous for Japriumian food. Although they all worked at the TV station, their salaries weren’t anything to brag about. Hence, most of them had never been to such an upscale place. Cheers erupted, praising Lilian’s generosity.
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15:06 Wed, Oct 30
Chapter 201
Lilian then approached Cynthia, who had remained quietly contemplative. “Cynthia, want to join us tonight?”
n
Cynthia packed away her files, a bright smile lighting up her face. “Sure, now that you are treating me, I’ll definitely come.”
+5
That night, the group arrived at Tasty House. Lilian had already reserved a private room. Once they entered and took in the lavish decor, they showered her with compliments.
“Lilian, do you come here often?” someone asked.
“Not yet. I just come here occasionally,” Lilian replied softly.
“Come on, it’s not like a place regular folks can afford! Lilian, you’ve been hiding your true background from us, right?”
“How could someone who studied abroad come from an average home?”
“Spill the beans, Lilian! Which wealthy family do you belong to
Lilian finally admitted, “I’m not lying, my family isn’t well off. The only reason I studied abroad is because of my boyfriend.”
She glanced at Cynthia across from her. “My boyfriend comes from a great family, and he loves me. That’s how I managed to go overseas for my studies.”
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