My Sister Reborn Took My Groom Chapter 09
After Harrison moved down to New York with Yvonne, I left the trading firm.
Leveraging the client network I had built, I started sourcing my own inventory and secured my first major bit of capital.
Then, taking advantage of a wave of new zoning laws, I caught the perfect economic tailwind.
I established my own real estate development firm, starting with small municipal renovations and steadily expanding into commercial real estate.
Under my strategic guidance, Hettler Group also underwent a complete corporate restructuring.
Aiden and I teamed up.
Vance Holdings handled the commercial developments, while Hettler Group pivoted to supply the raw construction materials.
When Vance Holdings built retail complexes, Hettler Group took over the interior design contracts.
We kept all the profits within the family network.
Time flew. Vance Holdings’ portfolio expanded rapidly, and we eventually began securing lucrative joint ventures with municipal governments.
Our development projects quickly radiated to neighboring counties and cities.
Recently, Vance Holdings successfully won a major public-private partnership contract for an urban renewal project in the city center.
However, because our local market lacked experience with projects of this magnitude, the city government put together an executive delegation to visit New York on a strategic learning mission.
The investment capital for this project was massive, and the operational scope was vast. It was the perfect opportunity for the Hettler business to scale up.
After ironclad planning, Aiden and I organized our respective teams.
We joined the executive delegation and boarded a flight to New York.
None of us expected that we would cross paths with Harrison again there.
It happened just as we finished a high-level briefing with our local corporate partners.
Aiden had gone to the garage to get the car, and I was waiting near the hotel entrance.
A large, high-profile entourage suddenly filed out of the lobby.
Leading the group was Harrison.
He was dressed in an incredibly expensive tailored suit, looking absolutely triumphant. His eyes locked onto mine and he froze, shock and captivation flashing across his face.
I was slightly startled too.
But it wasn’t because of Harrison. It was because of the middle-aged man walking right beside him.
Noticing that Harrison had stopped in his tracks, the middle-aged man glanced at me patted Harrison on the shoulder, and laughed loudly. “Harrison, you know this beauty? She’s quite a looker-gives your wife a run for her money.”
My brow furrowed. I felt an immediate aversion to the way he looked at me.
Harrison retracted his gaze, his tone completely indifferent. “She’s just a relative of Yvonne’s. We aren’t close. Let’s go.”
But the man, Owen Jones, wouldn’t drop it. He raised an eyebrow, teasing, “A local from back home? Here looking for a break? Well, she came to the right place. They say the streets here are paved with gold. Why don’t you show her the ropes, Harrison?”
Harrison shot an arrogant look in my direction, a smirk playing on his lips. “Show her the ropes?”
His eyes were full of derision.
“Owen, it’s not that I don’t want to help. But when someone is still stubbornly clinging to a tiny,
outdated textile company, their mindset and vision are completely capped.”
“Our business models and investment strategies are far beyond her comprehension. She wouldn’t
even understand it, let alone run it.”
As the words left his mouth, Owen and the entire entourage burst into laughter.
“Fair point! Without a business mind, a woman’s looks are completely useless. Just eye candy! Come on, let’s hit the next spot.”
The group didn’t linger. They climbed into a fleet of waiting luxury cars and sped off into the traffic.
The moment they pulled away, Aiden pulled up to the curb.
He squinted through the windshield at the departing cars. “Was that Harrison?”
When I nodded, Aiden scoffed in annoyance. “Looks like he’s riding high these days.”
It was strange. Aiden had barely interacted with Harrison, yet he always carried a deep hostility toward him. It was something I had never quite understood.
I offered a noncommittal smile, shut the car door, and watched the city skyline blur window.
past
the
I thought back to the crowd we had just encountered.
Riding high?
Not necessarily.
That man, Owen, was no decent person.
