Chapter 8 Mr. Solo

The two who had just scolded Fiona were stunned when they saw the newcomer.

"What are you doing?" Harold frowned and positioned himself protectively in front of Fiona.

Surprised whispers filled the surroundings.

"Some guests raised objections earlier that this young lady didn't have an invitation, so we were just here for a routine inquiry," one of them explained.

"She indeed didn't have an invitation because she was personally invited by me," Harold replied sternly. "If you have further questions, ask me."

"Sir, we wouldn't dare! We wouldn't dare!" The two quickly waved.

"Miss, we simply misunderstood the situation. Please don't mind us and let it not affect your pleasant mood for attending the banquet."

"That’s right," another person chimed in.

"It's alright," Fiona said, shaking her head.

"Carry on with your duties." Harold waved, though his expression still held a hint of displeasure.

Everyone working for the Klein family knew that the Harold Klein was kind-hearted, gentle in nature, and never gave the servants a hard time. As the two left, their faces turned red. They muttered, who could be so malicious as to plot against them like this.

Bella, realizing the situation was turning against her had already hidden among the crowd. She was afraid those two would recognize her and cause trouble in public.

"This girl actually knows the young master of the Klein family."

"It’s not just that. Look at how Harold protected her. Could she be his girlfriend?"

"Just who exactly is she?""

Bella listened to the discussions around her, her face pale. Fiona had just been dumped by Darwin after being with him for five years, and now she was cozying up to the young heir of the luxurious Pearl Babe Group. She found it unbelievable and Fiona was nowhere near deserving of it.

Fiona was also bewildered. First, it was because the handsome man in front of her turned out to be Harold Klein, the protagonist of today's banquet. Secondly, he actually helped her out.

"Are you okay?" Harold turned around, looking at Fiona with concern as if he was afraid she had been scared.

"I’m fine, Mr. Harold. Thank you for helping me out.” Fiona felt a little embarrassed. After all, she really did sneak onto the ship.

Fiona quickly snapped back to her senses and reminded herself of her main objective, Newton. Fiona quickly looked around, but there was no sign of Newton in the dispersing crowd.

"What are you looking for? Did you drop something?" The ever naive Harold followed Fiona's gaze and looked around.

"I'm looking for…" Fiona hadn't finished her sentence.

"Fiona, darling!"

A sweet and affected voice rang out. From how Bella had provocatively eyed her earlier, she was hundred percent sure that the staff member from earlier was brought by Bella. Before she could tear into her, she had come knocking on her own door. Fiona looked over. Her eyes trembled slightly. Bella was holding onto Darwin's arm, and the two of them looked like a perfect couple, exuding elegance.

"Mr. Darwin," Fiona said with a slight nod, offering a cold and distant greeting.

Wyatt laughed like a fox, waving his hand. "Ms. Fiona."

Fiona acted as if she didn't see him there.

Wyatt scoffed at Fiona's attempt to ignore him. "So, Ms. Fiona had quite the temper. Ah, she still remembered the grudge from that day in Darwin's office when he mouthed her off."

Darwin approached. He glanced at Fiona before his eyes moved to Harold. Then, he chuckled lightly. "Ms. Fiona, you sure are quick on your feet."

Fiona’s heart suddenly sank. She looked up at Darwin, feigning a smile. "It's thanks to your excellent teachings."

Just as she finished speaking, she saw a flash of anger flicker in Darwin's eyes. She found it amusing that just a single sentence managed to infuriate Darwin.

'Who wouldn't be impressed by me?' That was what she thought. If not for all the onlookers, Mr. Darwin would have disregarded his image and thrown her into the sea by now.

"Mr. Darwin, it's a pleasure to meet you," Harold politely greeted.

Darwin, coming from a privileged background , was always courteous but not tonight. He ignored Harold and along with Bella, walked toward the banquet hall. Wyatt enjoyed watching the drama unfold. He almost burst out laughing when he heard Fiona's remark to Darwin earlier. She really excelled in all aspects at delighting everyone.

With a smile on his lips, he followed Darwin into the banquet hall. Fiona was annoyed with him, even more so seeing how amused he was. Darwin, that big troublemaker. She was desperately trying to salvage the company's losses but there he was bringing his lover and ruining everything.

"Fiona."

At that moment, a clear and melodious voice sounded. Fiona looked up in astonishment. Harold's pale blue eyes were filled with a cheerful smile.

"Fiona!"

He called out her name, his tone even more lively.

Fiona couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, I’m Fiona.”

"It sounds lovely!" Harold suddenly remembered something, earnestly saying, "I'm Harold, nice to meet you! "

Fiona lowered her gaze, smiling as she tucked her scattered hair behind her ear. Her restless mood quickly subsided. There was still plenty of time for the party, and she always had a chance before Newton left.

"By the way, you came up here secretly for an important matter?" Harold asked.

Fiona sounded a bit regretful. "I came to talk to someone important, Mr. Harold. I almost had my chance just now."

"Who are you looking for? Let me help you." Harold volunteered.

In Fiona's mind, everything had a price. She shook her head and refused. "Mr. Harold…"

"Call me Harold."

Suddenly, Newton's bodyguard walked toward her. "Miss, my boss would like to see you." Fiona immediately became excited and didn't waste any time. "Okay, I'll go now."

"Your boss? Which one?" Harold asked with caution. He had heard from his friends that some middle-aged men, well past their prime, often took advantage of young and beautiful girls. He was worried that Fiona would be mistreated.

"It's the person I'm looking for," Fiona said softly. "Harold, thank you for today. I have to go now, but I'll treat you to a meal another time."

After she had said her peace, Fiona turned and followed the bodyguard out.

A moment later, inside the luxurious suite on the cruise ship, Newton asked Fiona, "Which company are you from?" skipping all pleasantries and going straight to the point.

"Mr. Newton, I'm from Solomon's," Fiona answered.

Newton paused for a moment then frowned. "You played the harp beautifully and it delighted me. However, Solomon is not a professional company and my company doesn't cooperate with unprofessional teams."

"Mr. Newton, recently you must have seen numerous proposals from top companies in the industry, right?" Fiona spoke gently, her tone devoid of any hint of aggression.

When people listened into their conversation, they couldn't help but let their guard down.

Newton nodded. "That includes your company. I must say, Solomon has disappointed me."

"Due to some internal issues, we provided incorrect data, and I apologize for that," Fiona sincerely said. "But Mr. Newton, I'm confident that you haven't seen our company's complete proposal."