Mysterious Mrs. Pansy

In the following days, Jane and Patrick maintained a stony silence, refraining from discussing the incident that had transpired. Jane chose to keep her distance from Patrick, while he reverted to his customary state of indifference and aloofness.

Jane immersed herself in the Ice and Fire project, directing her focus toward its successful execution. To her delight, the project proceeded seamlessly, surpassing the expected progress. Bruce, of course, was more than satisfied with the outcome.

Once the project’s samples were within Jane’s reach, she contacted Bruce to discuss the next steps. “Hello, Mr. Longman. The Ice and Fire series samples have been manufactured. Are you available now? I’d like to show them to you.”

Bruce expressed pleasant surprise, responding, “Produced so quickly? That’s great.”Belongs © to NôvelDrama.Org.

Jane felt a sense of pride in the project’s swift development. “Are you at the Imperial Hotel at the moment? I’ll head there immediately.”

“Sure, I’m in Room 808.”

Jane arrived promptly at Room 808 of the Imperial Hotel, where Bruce had been waiting for her. “These are the samples of the Ice and Fire series. Please let me know if any improvements are needed.”

Bruce accepted the samples and examined them with care. “Great! This is exactly what I had in mind.”

Satisfied, Jane suggested, “If you’re pleased with the samples, we can start planning the advertising campaign and organize a new product launch event to introduce the Ice and Fire series to the market.”

Bruce eagerly concurred. “Go ahead with the plans. I can’t wait to launch this series.”

Jane was about to discuss potential candidates for the project’s spokespeople with Bruce when a knock on the door interrupted her. Bruce asked, “Who is it?”

A coquettish voice from the other side of the door replied, “Honey, it’s me!”

Perplexed by this endearment, Jane glanced at Bruce in confusion. He stood up and opened the door, revealing a mixed-race woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her tall stature, smooth complexion, and fiery red dress made her quite a striking presence.

“Annie? Why are you here?” Bruce asked, clearly taken aback.

Annie was Bruce’s girlfriend, and their relationship was relatively new. She responded with a flirtatious wink and planted a passionate kiss on his lips. Bruce looked a bit embarrassed. “I have a guest.”

It was at this moment that Annie noticed Jane in the room. She let go of Bruce and inquired with trepidation, “And who is she?”

Bruce stepped in to introduce the two women, saying, “Jane, this is my girlfriend, Annie.”

Then he turned to Annie, awaiting her response.

He then introduced Annie, saying, “This is Jane, a partner at Pansy Group.”

“Hello, Annie,” Jane greeted with a gracious smile. “Mr. Bruce, since you have something to discuss, should we reschedule?”

“No need,” Bruce said, taking a seat next to Jane. “My philosophy has always been work first, so let’s proceed.”

Jane nodded and presented a document. “These are the potential candidates for the ‘Ice and Fire’ series advertising. Please have a look, Bruce. Who do you think suits it best?”

“Advertising? Can I do it?” Annie immediately volunteered upon hearing this.

Annie, a film actress, had remained relatively obscure until she started dating Bruce a few years ago. Now that they were a couple, she was beginning to gain recognition. The reputation of Pansy Group was widespread, and being the spokesperson for their advertising campaign would surely skyrocket her value. Annie wanted to seize this opportunity.

Bruce appeared somewhat troubled and replied, “Annie, don’t be silly.”

“I’m serious,” Annie insisted. She picked up the advertising materials from Jane and skimmed through them. “This advertisement is perfect for me. It’s like it was tailor-made for me, Bruce. You promised me that I could choose my own birthday gift, and now I want to become the spokesperson for Pansy Group. You need to keep your word.”

“Well…” Bruce looked to Jane for her opinion. “Jane, what do you think about Annie?”

Jane raised an eyebrow and considered Annie’s appearance. She was undoubtedly attractive, even slightly provocative, fitting the “Fire” aspect, but the “Ice” might be lacking.

Annie nodded in satisfaction and asked, “Have you already chosen a male spokesperson to work with me? I hope it’s Osborn Maltz.”

Osborn?

A slight tremor crossed Jane’s brow.

Objectively speaking, Osborn was an excellent choice, but…

“Osborn? I’ve seen the movies he’s acted in, and he’s fantastic,” Bruce concurred. “I also think he’d be a great fit for the ‘Ice and Fire’ campaign.”

“Very well…”

“Since Mr. Bruce believes Osborn is suitable, I’ll arrange to meet with him,” Jane spoke in her customer-first tone.

After leaving the hotel, Jane immediately called Osborn. “Jane,” Osborn answered with surprise in his voice.

Jane replied calmly, “It’s me. I have two things to discuss with you, and I hope you can help.”

“Please, go on,” Osborn responded seriously. “No matter how many things you have, I’m here to help.”

Jane sighed softly. She couldn’t resist Osborn’s deep emotions; it made her feel guilty for rejecting him. But she had to address the matters at hand.

Jane cleared her throat. “First, the other day, someone secretly photographed us in the café. Do you know who it was?”

“Secretly photographed?”

“Yes, and they sent the photos to Patrick,” Jane replied, her tone growing somber as she recalled that day’s events. “Patrick hasn’t given me a hard time about it, but do you have any idea who could be behind it?”

“Let me check immediately. Give me a little time,” Osborn said with a tinge of guilt. If it was indeed one of his fans, it meant he had indirectly implicated Jane.

“Okay,” Jane nodded. “And the other thing is that I’m in charge of the ‘Ice and Fire’ project at Pansy Group, which is about to launch. I’d like you to be the spokesperson. Do you have availability in your schedule?”

“I do,” Osborn replied without hesitation. If Jane asked, he wouldn’t refuse anything.

“Thank you. Come for an audition at Pansy Group tomorrow afternoon, is that okay?” Jane asked.

“No problem,” Osborn agreed, the thought of seeing Jane tomorrow causing a subtle upward curve of his lips.

Jane also scheduled an audition with Annie for the next afternoon. Once all arrangements were in place, she returned to Pansy Group.

Upon arriving at her desk and just before she could sit down, Sylvia, her neighboring colleague, said, “Jane, Mr. Pansy wants to see you in his office right away.”

Jane nodded calmly but with a sense of alarm. Patrick wanted to see her? What could be the matter?