Trading My Ex for His Uncle (Nyla and Damon) novel Chapter 923

"Mr. Hackett, I look forward to working with you," Tom said.

After finishing their conversation, Gabriel left first.

Over half an hour passed before Tom finally stepped out of the private room.

Turning a corner, he bumped into Brandon and Valarie.

Brandon had his arm around Valarie's shoulder, and both of them were smiling.

When they saw Tom, their smiles faltered.

Valarie averted her gaze, pretending not to see him, while Brandon's expression cooled. He greeted, "Mr. Genge, fancy seeing you here. What a coincidence."

"Indeed," Tom replied with a slight smile.

His gaze lingered on Valarie's indifferent profile, a mix of frustration and longing flickering in his eyes. At his sides, his hands slowly clenched into fists.

There was a time when Valarie's eyes had been filled with him, her heart wholly his.

Now, she wore that detached expression whenever she saw him. Watching her smile sweetly at another man while sparing him not even a glance felt like being pierced repeatedly by needles.

Noticing Tom's gaze, Valarie frowned and stepped back deliberately, hiding behind Brandon.

"Brandon, we should go, or we'll be late," she said, her voice calm but firm.

Brandon nodded. He had plans to meet friends and had decided to formally introduce Valarie to them.

"Alright," he said gently, then turned to Tom. His tone was polite but distant. "Mr. Genge, we have plans, so we'll take our leave. Please excuse us."

If not for the collaboration between the Sumner and Genge Groups, Brandon wouldn't have bothered with pleasantries.

In fact, he had been contemplating severing ties with the Genge Group entirely. With so many companies in Saintornia, continuing this partnership seemed unnecessary.

"Valarie, we've heard so much about you! It's great to finally meet you. You're just as beautiful as the photos," Michelle said with enthusiasm.

Ever since Brandon had fallen head over heels for Valarie, his friends had heard plenty about her.

Initially, they had assumed his interest would fade due to their six-year age gap. To their surprise, he had pursued her relentlessly for years—and finally succeeded.

"Thank you," Valarie replied, her tone modest but sincere.

She sat beside Brandon.

When Brandon noticed her drink was chilled, his brows furrowed. Without hesitation, he called over a server to replace it with a room-temperature one.

A flicker of amusement crossed Michelle's face as she teased, "Brandon, you've changed! You never used to be this considerate. I guess having a girlfriend really makes a difference."

Valarie lowered her gaze, the faintest smile curving her lips.