Dumping The Ice King His Mini-Tyrant novel Chapter 466

When Annalise Johnston realized what she’d just said, she caught herself and apologized quickly. “Sorry, Leo, I shouldn’t keep burdening you with my complaints.”

“It’s fine.” Leo’s voice, cool and resonant, had a clarity that left her a little breathless, like the chime of a bell reverberating in a quiet chapel.

Tonight was the first time Annalise had ever managed to keep Leo on the phone for so long. And yet, all she’d done was talk about Selene.

Leo was rarely this patient with her, and the realization made Annalise’s lips curl into a delighted smile.

“Can I call you again sometime?” she asked, gathering her courage, though her heart thudded with anxiety.

“If it’s about QuanTech Innovations, you can call me.”

From Annalise’s words, Leo had glimpsed a version of Selene entirely different from the one he knew. In his presence, she was always dutiful—nothing like the exasperating woman Annalise described. The contrast intrigued him.

Annalise’s smile stretched nearly to her ears.

“Thank you, Leo, for listening to me vent.”

“Oh, and one more thing,” she added, suddenly remembering. “QuanTech Innovations is collaborating with Vaughn Enterprises on a front-end project. If I recall, Selene is your nephew CEO Vaughn’s ex-wife. With her involved, I’m afraid the partnership won’t go smoothly.”

“I’m aware,” Leo replied, his tone clipped.

Annalise hesitated, uncertain what he meant. Selene and Harrison had divorced, and Leo, as Harrison’s uncle, probably wasn’t too fond of her. Now that Annalise had confided all her grievances, surely Leo would see Selene for who she really was.

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice that Leo had already ended the call.

He set his phone down and glanced across the room, where Altair sat at his desk, his wide, dark eyes fixed intently on him.

“It’s time for bed,” Leo reminded him in his usual quiet manner.

Altair took off his headphones and, instead of speaking, typed a message on his phone: “Next time, can I listen in on your call again?” Then, another line: “I want to hear more… about Selene.”

Leo’s voice cooled. “The more you know, the harder it’ll be to stop thinking about her. You’ve already decided to keep your distance.”

Gwyneth’s face appeared on the large screen, joining the meeting via video call. She watched Annalise with a knowing smile—this was exactly what she’d expected. Annalise was desperate to make her mark at the company, desperate to prove she was every bit as capable as Selene.

Gwyneth relished this feeling, the way everyone scrambled for her approval, as if offering up their hearts for her inspection.

“Director Johnston, we’re the primary client in this partnership,” Selene reminded her calmly. “There’s no need to go chasing after Vaughn Enterprises for a meeting.”

A cold, mocking smile flashed in Annalise’s eyes. “Mr. Thompson, let’s not forget—you’re the CEO’s ex-wife. If this deal falls through because of you, you’ll have to take responsibility.”

An assistant from The Thompson Group quietly approached Selene, leaning in with a hushed message, “Mr. Shaw has arrived.”

Selene nodded. “Thank you.”

She gripped the edge of the conference table, her chair gliding back as she stood. Turning to Annalise, she gave a crisp instruction: “Send Vaughn Enterprises a notice. If they refuse to move this project forward, QuanTech Innovations will terminate the partnership.”

As Selene left the room, Annalise watched her go, puzzled. She whispered under her breath, “Who’s Mr. Shaw?”