[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-2603220ECDF1-644":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},644,86,"Chapter 86: His \"Private Business\"","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette Ellis walked along the lakeshore, the primary motivation for her stroll being to FaceTime Roman Griffin.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Emma Fox was around, and Violette wasn't yet comfortable having intimate, private conversations in front of her junior intern. She figured Roman was likely still in the office, and if he didn't pick up, she would just call him after dinner. Before the thought had even fully settled, the call connected.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman was indeed at the office. Even worse, he was in the middle of a meeting.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He sat with a look of stern, calculated authority. His dark hair was meticulously groomed, and the knot of his silk tie was pulled perfectly tight. Through the audio feed, she could hear the background murmur of a colleague reading through a long, tedious list of financial figures.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette curled her lips into a faint smile, staying silent. She minimized the interface and typed into his chat box: \"You’re answering calls in a meeting?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The status indicator flickered: *Typing...*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A few seconds later, Roman replied: \"They don’t know.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette: \"Then why pick up? You can’t even talk.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman: \"I wanted to look at you.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette: \"Mute your mic. It’s a bit windy here.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman: \"There’s a drawstring behind your collar. Pull it if the wind is too strong.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette didn't reply to that, instead propping her phone up against the iron railing overlooking the water, following his instruction to cinch the collar. The wind stopped whistling against her neck. She flipped the camera around to show him the landscape—the distant, brooding mountains and the heavy, rain-laden clouds.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman went back to discussing project details with the others in the room. His tone was slow and methodical, yet carried an air of absolute command. Whenever he spoke, all other voices died down. Occasionally, someone would nod fervently, echoing, \"Yes, exactly, sir.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Once Roman finished his point, he set his fountain pen on the mahogany desk. \"Proceed.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The background chatter resumed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A text message popped up on her screen: \"Twenty minutes left.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He really was like a student slacking off in the back of class, she thought with a chuckle. She tapped quickly on the screen: \"No rush. I just wanted to tell you everything went smoothly today. Nothing else to report.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman: \"How many more days?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette: \"If you say it like that, I’ll start thinking you’ve been missing me since the moment I left.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman: \"You can drop the 'thinking' part.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette: \"...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She kept the camera pointed toward the lake, pretending she couldn't feel the heat rising in her cheeks.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">During the last twenty minutes of the meeting, Roman asked her several times to head back to the hotel before the rain started. Violette refused. She texted that she was only a five-minute walk away—she could make it back even if it started hailing. Roman didn't push it, though he occasionally glanced at his phone screen to keep an eye on the weather where she was.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Twenty minutes later, the meeting adjourned.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Though the sky was gloomy, the rain held off. Roman glanced out his floor-to-ceiling windows; the bustling Financial District of Deepwater was shrouded in a fine, misty drizzle, the neon lights bleeding into long, blurred streaks against the glass. He grabbed his phone and stepped out of the conference room. \"It’s raining here.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Hearing his voice, Violette turned the camera back to herself.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Meeting's over?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The team members still inside the conference room had assumed Roman’s remark about the rain was directed at them. Just as they were about to chime in, they heard a woman’s voice through his phone, and the words died in their throats.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Stupid,* they thought, *misreading the room.*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Someone whispered, \"Who was that?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Mrs. Griffin.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The answer was unexpectedly logical. Since joining V-Oasis, no one had ever heard a single rumor about Roman. His private life was as clean as a textbook.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Many people claimed to have self-control, but for someone in his position, the ability to actually maintain it was rare. One of the partners mentioned, \"I heard once that a client tried to arrange a private dinner with a hostess, and the moment Roman walked into the suite and saw her, he turned right back around and left.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"He's that cautious?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Exactly. That’s why there’s never been any gossip. He never gives anyone the chance to get close.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"So, who is this Mrs. Griffin?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Hard to say. The Griffin family is incredibly low-key.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They were speaking the truth, and office gossip always made for a stimulating post-meeting discussion. They filed out of the room, chuckling, \"Well, she must be some lady of high standing. A man like Roman is clearly the type who holds the reins at home, too.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The man who allegedly \"held the reins\" was currently closing his office door.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He rested his phone on the corner of his desk, looking at the screen with an expression of feigned grievances. \"You aren't coming back for the weekend?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Not this time. There’s road construction, and the commute would take longer than it's worth. I’d rather catch up on some sleep here,\" Violette explained. \"If I push through, I can wrap this up by next Wednesday or Thursday.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Fine. Sunny should be ready to be picked up by then, too.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You actually sent him to the clinic?\" Violette asked.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman nodded. \"I had Dax Murphy take him.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette giggled. \"You really do avoid playing the villain, don't you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They shared a bit more idle, meaningless banter before ending the call. Roman set his phone aside and dove back into his work.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When his shift ended, Dax Murphy called, sounding like he was performing an act of charity. \"Roman, the cat is doing fine. I went to check on him again. The vet said his appetite is great; he finished a can and a half today.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Good. Thank you for the trouble.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dax gave a bitter laugh on the other end. \"The cat hissed at me the second he saw me today. He looked like he wanted to bite my finger off through the cage.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman chuckled. \"Just watch him.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dax sent over a photo. It was Sunny, baring his fangs at the cage door with a murderous glare.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman replied, \"Buy him a few cat treats. He’ll stop holding a grudge.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dax thought, *If it were really that simple, why did you have me drop him off? Why didn't you just do it yourself?*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Right, sure. Got it,\" Dax said aloud.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After reporting the routine updates, Dax asked, \"About that creative industrial park I mentioned last time—what do you think?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman tapped his fountain pen against a file. \"It depends on the investment policies.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"A few of the locations have excellent incentives. I’m still filtering through them. It’s best to go and inspect the sites in person,\" Dax said, rattling off a few addresses.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman listened distractedly until one address caught his attention—it was very close to the small town where Violette was currently on assignment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"When are you planning to visit Riverwood?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Among the more aggressive investment-friendly districts, Riverwood seemed fairly unremarkable. Dax didn't know why Roman had singled it out, but he knew from experience that Roman’s instincts were never wrong. He paused to consider. \"Whenever you're interested, sir. It's up to you.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"This weekend?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Wait, this weekend? That’s fast.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dax was once again startled by Roman's whirlwind efficiency. But, come to think of it, this weekend wasn't impossible. It was just a site inspection, requiring no special preparation, and he didn't need to finalize any deals by Sunday.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Alright then,\" Dax conceded. \"Should I have the driver pick you up on Saturday morning?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"No, I'll take my own car,\" Roman replied without hesitation. \"I have some private business to attend to. I'll drop you off in Riverwood.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dax was stunned. \"Sir, what about you? Aren't you doing the inspection?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Didn't I just say?\" Roman’s tone climbed, layered with a touch of airy indifference. \"I have private business.\"\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272920371]