Chapter 349: Displeasure

The Imperial Hotel in Bellfront City.

The gala dinner had ended, but the event continued, with many influential business leaders still around. They enjoyed every sip of their drinks and discussed potential partnerships. At the far end of the room, a jazz band played music on a small stage, adding to the lively atmosphere.

Zachary sat at one of the round tables, occasionally speaking with the people at his table or responding to his business partner who came over to greet him. He maintained a polite and neutral expression, as expected of someone in his position, even though he had been ready to leave for the past several minutes.

Unfortunately, some of the influential people he knew were still at the ballroom, and leaving too early would have been considered impolite.

He checked his watch several times, hoping the event would end soon, but the minutes seemed to pass more slowly than usual. He leaned back in his chair, holding his wineglass loosely while trying to ignore his growing boredom.

Just as he began considering whether he should leave without saying goodbye to anyone, he heard someone call his name.

“Uncle Zach!”

Zachary turned around and saw Riley approaching him with a cheerful smile. Riley had one hand in his pocket and appeared relaxed, as though he had been enjoying himself throughout the evening.

“Sorry, Uncle. I was busy chatting with the others and completely forgot to come over and greet you,” Riley said playfully.

Without waiting for an invitation, he pulled out the empty chair beside Zachary and sat down as if it belonged to him.

Zachary looked at him without saying anything. His calm gaze remained on Riley for several seconds, and the longer the silence continued, the more awkward Riley began to feel.

Although Riley tried to maintain his cheerful expression, his fingers shifted slightly against his knee. He had always found Zachary’s quiet, unreadable personality irritating, especially because it made it hard to tell what the man was thinking. Still, he quickly recovered and smiled again.

Zachary finally looked away to the small stage. “It’s fine. How did your meeting with the other companies go?” His voice was casual, but he was already tired and had no real interest in continuing the conversation. He simply wanted to remain polite until Riley decided to leave.

“Not bad,” Riley replied with a pleased smile. He leaned closer to Zachary and whispered, “Actually, I’m quite confident that we’ll secure deals with several major companies from the Middle East. Their representatives seemed interested in our proposals, and I think we have a good chance of reaching an agreement.”

“That sounds good. Congratulations.”

Zachary’s praise was sincere. Regardless of his personal feelings toward Riley, he understood the importance of business achievements and acknowledged them when necessary. He reached for his wineglass, intending to take another sip, but stopped when he realized it was empty.

Riley noticed the movement and immediately raised his hand toward a nearby waiter who was responsible for serving the guests wine.

“Let me get you another drink, Uncle.” He gestured toward the waiter. “Could you bring us two glasses of wine, please?”

The waiter nodded and soon returned with two freshly filled glasses. Riley accepted them and handed one to Zachary before raising his own.

“To a successful evening,” he said with a friendly smile. “And more business opportunities for both of us.”

Zachary lifted his glass. “Cheers.”

They lightly tapped their glasses together before taking a sip. Riley appeared pleased with the small gesture, but Zachary remained composed. He had no desire to pretend that they shared a close relationship. Yet, he knew how to behave appropriately in front of other people.

“Uncle, when are you returning to the capital?” Riley asked, setting his glass on the table.

Zachary didn’t answer immediately. He took another sip of wine and set the glass down before replying. “I have a breakfast meeting with a friend tomorrow morning. I’ll return after that. What about you?”

“My father and I are flying back tomorrow afternoon,” Riley said. He glanced briefly at Zachary before continuing in a more thoughtful tone. “Actually, Uncle, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“I heard from my assistant that Cresswell Tech has already filed a lawsuit against us.”

Zachary turned toward him, allowing a hint of surprise to appear on his face. “They actually did it?”

Riley noticed his reaction and narrowed his eyes slightly. “So, you didn’t know about it?”

“No. I only heard about it now, from you.” Zachary kept his expression neutral, though he had to suppress the faint amusement rising inside him. Of course, he already knew about the lawsuit. He was the one who had told Cresswell Tech to proceed with the legal action, using the litigation process and court trial to teach Riley a big lesson.

Riley released a heavy sigh and leaned back in his chair. He had expected Zachary to know more, but his uncle’s reaction irritated him. Still, he didn’t let that irritation show. Instead, he adopted an expression of disappointment, as if he were genuinely concerned about the situation.

“Did you forget to speak with them, Uncle? Why are they still moving forward with the lawsuit?”

Zachary’s expression tightened slightly. He disliked Riley’s questioning tone, especially when his nephew spoke as if he had the right to criticize how he handled the matter.

“Of course I spoke with Kevin,” Zachary replied calmly. “But I already told you that I couldn’t guarantee the outcome.” His answer was brief, leaving no room for unnecessary discussion.

Riley sighed again, this time making his disappointment more obvious. He picked up his wineglass and drained the remaining wine before placing it back on the table.

“Yeah… I remember that, Uncle. But how could Kevin ignore your friendship with him? You two have known each other for so long. I thought he would at least consider your relationship before allowing the matter to reach court.”

Zachary looked at him without responding. His face remained calm, but his eyes grew colder.

He didn’t need to explain that friendship didn’t give anyone the right to interfere with another person’s business decisions. He also had no intention of reminding Riley that his own actions had brought the lawsuit upon him. Instead, he simply gave him a quiet look that clearly conveyed his displeasure.