When His Nauseous Sweetheart Frowns, the Tycoon's Family Takes Turns Pampering Her-Chapter 51: Mr. President, Must I Kneel to Receive the Decree?

Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Mr. President, Must I Kneel to Receive the Decree?

The lighting technician dimmed the house lights, leaving a single spotlight on the CEO of Evergrow Group as he strode forward.

The circular beam of light moved with his steps, finally stopping at the center of the stage as all the stage lights came on.

Blaze Fairchild’s gaze swept over the applauding crowd below the stage. He picked up the microphone,

"I know everyone is eagerly awaiting the grand prize right now, but first, I’d like to say a few words."

"First, the issue of overtime at the company has been addressed. Overtime compensation will be paid out with your year-end bonuses."

"Second, Evergrow is grateful for everyone’s hard work. In the new year, please pay more attention to your family’s health and the people around you."

"Alright, that’s all I have to say. Let’s start the drawing."

Two sentences. It really was just two sentences.

The CEO might be a moneymaker, but he genuinely wanted Evergrow’s employees to live well, which was why he’d tell them to pay more attention to their families.

The employees below applauded their down-to-earth CEO. They were thrilled that their previous overtime would be compensated.

Some who had been slacking off while claiming overtime lowered their heads in shame, secretly vowing to complete their work diligently from now on.

"Stop!" Blaze Fairchild commanded, his back to the large screen.

The scrolling employee IDs instantly stopped. In contrast to the earlier commotion, the audience was now dead silent.

Curious, Blaze Fairchild turned around. Judging by the ID number’s format, it was an intern.

This was the first time an intern had won the grand prize since Evergrow Group started holding these events.

No wonder everyone was so quiet.

He looked out at the crowd again and raised the microphone.

"As long as you’ve worked at Evergrow for a single day, you are an Evergrow employee. For the road ahead, I hope this house gives you a solid foundation."

The grand prize, no matter who won it, was something Evergrow always delivered on.

Even if the winner was an intern who might not end up staying with Evergrow Group.

Only after the CEO spoke did the crowd begin to stir.

"Joy Coleman, that’s your employee ID, isn’t it?"

Joy Coleman had been distracted by a small piece of cake, the matter of the grand prize drawing long forgotten.

Now, hearing her boss call her name, she stared blankly at the large screen to confirm.

"That’s me."

’Wait, what’s the grand prize?’

For a moment, Joy Coleman’s brain couldn’t keep up.

’The house! Right, the housing subsidy!’

"It’s you."

"It really is you, Cole."

A colleague from the legal department double-checked, and it was indeed Joy Coleman’s employee ID.

"It really is me!" Joy Coleman shouted, clapping her hands in excitement.

’Three million! A three-million housing subsidy!’

Joy Coleman felt like she was floating, her feet no longer under her control as she walked.

It felt like a dream; she couldn’t believe it.

Joy Coleman pointed at her own chest and asked, "Is the housing subsidy for me?"

Blaze Fairchild recognized her voice. It was the same as Luna’s friend.

’The person who just spoke was a lawyer from the legal department.’

’She must be Luna’s friend.’

Blaze Fairchild affirmed, "You’re the one who won."

Joy Coleman’s mind was buzzing. The man before her was like the God of Wealth himself.

"Oh, God of Wealth... I mean, Mr. CEO, should I get on my knees to receive this royal decree?"

"BWAHAHAHA!"

The audience roared with laughter. How could someone be so wonderfully unrestrained?

’No wonder Luna is always holding her phone and bursting into laughter whenever she chats with this friend.’

’With such a cheerful friend in her life, I should encourage Luna to go out with her more often.’

’If her friend buys a house and settles down in Valoria, Luna will have another person to talk to.’

These thoughts flashed through Blaze Fairchild’s mind.

"That won’t be necessary. This is your own good luck. You’ve earned it."

Joy Coleman noted his stern expression, but his voice held a hint of amusement. ’Luna’s husband isn’t such an iceberg after all,’ she thought.

Ignoring the crowd’s laughter, Joy Coleman reached for the microphone. "I’d like to give a short acceptance speech."

The host immediately handed her a microphone.

"Ahem..." Joy Coleman cleared her throat. She wasn’t going crazy; she was already reining in her emotions as much as she could.

"The cake today was amazing, thank you to the incredibly talented pastry chef! Boss, please give me—Joy Coleman, a.k.a. Cole—a positive performance review for my internship. I want to work my tail off for Evergrow and win a car next year. Boss, getting a full set with a car and a house all depends on that good review of yours!"

She said it all in one breath before giving a deep bow in her boss’s direction.

The crowd smiled. Her bold and cheerful personality was genuinely endearing.

Daring to say such things at the annual party might have seemed shameless, but wasn’t it also a sign of courage and determination?

What leaders feared most were subordinates with no ambition. Without it, how could they possibly motivate them?

"And to all the fine folks in the HR department, if you keep me on, good fortune will smile upon you! My bright future, as Joy Coleman, depends not only on my own efforts but on all of you as well. And to everyone applauding for me, may you all strike it rich next year!"

’Wow... with a silver tongue and a thick skin like that, she’s perfect for a career in law.’

Joy Coleman’s words brought the party’s atmosphere to another peak, and someone in the audience led a round of applause.

After all, who didn’t want good luck, for their dreams to come true, and to get rich overnight?

And just like that, Joy Coleman, the legal department intern, became famous in a single night. Every employee in Evergrow Group now had a vivid impression of her.

An intern winning the grand prize was far more newsworthy than getting to dance with the CEO.

Between a fortune and an unattainable man, any sensible person knew which to choose.

The moment Joy Coleman stepped off the stage, her colleagues from the legal department swarmed her, recommending neighborhoods and sharing their home-buying experiences.

Who had any attention left to spare for the CEO’s dance?

Yvonne Rhodes’s hand rested on Blaze Fairchild’s shoulder, her feet moving to the music.

When she saw that no one was paying attention to her, she felt a pang of displeasure.

’How could money possibly be better than Ian? What a bunch of philistines.’

’Ian’s arm was around my waist, his hand holding mine.’

’We were so close I could even smell his scent.’

’A faint, clean, and natural scent of plants and wood. It was as if I were in a mountain valley, and the entire world belonged to just me and Ian.’

It was like all her memories were flashing back to the moment she first met Ian. Her heart still sang for him.

’Ian’s eyebrows are so full, and they’re shaped so handsomely.’

’And his lips... perfectly proportioned, with such a sexy outline. If I could just kiss them...’

Yvonne Rhodes shyly lowered her eyes. ’I wouldn’t be able to stop myself.’

Time slipped away in her fantasy. The music stopped, and the dance was over.

Blaze Fairchild made a gentlemanly exit from the dance floor.

Yvonne Rhodes was left wanting more.

She ran over to her colleague, slightly out of breath. "Did you get a video? And pictures?"

"I got it, I got it. See for yourself." Her colleague handed the phone back to her.

Even though the colleague couldn’t stand her attitude, they knew she had a crush on the CEO and that they were childhood friends, so of course they’d done her the favor.

Yvonne Rhodes didn’t even say thank you, taking her colleague’s help for granted.

She wiped the sweat from her palms, found a quiet corner with her phone, and began meticulously editing the photos and video while sipping a drink.

Then, she opened her social media feed and published a post visible only to Luna Axton.

She nonchalantly swirled the wine in her glass, admiring her feed. All of her recent posts were visible only to Luna Axton.

’Hmph. Let’s see you not get mad at this, you little hick.’

Luna Axton had been holding her phone the whole time, terrified of missing a call from Concordia Medical Hall.

Joy was in the middle of sharing her excitement about winning the grand prize, so Luna had her messaging app open.

Her fingers tapped idly on the screen, and she happened to see Yvonne Rhodes’s new post.

Her eyes narrowed, and anger began to build within her.

Blaze Fairchild was actually wearing the tie she had picked out for him while holding Yvonne Rhodes in an embrace.

This wasn’t a photo taken from a misleading angle; this was real. His arm was around her waist, his hand holding hers.

The emotions Luna Axton had been bottling up all day erupted the moment she saw the photo Yvonne Rhodes had posted.

’He knows exactly what Yvonne Rhodes is after, so why did he still dance with her?!’

’What’s even more infuriating is that he’s wearing the tie I chose for him! The one I loved, the one I picked out the moment I saw it!’

’And he wore it to dance with Yvonne Rhodes!’ 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

’Blaze Fairchild, you’ve gone too far!’