Quick to adapt, Alan shifted his approach and said warmly, "You know, I was only kidding before. Don't take it to heart!"

His secretary handed him a towel and a water bottle, which he opened and offered to Melissa, saying, "Regarding the investment, there's still hope! It's a deal that brings mutual interests, after all.

Let's find a time to talk more about it."

Melissa responded, "I'm looking forward to it, Mr. Scott."

After parting ways with Alan, she passed the golf club to her assistant. As they walked away, her secretary whispered worriedly, "Do you think Mr. Scott will be upset with us leaving like this?"

Melissa smiled subtly and replied, "That's how you handle a cunning man like him. It keeps him off guard."

Upon hearing her words, the secretary couldn't help but express his admiration, saying, "Miss Brown, you're like a hero to me."

Meanwhile, Melissa felt a twinge of regret deep down. Ultimately, she knew she had still taken advantage of her ties to the Fowler family despite her initial reluctance.

Elsewhere, Alan was seething with anger, cursing under his breath. He realized Melissa had probably just been bluffing. Still, the thought of Melissa actually turning to Marcus for support made him worry.

This realization made Alan slap his forehead in regret.

He turned to Weldon, who had been quiet, and questioned, “Weldon, you were the one who pushed me into this mess, right?"

Seeing Alan trying to pin the blame on him, Weldon's temper flared up as well.

After taking a moment to calm down, he snapped back, "I was under the impression you had tricked me! I assumed Jaime was charming, yet I didn't foresee him being knocked out of contention so quickly."

This response only fueled Alan's rage.

At the same time, Melissa got changed and left in her car.

As she was making her way down the hill, a black Rolls-Royce sped past her and blocked her path.

Peering through her window, Melissa saw Weldon stepping out of the black car.

He approached her vehicle.

Melissa lowered the window and stated calmly, “Mr. Smith, you're blocking my way."

Hearing that, Weldon felt a surge of displeasure. Being from a noble family, he wasn't used to such directness. Yet, wanting to win Melissa over, he bit back his anger and said smoothly, "I'd like to meet Matthew. Would that be okay with you? I've heard he's quite the charmer."