Chapter 270 Treated as if Never Existed 
William took a deep breath and grabbed another arrow. 
The skill levels of the three competitors were evenly matched, while Camila missed the target with three consecutive arrows, one even dropping hallway Consequently, Emelie and William won the first round. 
Just then, William’s phone rang. He gestured to Bryan, who nodded. “Go ahead, Mr. Middleton. I’ll have another round with Ms. Howen.” 
Willam hadn’t forgotten that Emelie was originally supposed to join Swanson Corporation. 
William squeezed Emelle’s fingers lightly and said, “For the second round, I’ll let you and Mr. Swanson compete. I’ll accept the outcome either way. Ms. Hoven, do your best. 
Emelle pressed her lips together. “Alright” 
William walked away to take the call. Bryan switched to a compound bow and approached Emelie. “The compound bow is more strenuous than the traditional one. Ms. Hoven, you look delicate, but you’re quite strong.” 
“Strength comes with practice. The traditional bow lacks an arrow rest, making accuracy harder to control. You and Mr. Middleton are skilled with it, which is impressive,” Emelle sald camestly. 

“We think having an arrow rest means being controlled,” Bryan said as he drew his bow. 
Emelie raised an eyebrow. She found the statement enlightening. The compound bow, with its arrow rest, dictated how and where the arrow should be placed and shot. 
Whether it was William or Bryan, these titans of industry who commanded business empires despised being controlled or restricted. Their preference for traditional bows was 
evident 
It was essentially about “following their rules.” They shot the way they wanted to. This represented their strong desire for control. 
Bryan released the string, and with a thud, the arrow struck the bullseye again 
William glanced over at them from a distance. 
“Mr. Middleton, you haven’t visited me for two days…” 
The woman on the other end of the line sounded pititul. 
Seeing that they were just having an archery contest, William turned his attention back to the call. “I’ve been busy.” 
Bryan switched bows, and Emele did the same. 
Bryan said, “Ms. Hoven, if you’re more comfortable with the compound bow, you can stick with it. It’s fine.” 
Emelie shook her head. They should both switch from their farmlar bows to make the competition fair. 

She drew the traditional bow. Bryan walked over to her and raised her arm slightly. “This way, your aim will be more accurate… Have you decided to return to work at Cloudex Corporation?” 
Emelie instinctively glanced in William’s direction. He wasn’t paying attention to them 
Bryan asked quietly, “Does Sam know? 
Emelie kept her eyes on the distant target and replied softly, “I don’t plan to return to cloudes Corporation. 
Bryan frowned. “Then, what about Mr. Maddleton?” 
Emelie replied, “A temporary situation came up, but I can handle it.” 
Bryan didn’t press for details. He simply said, “My secretary is on matemity leave, and since you were supported to join, I didn’t hire a new secretary. This has caused a lot of inconvenience at work. I need a definite date from you, Ms. Hover” 
In other words, he was asking when she could start working at his corporation. 
Emelie paused and said, “Tuesday” 
“Alright, I’ll wait until Tuesday. If you don’t come, the offer will be vold, as if it never existed.” Bryan stepped back a bit “shoor” 
Emelle released the arrow, it hit the target but only scored an eight. 
Bryan complimented her, “That’s quite good.” 
Emelie shrugged “A bet’s aber” 
“That makes It a tie, one to one. When Mr. Middleton returns, we’ll start the third round. I need to make a work call too. Bryan handed his bow to Silas. “Ms. Howen, I’ll take my 
Ive now.” 
After Bryan lett, Emelie decided not to continue either. She walked over to a bench and casually placed her bow beside it. Then, she twisted open a bottle of water for a sip 
Just then, Emelie felt someone’s gaze on her. She followed the feeling and met Patricia’s eyes. Patricia had been watching them since the match started. 
Patricia, observing the game, said thoughtfully, “It seems like you never bebeve that just because you’re a woman, you should be given an advantage.” 
Emelie responded calmly, “Why should I be given an advantage just because I’m a woman? 
Patricia paused. She couldn’t help but wonder why should women be given the advantage why had she instinctively thought that when women competed against men, they should naturally be given the advantage? 
This is a competition Agreeing to compete means accepting both winning and losing as basic principles.” 
Patricia lowered her gazo, deep in thought.