Chapter 562 Selective Hearing
Finished
A thought flickered in Josiah’s mind before his gaze subtly shifted back to Lysander. She was leisurely perusing the menu in front of her, seemingly oblivious to his words.
Clearly, she had no intention of continuing the conversation.
Immediately, Josiah straightened up and corrected, “In the future at the company, you should address her as Ms. Thorne.”
Only then did Lysander stop flipping through the menu, taking over the conversation. “You all are older than me and are my seniors. In the company, you may address me as ‘Ms. Thorne‘ due to my position, but outside of work, you can simply call me by my name, Lysander.”
Upon hearing that, all four guests shared an unspoken amusement and laughed.
So,
you
didn’t catch what was said just now, but you heard this one clearly?
But seeing Josiah’s behavior today, no one dared to address Lysander by her name directly.
“Understood, Ms. Thorne, please forgive us. We were a bit too quick to speak out of turn. However, addressing you by your first name seems rather disrespectful. We should stick to calling you Ms. Thorne.”
“That’s right. We’ll change how we address you when the time comes, if necessary.”
Lysander’s expression remained unchanged, she still appeared calm and composed. However, her tone abruptly turned cold as she softly interrupted, “No need to correct yourself. Let’s leave it at that.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell into a silence so deep it was unnerving.
All four pairs of eyes were simultaneously drawn to Josiah, worried that their attempts to flatter him had backfired disastrously.
Could it be that the woman who managed to have such sway over Josiah wasn’t even going to be the future. Mrs. Guerra? Their curiosity about Lysander’s background was insatiable, yet they didn’t dare to ask outright.
With an especially exasperated expression, Josiah reluctantly said, “Fine, just do as Ms. Thorne suggests.”
Upon hearing this, the four of them promptly adjusted their manner of addressing Lysander.
“Ms. Thorne, perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. We all pretty much know that you’re the only daughter of Mr. Thorne, so the company will surely be yours in the future. We’re calling you Ms. Thorne now, but who knows what changes might occur in the future. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Exactly, that’s what we meant…”
They appeared genuinely apprehensive, apologizing profusely while simultaneously studying Lysander’s reactions, terrified that she might be upset.
Yet, in her heart, Lysander knew the truth. They weren’t really trying to please her. Clearly, they were afraid of offending Josiah.
“Then we’ll talk about it when the time comes.”
1/4
Chapter 562 Selective Hearing
She gave a slight smile, subtly moving past the matter at hand.
Finished:
Seeing that, the remaining four people surmised that there might be more to the story between Josiah and her. Quickly, they changed the subject, saying, “Mr. Guerra, now that everyone is here, perhaps you should order the dishes first.”
*All right.” Josiah rotated the lazy Susan so the menu was in front of Lysander. “See if there’s anything you’d like to eat.”
Lysander didn’t take it, saying. “Let the guests choose.”
There was no way the quartet dared to do so. They collectively waved their hands and said, “We will follow the host’s lead. Ms. Thome, feel free to order whatever you like.”
Lysander pursed her lips before nodding. “I’m the youngest and least experienced here, so let me take the lead in ordering. Do any of you have any dietary restrictions?”
“No! We eat everything!”
Lysander held the menu, remaining silent for quite some time.
Just how intimidating had Josiah been in the past for these individuals, who were at least executive–level management, to be terrified to such an extent?
“Let me do it,” said Josiah, taking the menu from her. He flagged down a waiter and pointed out a few dishes for them to note down. Then, he added a special request, “Less oil and less salt.”
The waiter nodded. “Understood, sir. However, with six of you here, ordering only four dishes…. may not be enough.”
Josiah passed the menu to the others. “Recently, Lysander has been following a diet plan prepared by a nutritionist, so I ordered for her separately. As for the rest of you, feel free to order whatever you like. I’m treating today.”
One of the slightly older ones took the menu over and said, “Thank you very much, Mr. Guerra.”
“You’re welcome. I may not have the time to visit Thorne Constructions and Energies every day in the future, so I’ll have to trouble you all to take good care of Lysander.”
“Absolutely! Rest assured, Mr. Guerra.”
“However, there’s no need to be overly concerned about status and positions. After all, Lysander is still a newcomer in this industry, and mistakes are inevitable. Please help guide her. She’s not the type to lose her temper easily and prefers straightforward communication. Feel free to voice out any concerns or thoughts. There’s no need to beat around the bush.”
“All right.”
“Also, try to keep personal matters to a minimum at the office in the future. Lysander is the most authoritative figure at Thorne Constructions and Energies. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
The quartet nodded. “Understood. We are all men in our forties and fifties and are not fond of gossiping about relationships or disputes. Rest assured, we won’t spread rumors about today’s events.”
Josiah nodded in satisfaction, his expression softening considerably. “Go ahead and order.”
2/4
Chapter 562 Selective Hearing
Finished
Apart from the few light and nutritious dishes Josiah had ordered, the rest of the group also ordered some of the restaurant’s signature dishes, a safe and error–free choice.
After all, who knew what preferences or dislikes this previously unmet Ms. Thorne might have?
At least ordering the signature dishes gave them a legitimate excuse if anything went wrong, so Josiah would likely not take his anger out on them.
The dishes were served quickly.
After spending the entire afternoon taxing her brain, Lysander was genuinely a bit hungry, so she dove into her meal.
However, the other individuals were rather reserved.
The four men Josiah Guerra had placed within Thorne Constructions and Energies were capable executives who understood the art of timing and assessing the situation. They didn’t bring up anything that shouldn’t be mentioned; instead, they only discussed topics related to the current state of affairs within the company.
While eating. Lysander listened intently, which significantly improved her appetite.
Josiah saw her engrossed in thought, and other than occasionally using the serving spoon to add food to her plate, he didn’t bring up any unnecessary topics.
By the time they finished their meal, the evening glow that had graced the horizon upon their arrival had completely vanished, replaced by the vast expanse of the night sky.
The four guests, perceptive as they were, took the initiative to excuse themselves. None of them lingered. to interrupt Josiah and Lysander’s private time. Other than the two of them, the only remaining presence in the private room was a bored Ragdoll kitten, tucked in its cat carrier.
Meow!
The kitten let out a pitiful meow.
Lysander’s heart softened. She opened the cat carrier and gently cradled the small bundle into her arms. In a warm voice, she negotiated with it. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience. I can let you out, but you can’t run around, okay?”
The kitten flicked its small cars, as if it understood.
From the sidelines, Josiah observed the scene unfolding before him, barely suppressing a chuckle as he asked, “Are you having no trouble communicating with it?”
Cradling the kitten in her arms, Lysander answered, “I’m just speaking my mind. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t understand me now; we’ll gradually build an understanding between us.”
The Ragdoll kitten comfortably folled around in her arms.
Josiah had no choice but to ask again, “Would you like to stay a bit longer or perhaps take a stroll in the courtyard? I recall you didn’t have the chance to truly appreciate the pond during your last two visits here.”
The first time, he had nearly drowned the old lecher by pinning him down in the pond.
3/4
82%
Chapter 562 Selective Hearing
Finished
The second time, he was accompanied by Tiffany and Lysanne, who had been busy taking pictures by the pond.
However, even the most beautiful scenery became perilous once it was associated with these two individuals.
Send Gifts
1.3K