Sweet Love 2x: Miss Ruthless CEO for our Superstar Uncle-Chapter 133: The Past That Doesn’t Stay Past

The glass doors of the Pemberton building closed quietly behind Audrey as she stepped onto the sidewalk.

The afternoon light had shifted while she was inside. The sun hung lower now between the towers of the financial district, casting long reflections across the glass facades. Traffic moved steadily along the avenue, the slow rhythm of engines and distant horns blending into the city’s background noise.

Audrey paused near the curb.

Not hesitation. Just the small pause that came after finishing a conversation that required careful attention. Her mind was still sorting through the interview while the street continued its usual pace.

A group of office workers crossed the intersection nearby. Someone laughed as a taxi slowed. Farther down the block, a delivery truck idled while a driver unloaded boxes.

Audrey began walking.

She slipped one hand into the pocket of her coat while the other held the small notebook she had used during the interview. The edges of the pages were slightly worn from being opened and closed throughout the conversation.

Her thoughts returned briefly to Gilbert.

He had changed since the last time she had seen him. Not in ways immediately obvious. The structure of his answers had been the same—calm, measured. But there was a steadiness now that had not existed years ago. Leadership had settled on him in a quiet way.

Audrey had seen that change before. People who carried responsibility long enough eventually learned to speak with a different rhythm. Their words became more deliberate, their pauses slightly longer.

Gilbert had answered every question directly.

That was the part she noticed most clearly. Most executives redirected difficult questions. Some softened answers with vague language. Others responded with carefully rehearsed statements that said nothing.

Gilbert had simply answered.

She reached the corner as a taxi pulled toward the curb.

The driver leaned toward the passenger window. "Where to?"

"The Herald building."

The car merged into traffic while Audrey rested the notebook against her knee and flipped it open.

Several lines of notes filled the page. Fragments written quickly while Gilbert spoke. Corporate relationships. Long-term partnerships. Quiet influence between industries.

She read through the lines again while the taxi moved steadily through traffic.

One note stood out.

Influence develops through consistent cooperation.

She remembered the moment he said it. He had paused slightly before answering, considering the wording. The same habit he used years ago.

Audrey turned another page.

Back then she had been assigned to interview a young executive who had recently taken on a major role within Pemberton Corporation. The assignment had seemed routine.

She had walked into that meeting expecting the usual conversation—careful answers, polite deflections.

Instead she had found Gilbert.

He had answered her questions in exactly the same way he had today.

Directly.

The memory passed as quickly as it had appeared.

The taxi slowed near the entrance to the business district.

Audrey closed the notebook and looked out the window. Tall buildings rose on both sides, their windows reflecting the fading light. Pedestrians moved quickly along the sidewalks.

The newsroom building appeared several blocks later.

The taxi pulled to the curb.

Audrey paid the driver and stepped out.

Inside, the familiar sound greeted her immediately. Keyboards clicked in uneven rhythms across the room. Phones rang occasionally before being picked up. Large screens along the wall displayed financial news and scrolling market numbers.

Audrey crossed toward her desk.

Daniel looked up. "How did it go?"

"Useful."

He leaned back. "That’s usually a good sign."

Across the room, the editor’s office door stood open. Her editor stepped out briefly.

"You spoke with Pemberton?"

"Yes."

"How long?"

"A little under an hour."

The editor nodded once. "Can you have a draft tonight?"

"Yes."

"Good."

The editor disappeared back into the office.

Audrey reached her desk and placed the notebook beside her laptop. The chair rolled backward slightly as she sat down.

Around her, the newsroom continued its steady movement. Reporters leaned across desks exchanging information. Someone near the far window argued quietly about numbers on one of the wall screens.

Audrey opened her laptop. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

The blank document appeared.

For a moment she simply looked at it, organizing the structure in her mind.

Then she began typing.

The first paragraph formed quickly.

Public attention often focuses on visible corporate events—banquets, conferences, leadership gatherings. These moments appear dramatic, but they rarely explain the deeper relationships that influence long-term business decisions.

Audrey paused and glanced down at her notebook. She turned to the page containing Gilbert’s comments. His answers appeared in short fragments of handwriting.

She selected one and continued writing.

Influence within corporate networks rarely develops through sudden alliances. More often it emerges through years of consistent cooperation between companies operating within the same industries.

The words settled naturally into the paragraph.

Audrey continued typing. The newsroom gradually shifted as afternoon turned toward evening. Several reporters finished assignments and left. Others remained, the glow of their screens reflecting faintly across their faces.

Audrey barely noticed. Her focus remained on the article.

From time to time she paused to review the notes. Each quote from Gilbert fit cleanly into the structure, reinforcing the idea that visible events rarely revealed the full shape of corporate relationships.

One quote caught her attention again.

You still start with the difficult questions.

Audrey rested her fingers against the keyboard.

He had said it almost casually during the interview, as though it were an observation rather than a memory. But the remark carried a quiet familiarity.

She remembered the first time he had said something similar. Years ago. Back then she had been younger, still learning how to navigate interviews with senior executives. Most preferred gentle introductions before approaching serious topics.

Audrey had skipped that step. She had asked the most difficult question first.

Gilbert had watched her for a moment before answering.

Then he had said almost the same thing.

You ask the difficult questions early.

Audrey returned her attention to the screen. The cursor blinked patiently at the end of the paragraph.

She resumed typing.

The article gradually took shape across several sections. Corporate networks. Strategic partnerships. Influence that developed quietly over time.

By the time she finished the final section, the newsroom had grown quieter. Several desks now stood empty. Evening lights reflected faintly against the large windows overlooking the city.

Audrey read through the final paragraph once more.

Satisfied, she saved the document.

Outside the window, the skyline began to glow as the first lights appeared across the towers of the financial district.

The newsroom continued its quiet work behind her while the city settled into evening.