Chapter 25 In Julian's eyes , Caitlin was nothing but a pile of crap . What did she know about games ? Or about triple - A titles ? The Chandler Group's success was entirely built on his own sweat and determination . Caitlin's greatest contribution had been signing a marriage certificate with him , and that was it And now she thought she could help Apex win the Celestial Awards ? What a joke . So it was no surprise Julian couldn't care less about Caitlin joining Apex Game Studios . He barely even registered it . Julian narrowed his eyes . " Victor might have had a sliver of hope before , but now ? Not even close . The guy went to a top university , and yet he let some country bumpkin play him for a fool . Pathetic . " Having someone like Victor as a rival was honestly insulting to Julian's intelligence Dalton nodded , agreeing wholeheartedly . Caitlin was just some high school dropout from the sticks , while Julian had even eamed praise from Father Benedict himself . There was simply no comparison Dalton glanced at Julian . " I was a little womed Victor would resist the merger , but now that Caitlin's meddling , we've got nothing to worry about . Soon enough , Victor will be begging Chandler Group to buy Apex " Julian seemed to have a sudden realization . " So Caitlin only joined Apex Game Studios because of me . I From where he stood , Caitlin had two reasons for joining Apex . First , to attract his attention . Second , to help him acquire Apex from the inside . She wasn't really joining Apex - she was spying for him 3 For a moment , Julian had wondered why Caitlin would suddenly sign on with Apex Game Studios . Now it all made sense.l Dalton's eyes went wide . " I can't believe Caitlin would humble herself so much for you . Joining Apex just to please you? Doesn't she realize she'd be better off living her own life ? Why latch onto you like this ? " Julian felt sick just thinking about her .. He'd already signed the divorce papers , but that shameless country girl was still fantasizing about him , obsessing over him . Tve never met a woman as shameless as Caitlin Dalton agreed - her behavior was completely out of line , with no understanding of boundaries . She didn't care that Julian was already in love with someone else . Pathetic , really The more Julian thought about it , the fouler his mood became . " Enough . Let's not talk about that hillbilly anymore . How's the R & D department coming along ? " % At the mention of business , Dalton straightened immediately . " Don't worry , Julian . Everything's on track . I'm certain Father Benedict will want to work with us . Julian nodded , a smug look flashing in his eyes . Acquire Apex . Partner with Sylvester Group . Take home the Celestial Awards A triple victory . Soon , Silverhaven would be his for the taking . And not just Silverhaven - he'd have a seat at the table in the Capital , too . The thought brought a confident smirk to his lips . Caitlin had been working on Apex Game Studios projects all night , barely catching an hour's sleep before dawn . By nine in the morning . she was up again , ordering breakfast on her phone while brushing her teeth and washing up . After getting ready , she headed downstairs for her workout : thirty minutes of jogging , followed by thirty minutes of yoga and stretching . By the time she finished , it was just after ten I Fortune , her grandfather , was coming home for lunch . Caitlin's cooking wasn't anything special , but she could manage some basic home - style dishes.l At half past eleven , Fortune walked in and was greeted by the smell of food . He stared in surprise at Caitlin , who was bustling around the kitchen . " Catie , are you cooking ? " She looked up with a smile . " Yep , Grandpa . I'm just making some soup , and then lunch is ready . " Fortune's eyes widened He'd raised Caitlin out in the countryside , but he'd never let her cook - she didn't even know the difference between sugar and salt back then . But now , here she frying up dishes in the kitchen . How much had she gone through , trying to fit in with the Chandler family ? The thought tugged at his heart . He quickly shrugged off his vest . " Catie , let me cook . You take a break . " She just waved him off . " It's fine , Grandpa . Lunch is nearly done - just the soup left . Go wash your hands and get ready to eat ! Fortune couldn't win the argument , so he went to wash up . When he returned , Caitlin was setting the table . Three dishes and a soup : s steamed fish , braised pork , and a bowl of vegetable and tofu soup . Fortune grinned at the spread . " Wonderful ! The food my granddaughter makes is always the best . Catlin scooped some rice into his bowl " Grandpa , you haven't even tasted it yet ! How do you know it's good ? " He took the bowl with a chuckle . " I can smell it ." Just to prove he wasn't exaggerating . Fortune - who normally only had one bowl of rice - ended up eating two that day.