Calvert noticed Cline sizing him up and, out of politeness, quickly raised his glass to toast with Cline.
Although Cline responded, his demeanor was arrogant and disdainful.
Seeing this, Calvert didn't say much.
He had heard about Cline's temperament.
This man was known for his cold and aloof nature, never giving any face to those he disliked.
The fact that he responded in this setting meant he at least had some respect for Calvert.
However, much of it was probably due to Runa's influence.
Runa was skilled at lightening the mood, and with just a few words, she helped everyone become more familiar with each other.
She then purposefully guided the conversation from everyday life to work matters, project collaborations, and bidding issues.
She even brought up the recent actions of Coburn Group against the Ortega family.
Throughout the entire process, only Cline remained mostly silent, his deep and sinister eyes occasionally glancing towards the door of the private room.
Runa noticed Cline's periodic glances towards the door and followed his gaze.
She happened to see Luana's slender back.
Runa's brow furrowed as she asked, "Cline, what are you looking at?"
Cline's face darkened, and he picked up his phone, shifting his gaze to the screen, coldly asking, "When is this ending?"
Runa, thinking he was checking the time, said, "Just a little longer, please."
She then turned to Calvert and the executives he brought, saying, "Mr. Coburn, Mr. McKinney, you can rest assured about the project in the west of the city. Mr. Moriarty always acts with fairness and impartiality, and he won't favor any side. If both our companies want to secure the development rights, let's compete based on our strengths. What do you think?"
Coburn Group was renowned in the industry for its exceptional professional capabilities, and Calvert had full confidence in his group's strength, so he naturally wasn't worried about the bidding.
He nodded and said, "Of course, it's all about strength."
Seeing his boss agree, Dale quickly added, "Miss Ortega, the suspension of the Ortega's projects by Coburn Group was due to some unauthorized actions by my subordinates. Miss Ortega, I hope you won't hold it against them. I've already punished them."
Runa, with her long experience in the business world, didn't easily believe such diplomatic words.
However, she didn't embarrass Coburn Group on the spot and continued along the lines of what Dale said, "If that's the case, let's leave the past behind and cooperate well in the future for mutual success."
After speaking, she smiled at everyone and said, "Let's end it here for today. We'll meet again at the bidding."
Runa dared to end the dinner so directly mainly because she sensed Cline's impatience.
Although Coburn Group and Moriarty Group were evenly matched in domestic strength, Moriarty Group was undoubtedly the leading enterprise in the global market.
Therefore, even though Coburn Group's people heard Runa's obvious dismissal, they didn't dare to object and instead turned their gazes to Cline.
After all, this man exuded a cold aura that kept people at arm's length, and if he didn't leave, no one dared to be the first to rise and leave.
Cline said, "Let's go," and then strode out, holding Runa's hand.
Everyone was stunned to see the rumored woman-free Cline, who was known for his lack of interest in women, now holding Runa's hand.
It seemed their relationship was much closer than they had imagined.
This made Coburn Group worried that the project in the west of the city might fall into the hands of the Ortega family because of this special relationship.
This was the root of why Coburn Group had previously used extraordinary means against the Ortega family.
Upon hearing the door open, Luana immediately stood up.
Cline and Runa walked out, holding hands.
Seeing their interlocked fingers, Luana's eyelashes trembled involuntarily.
She tried to act indifferent and averted her gaze, but her lowered eyes still uncontrollably looked at Cline's hand tightly holding Runa's.
He held it so tightly that the veins on his arm were slightly bulging, and it was clear that Runa, held in his palm, must be extremely important to him.
Luana couldn't help but recall the disdain and disgust she had experienced when she accidentally bumped into Cline earlier.
Her heart felt as if it was tightly entwined by countless vines, gradually constricting, making her breathing difficult.
She had fantasized countless times about Cline holding her hand like this one day, but it was ultimately an unattainable dream.
She knew that Cline would never hold her hand in public, and this was the insurmountable gap between her and Runa.