I inwardly applauded the folks at the market, knowing that they were a lazy bunch and had always found ways to slack off. Surprisingly, Eleanor had managed to rally them with enthusiasm.Eleanor displayed excellent control and seemed like a person who could get things done.She had also revamped the store without reporting any expenses. I had examined her monthly financial reports before, and they were clear and precise. It was clear that she had years of experience in the market.She seemed like a mature and outstanding market manager, a potential gem of a high-level executive. It seemed that I had unintentionally acquired a valuable asset. Surface Solutions had lost a precious asset.I remembered that Eleanor had mentioned before my trip to the capital that Surface Solutions's representative in Foswood wanted to discuss working with us upon my return.I turned to Eleanor and asked, "What's the situation with Surface Solutions? Are their people still waiting?"Eleanor nodded imm
Carol and Eleanor stared at me in astonishment.After a while, Carol closed her mouth and looked at me. "You’ve become much cooler, Ms. Chloe. You're so assertive. You’re such an alpha today."Was I being assertive?That was because I hadn't told them about our true strength yet.Besides the projects in the capital, the Bourdamun project that was behind us and the upcoming merger project of Avalon Hills were enough to sustain us for several years in Foswood.Who else could compete with us in Foswood ?Why couldn't I be assertive?"Why do I feel like you seem different after coming back from the capital?" Eleanor teased.I smiled. "Just the Bourdamun project alone will give us enough leverage. And besides..."I looked at both of them, grinning, "Do we really have to renegotiate the contract for Avalon Hills that we’ve already secured?"Carol seemed puzzled. "Renegotiate the contract? Didn't we already sign it? Why do we need to renegotiate?"With a content smile, I explained,
I said to Carol, "Let's go."When Eleanor walked us out, she complained, "I was planning to have lunch here with you two. There are a few new small places around here, and they serve really delicious food."I turned to her and said, "Why didn't you mention it earlier? If you had, I would have asked Benjamin to kick him out."Carol quickly added, "Go ahead and call Benjamin now. Check if Melvern is still in the office. If he isn’t, we can grab a bite here before heading back."After a moment of thought, I nodded. "Alright, go ahead and make the call."Carol immediately called Benjamin.The answer was exactly what I had expected. Frustration showed on Carol’s face, and she pouted.I shook my head helplessly and said with a smile, "Hurry and get the car. We'll head back to the company."Carol had no choice but to head to the parking lot to get the car. I turned to Eleanor and said, "If necessary, we'll make a trip to Liswell soon to visit the factory and ensure everything is preci
Back in the office, I spotted Melvern waiting for me in the small meeting room with a cup of coffee on the table.I walked over and smiled at him apologetically. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. I got tied up with some discussions and couldn't break away."He chuckled nonchalantly. "No worries. I happened to have some free time today, so I thought I'd wait for a bit. Sorry for making you rush."Internally, I couldn't help but smirk. I'd never seen him busy. Every time I met Melvern, he was either shopping with a woman or wandering around aimlessly.He glanced at his watch and suggested, "Well then, Ms. Chloe, how about grabbing a quick bite together? It's lunchtime, after all."I promptly declined. "It's okay. I told my assistant to order lunch because I have a meeting at one o'clock. I can’t exactly go out for a meal."Just as I spoke, Carol entered the meeting room with a lunchbox.I said, "If you don't mind, Mr. Melvern, we can have this takeaway together."As I said thos
Melvern didn't interrupt my words but regarded me with an appreciative gaze.I continued, "I'm someone who sees things in black and white. And my opponent, Liora, is an extremely tasteless woman."He gazed at me, still not interrupting and seemingly interested in hearing more."She’s been arrogant and persistent from the very first day we met, like a crazy dog biting everyone in its path. Even my patience has limits. Since she disregarded the respect I've shown her, it's become a life-or-death struggle between us." My tone carried a hint of disdain.“You invested in someone like her to undermine me, then you came to me claiming to be a friend. Tell me, why did you do that? I'm not one to turn a blind eye. I have my own principles," I asserted myself.I smiled while I said all this, but my words were sharp and far from comforting.Melvern looked at me and commented, "You're very straightforward. That's why I came to see you.""Tell me, then." I kept it short and to the point.
He ate quickly and seemed to enjoy the meal. He smiled at me and said, "Yum! This is the best lunch I've had so far. Thank you, Ms. Chloe."I smiled without saying anything, feeling like this man was beating around the bush too much.After finishing the meal, he checked the time and stood up. "It looks like it's time for your meeting soon. I won't disturb you any longer, Ms. Chloe. Thanks for the lunch. How about we have dinner together another day?"I nodded. "Sure, provided I have the time.""Great! I can wait until you're free," he said confidently. "I'll take my leave now. I believe we'll become friends, Ms. Chloe."He strode out of the small meeting room and left my office.Watching his departure, I couldn't help but mutter, "Who gave you such confidence?"Carol rushed in, reaching out to tidy up the utensils and curiously asking, "Is he gone?""Yeah," I absentmindedly responded.I was pondering Melvern's purpose in coming here. I reviewed our conversation, contemplating
"When he invested in Liora, it was a probing move. Didn't I tell you? He came back for revenge this time, and I'm his target."Think about it. He needs to figure out everything about the people around me. He won't give up on any clues. The current situation between Liora and me forces him to pay attention to her opponents. He's afraid I might have allies, especially someone like you."I found Atticus's words quite reasonable. "But one thing I can't figure out is how did he know we might have a connection?""That's not hard to find out. After all, we have some apparent cooperation," Atticus said casually.I chuckled. "True!""Would you and your husband join us for dinner tonight?" Atticus suggested."No, I can't make it tonight. I have some supplier issues that I can't delay. Another time, perhaps." I declined Atticus's invitation.I didn't ask him how he found out about my relationship with Atlas. Otherwise, he wouldn't have said, "You and your husband." These people are all sha
I sighed with a bitter smile. In the end, human relationships are all about using and being used.However, reflecting on the events surrounding Liora and the incident with Atticus, his assistance to me is indeed a drop in the ocean.No wonder Atlas has been observing Atticus's moves. It seemed that Atlas was my true behind-the-scenes support, the one manipulating the situation.Atlas was the one pulling the strings.I assumed that Atticus would never dare to act rashly against me. If Atlas wanted to push him into bankruptcy, it would only take a few minutes, and I believed that Atlas was capable of that.Judging from the fact that he could pocket such a big project in the capital, it was trivial for him to give up on a project in Rivendell.On top of that, I was in trouble at that time. Of course, he wouldn't let anyone succeed. He retreated in order to advance.That was the real reason why Atticus had always treated me differently. To be honest, Atticus has constantly scrutin