I withdrew my hand. "Mr. Vernon, you're too kind. Please, have a seat."Andrea kept her gaze on me, unmoving and unresponsive with an indifferent and distant demeanor. I didn't pay much attention to her.With her attitude, she really suited someone like Liora. It was no wonder they had become good friends.Eleanor then introduced another man, marketing manager at Surface Solutions. He was the one who had taken over Eleanor's position.As we took our seats, I asked Eleanor if she had ordered the food. However, Vernon quickly spoke up. "I've taken care of it, Ms. Chloe.""Since you're here, let's make ourselves at home," I said politely."Seeing is believing, and today we finally meet! What happened before was a misunderstanding, and fate led us to miss a good opportunity for collaboration. I hope we’ll be able to have a good chat this time."Vernon looked at me, eager to get to the point. It was clear he genuinely wanted to collaborate. This wasn't surprising. Surface Solutio
Of course, I understood the underlying meaning in Vernon's words. Vernon was not as magnanimous as he was handsome. He was a master at schemes.The glance he gave Eleanor hinted that she should help him navigate this situation.When I saw this couple’s true colors, I immediately felt at ease.So that was why the previous collaboration with Matthew had been so unpredictable. I had little faith in Vernon as I saw him exploiting Eleanor like this.It seemed Eleanor had been captivated by his looks. It also made sense now that she had sold the company to him to help her father.I smiled and began. "A few days ago, Eleanor talked to me about the collaboration with Surface Solutions. Unfortunately, I had to go to the capital to deal with something urgent there, so I couldn't see you."Vernon quickly responded, "You're too kind, Ms. Chloe. We really want to work with Tanum, so we wanted to meet you no matter what."He looked at Eleanor and added, "I won't hide it from you. I had a priv
I smiled faintly. "You're right, Mr. Ricky. The information you provided was limited. But Eleanor has brought me the latest data, and she’s meticulously explained it to me."Eleanor has been very thoughtful. After all, when promoting your brand, you need to speak with your strongest offerings, don't you agree, Mr. Ricky? You have to show me your best! Otherwise, how can I figure out if I should work with you or not? If the product has no selling points, why should I collaborate?"My tone was assertive.I noticed that Vernon's expression soured a bit, but his displeasure seemed directed at their marketing manager.Rumor had it that this marketing manager was a relative of Andrea’s.Vernon asked Ricky, "Why didn't you bring all the latest information?"Then he looked at Eleanor. "Did you get the latest information?"Eleanor immediately responded, "I got it from Johnson, the marketing manager at Ardora. It should all be up to date."Andrea quickly spoke up to defend Ricky. "We can
I silently praised her. Good! She was composed.Andrea also stared at Eleanor, surprised to see her carefree attitude. Eleanor didn't take the bait, leaving Andrea with no opportunity to expose Eleanor's flaws.This woman wasn't wise. Liora is more clever in this regard. No wonder she fell into Liora's trap.Seeing that Eleanor didn't respond, Andrea turned to Vernon. "What? Vernon, haven't you figured it out yet? She doesn't respect you at all!"Vernon's face darkened."You've been played by Eleanor. When she left Surface Solutions, she never wished well for it. Did you really think Eleanor would take your side? She's a backstabbing opportunist. Why else do you think she ended up at Tanum? Liora already mentioned it. Some people are just—"Vernon couldn't bear it any longer, turning to Andrea and shouting, "Shut up!" His loud reprimand startled me, and I observed Andrea's defiant expression.Andrea froze for a moment and suddenly screamed, "How dare you yell at me?! Why d
I continued, "But there was a breach of contract, and I regret that. However, Ms. Eleanor handled the aftermath exceptionally well. She assured me that if needed, she would go all out to coordinate with the leading distributors and act as a bridge for us. "After all, I made it clear that this involved construction materials. Although the breach disrupted our plans, fortunately, it didn't result in any losses." Of course, Andrea wasn't buying it. She played hardball, saying, "The villain has finally got a chance to turn things around, right?""Mrs. Andrea, it's not about me turning things around. It's about you losing the best opportunity!" I stared at her, confidently stating, "Otherwise, Surface Solutions would’ve been the supplier for the entire new Bourdamun project. Unfortunately, you messed up a good hand."I directly shifted the blame to Andrea, making Vernon regret deeply and exposing Andrea's true colors."After that incident, your friend Liora used it to propagate again
Eleanor said with a hint of helplessness, "Ms. Chloe is the wife of the CEO of ATL Empire."Her words shattered Andrea's arrogant demeanor.I calmly added, "Mrs. Andrea, it's not easy for us to meet today. There are a few things I'd like to say to you. Regardless of your relationship with Liora or what kind of friend you are to her, I can tell you that Avalon Hills has always been Tanum’s project."The atmosphere in the room became incredibly awkward, and Vernon's face had darkened beyond recognition.For a businessman, this was the most frustrating moment."I do not know the specifics of your negotiations when she persuaded you to move into Ardora. But from what I understand, she used you as bait to achieve her goal—to take over Ardora." Unfortunately, you've been used.""That's impossible..." Andrea's voice trembled."She's about to face a trial for trying to take over Ardora. If you're interested, I can notify you to attend as an observer. You can get a closer look at the mis
Arriving at the restaurant, I finally called Atlas. It turned out he was also having dinner with some guests. Surprised by the quick end of my meeting, he asked, "Why so soon?"With a triumphant tone, I replied, "It didn't go well. I just wanted to stand up for Eleanor, and she vented the anger that has been building up all these years.""Oh! Impressive! You messed up the meeting, yet you're still so happy. Should I come over? I'll have Dylan pick you up," he asked tenderly, his tone filled with indulgence.Eleanor looked at us with envy."No, thanks. Eleanor and I are at the seafood restaurant. We're in the mood for fish. Once you're ready, come and pick me up. We'll be waiting here," I told him."Alright, see you later," he said before we hung up.We ordered the fish we each wanted, chatting about the earlier events while enjoying the unique seafood. It was a delightful time.As we were about to finish, an unexpected incident disrupted our peace. Suddenly, a person appeared in
Her actions completely enraged me, and I slammed the table while shouting, "Don't you dare! I dare any of you to touch her!"Startled by my furious shout, the guy was completely dumbfounded. Perhaps he didn't expect a woman like me to stand fearlessly against their group. He glanced at me and then at Kimberly, seeming unsure if they should take action against us.In truth, my heart was pounding, too. These guys were all fearless youngsters, clueless about life and death. Given their numbers and the fact that they were all guys, we would be at a disadvantage if they decided to get physical.However, I couldn't just stand there and watch them humiliate us, especially fearing they might harm Eleanor. That was why I had to put up a strong front, at least in appearance.Although I knew the principle of not picking fights you can't win, I couldn't accept being openly bullied by these reckless individuals.Just then, the manager rushed over. "Please calm down, everyone. Let's talk th