Florence shot down his offer without hesitation and locked eyes with him. "Even the finest knockoff can't hold a candle to the real thing."
"You—"
She cut him off and tossed a file onto the table. "Here's the projected revenue from your independent operation of this land. Honestly, the numbers look pretty grim. Why not let Hawthorne Group handle it?"
Lancelot's expression turned grim, and his tone dropped low. "You've got quite the nerve, huh? Think you can handle it?"
Florence replied with cool indifference, "I surely can. How would you know we can't handle it if we don't try?"
The tension in the air was electric and about to snap.
"Look, this isn't something you have authority over. Don't—" Lancelot's voice was low, his face clouded.
Was he about to tell her not to overstep? Not t
