Chapter 69
983 Words
In an instant, the atmosphere in the meeting room changed. Everyone agreed, "Yes, Olivia is the perfect choice."
"Let her handle it. She's new to running a company. It'll be a great learning experience. It'll help her in future collaborations too."
Just like that, they dumped this nearly impossible task on Olivia.
Olivia felt a wave of helplessness. She had never negotiated with suppliers before. This sudden task left her reeling. But as the project leader, she knew she couldn't back down.
Samuel pondered for a moment, realized Sophia's intentions, and nodded. "Alright, Olivia, you'll handle this. Remember, you have two days. If you can't secure the agreements with five suppliers within that time, you must resign and relinquish the project."
Olivia's eyes reddened with tears. She felt incredibly wronged, but she knew arguing was pointless. She took a deep breath and replied firmly, "Grandpa, I understand how challenging this is. But I will do my best to achieve the best outcome."
Samuel didn't even look her in the eye and said, "Fine. Olivia, the Harrison family's hopes rest on your shoulders. Prepare well."
The other Harrison family members picked up on the conspiracy and chuckled maliciously.
"Olivia, you only have two days. Good luck."
"She was lucky to come up with a decent proposal before. Now she has to secure agreements with five suppliers. She'll probably mess it up."
"Haha, if it weren't for a second lieutenant visiting last time, how could she be put in charge?"
Despite the harsh words stabbing at her, Olivia didn't waver. She knew this was her chance to prove herself and bring honor to the Harrison family. She clenched her fists. She was determined to overcome all the obstacles.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open.
Jonathan walked in. Seeing Olivia's teary eyes, he declared, "Five suppliers? Olivia will have contracts by tomorrow."
The room fell silent. Everyone stared at Jonathan, bewildered by his confidence. Securing five suppliers in two days seemed impossible even for the entire Harrison family, let alone Olivia.
"Fine. If she fails, she'll resign, and Sophia will take over the project entirely. And you'll be expelled from the Harrison family!" Samuel snapped at Jonathan.
"Okay," Jonathan replied calmly. But this made Sally and Chad anxious.
"Jonathan, what are you doing? Why did you agree? This has nothing to do with you. Olivia hasn't agreed yet!" Sally shouted angrily. "Dad, I disagree. This loser can't speak for Olivia."
"He has no right to represent Olivia," Chad added and glared at Jonathan. They felt Jonathan's promise had pushed their family to the brink.
Sophia and her family smirked but remained silent.
Jonathan walked over to the distressed Olivia and said, "Trust me. We'll handle this together."
Olivia nodded, "Okay, I trust you." She didn't know why, but she believed Jonathan could achieve what he promised.
Seeing Olivia agree, Sally almost fainted from rage. "Olivia, are you out of your mind? Do you really believe this i***t? What can he do? Do you expect him to find powerful people to help you every time? That's impossible! You two are killing me!"
Chad roared, "You worthless idiots! Let's see how you get five suppliers' contracts by tomorrow!"
As everyone left, their mocking voices faded. Only Olivia and Jonathan remained in the room.
Olivia was scared, but she still stood firm. She tidied her papers and said, "I'm going to look for suppliers now." She doubted Jonathan could secure five contracts and believed his promise was a push for her to try harder.
"No need," Jonathan stopped her. "Just go home and rest. People will come to us tomorrow."
Olivia was stunned. "How is that possible? Don't lie to me."
Jonathan smiled. "I have some friends in the materials business. I'll call them."
"Really? That's great!" Olivia's face lit up, but then she looked concerned again. "But even if you secure five suppliers, Grandpa said several groups are watching us. They've threatened materials suppliers and smashed our factories. I'm afraid they might scare off your contacts too."
Jonathan chuckled, "Don't worry. The suppliers I contacted aren't easily intimidated. And if anyone does try something, I'll handle it."
"Really?" Olivia's eyes sparkled with hope. She looked at the man who always made her feel safe, lost in thought.
Half an hour later, in a hotel room, Sophia lay in bed, wrapped in a white robe. Her hair was damp from a bath. She climbed into Mark's arms and sneered, "Do you know what Jonathan said at the meeting today?"
"What did he say?" Mark caressed her skin and quickly discarded her robe.
"He said he could get five suppliers by tomorrow. Can you believe that? Who does he think he is?" Sophia laughed, her eyes full of disdain.
"Hahaha!"
Mark took a puff of his cigar and laughed. "I would like to see which five suppliers show up tomorrow. And even if he finds them, my hired thugs will teach them a lesson."
With that, he turned his attention to Sophia.
***
The next day, in the meeting room of the Harrison Group, everyone looked impatient.
"Olivia, where are the five suppliers you promised? It's been an hour, and no one has shown up," Sophia questioned and glanced at her watch.
"If you can't make it, just resign and stop wasting our time."
"You were kicked out of the Harrison family five years ago. We shouldn't have counted on you."
"I propose we remove Olivia as the project lead for the collaboration with the Apex Group."
Tensions rose, especially among those siding with Declan.
Olivia sat there, nervous and scared. She had believed in Jonathan and gone home to rest as he suggested yesterday. Now, she could only keep checking the time on her phone and praying that what he said was true.
But now, an hour had passed, and she was losing hope. 'Did Jonathan lie to me?'
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