CHAPTER 4: Business Partners
1085 Words
Laura
"I.. I don't know," Mandy stammered.
I could see from the look on her face that she was rattled and I smiled to myself.
"Are you alright, miss?" Kaden glared at me, concern burning in his gaze. "I'm sorry for their behavior."
"I'm fine," I muttered.
He glared hard at his twin brother for a brief second before turning his attention back to me.
"I can't trust you to be fine with these two," He grunted. "I'll walk you out if you don't mind."
"I'm fine," I maintained. "Thank you."
He hesitated for a while, but after glancing at his watch, he sighed.
"I have a meeting to attend now," He said. "You're sure you don't need my help?"
I could feel my cheeks flush as his deep blue eyes searched mine for an answer, and just like that, I struggled to find the right words to say.
In the end, all I could manage was a slight shake of my head. He smiled and patted me lightly across my back before making his way to the conference room. As I watched his retreating footsteps, I wondered how on earth he shared the same placenta with someone as uncouth and ungentlemanly as Kyle. He was just so different.
Little by little, the crowd in the hallway dispersed. Kyle and Mandy were the last to leave and before they made their way out, Mandy had repeatedly reminded the security to kick me out.
I waited until they were out of sight before heading straight to my office to get a few documents. Then, I made my way to the board room where the meeting was scheduled to hold.
I was a few steps away from the door when I heard the voice of my secretary, a composed, middle-aged man, making my introduction.
"Let's welcome the CEO of Bizzare and the daughter of Alpha Blackwood, Miss Laura Blackwood."
The door was flung open immediately and I made my way into the room.
I could see the look of disbelief and surprise on the faces of all present as I walked towards the seat at the head of the table.
I glanced at Mandy whose mouth was wide open in awe, and my secretary walked up to her.
"Miss Rivers, your seat is over there," He said, pointing at an empty seat at the far end of the table.
Mandy rose up at once and slammed her fists hard across the wooden table.
"Is this some kind of sick prank?" She snarled. "Do you want to lose your job?"
I locked gazes with the security guard standing at the door and that was the only invitation he needed.
"Kindly escort her to her seat," I smiled.
The guard extended a hand but Mandy ignored it. I watched with a smile on my face as she grabbed her handbag and made her way to the seat at the far end of the table.
"Good morning everyone and thanks for coming. We may begin." I said lightly before taking my seat with my head held high.
My secretary came forward and read out the meeting agenda. Then, he introduced the CEOs in attendance along with their respective companies. The next two hours unfolded with strategic pitches and well-crafted proposals. I made sure to contribute sharp insights and solid feedback that left no room for doubt about my authority.
Mandy sat silently at the edge of the table, her head bowed in shame. Kyle, however, retained his smug arrogance—even as his assistant presented one of the weakest, most poorly-prepared proposals I’d ever seen.
Unlike the meticulous presentations of the other CEOs, Kyle’s pitch felt like a joke, no substance, just overconfidence. A complete waste of time.
To my surprise, Kaden represented one of the competing companies, GK Global. His presentation was poised and thorough, with an attention to detail that really impressed me. Just like that, I could tell that he was the complete opposite of Kyle's arrogant and overconfident personality. He was calm and down to earth.
A few minutes past 11:00 a.m, I called for a short break to deliberate with Bizarre’s board of directors. As expected, the final vote came down to two contenders: GK Global and Shine, a fashion company with a strong presence on the Paris runway.
Mandy had made a desperate attempt to sway the board in favor of Kyle’s company, but it was clear her influence had dwindled since my return.
At exactly 11:30 a.m., I reconvened the meeting. The air was filled with anticipation as I took my seat before the eager eyes of the CEOs.
“I want to thank all of you for your passionate presentations and interest in Bizarre’s partnership,” I began. “Every proposal brought something to the table, but Bizarre is seeking more than just excellence—we’re seeking precision, innovation, and reliability.”
I held up the envelope that contained the name of our selected partner. “After careful consideration, I’m pleased to announce that the company awarded Bizarre’s investment today is…”
A beat of silence passed before I delivered the final blow.
“GK Global.”
Applause erupted across the room, though not without a few bitter stares and disappointed sighs I ignored.
“Congratulations, Mr. Morrison,” I said, as Kaden approached me with a quiet smile. “I look forward to working with you.”
“Thank you, Miss Blackwood. The pleasure’s mine,” he replied smoothly.
"My assistant will contact you on further details before the end of the week," I said and turned on my heels, prepared to leave.
"Wait!"
Kaden's smooth voice stopped me dead in my tracks and I spun around to meet his gaze.
"You know," He started. "There's this new Italian restaurant around the corner."
"What about it?" I grunted.
"Maybe we can have dinner tonight," He shrugged. "Celebrate our new partnership, and set the tone for work."
I chuckled at his words. He was the same as his twin brother after all, probably just a bit smarter.
"I'm glad you like the idea," He grinned. "So I'll see you tonight?"
"No," I shook my head in the negative. "You won't see me tonight or any other night."
I turned to leave but then I paused and spun around.
"And any other ideas you have in your head," I continued. "I'll advise you to kill them now."
And with that, I made my way out of the building leaving behind a stunned Kaden.
- Writer
