Chapter 319
Chapter 319:
Still dazed, Gabriela left the hotel and dialed Kaleb the moment she stepped outside. “Uncle Kaleb,” she blurted, voice trembling with disbelief, “Bradly signed the contract p>
But Kaleb’s reply was firm, not celebratory. “Check the contract. Make sure nothing’s wrong. And confirm the signature p>
A prickle of unease ran down her spine. Gabriela pulled the document from her bag and froze.
Letter by letter, Bradly’s bold signature vanished into nothing. It was erasable.
Bradly had never intended to honor the deal at all; he had been toying with her from the very start.
On the hotel’s golf course, Bradly adjusted his stance, swung his club, and watched the ball arc into the distance. A lazy smile tugged at his lips. “Fiona, are you satisfied now p>
Fiona twirled her hair with feigned nonchalance. “Yeah. If you sign with Gabriela, consider our friendship over p>
𝗥e𝘢𝗱 𝘧ro𝗆 𝘆𝘰𝗎𝘳 𝗉𝘩𝘰𝗇𝗲 𝗈𝗻 g𝗮𝗅ոо𝘃𝗲lѕ.с𝘰m
Bradly chuckled. “Relax. I’ve got plenty of companies lined up at my door. I don’t need Gabriela p>
Fiona nodded, smugness flickering across her face as she lifted her chin. In her mind, the game was already won. Gabriela could never claw her way back from this.
Meanwhile, back at Haynes Group, Gabriela slumped against the cool leather of the black swivel chair, exhaustion seeping into her bones. This time, she knew she had slammed headfirst into a wall, because the deal with Bradly was as good as gone.
The finance director, Trenton Diaz, dropped by under the guise of offering comfort, though his words were dipped in mockery. “Since Bradly’s return, half the major corporations have been chasing after him. Why would he bother with a small firm like ours? Miss Haynes, ambition is fine, but one must know their limits. If you lack the ability, perhaps it’s wiser to step down p>
Kaleb’s expression darkened. He cut in sharply, voice like steel. “Trenton, watch your tongue p>
Trenton scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. “Since when am I not allowed to have an opinion p>
Kaleb’s jaw tightened. Anger flared in his eyes, yet helplessness weighed his shoulders. “Gabriela, if this project really can’t be secured, we’ll just move on to another. I’ve built plenty of connections over the years. We’ll find another way p>
“Uncle Kaleb, let me think this through first,” Gabriela sighed.
She wasn’t willing to concede defeat. She was certain that Bradly had been satisfied with her proposal. It was Fiona’s interference that had poisoned his decision.
Still, no one was untouchable. Everyone had a weakness. Gabriela believed Bradly was no exception. For all his swagger, he was still a man, and men always had desires or needs that could be leveraged.
With that thought crystallizing, Gabriela arranged another dinner with Mason. After placing her order, Gabriela couldn’t help venting her frustration. “Mr. McCoy is certainly skilled at playing tricks p>
Mason offered a few words of comfort before a thought struck him. His eyes lit up. “Gabriela, I just remembered, he is an avid fan of handcrafted models. His collection is extensive. And if I recall correctly, you’re no stranger to making models yourself. Why not craft one for him? It might be the key to winning him over p>
Gabriela paused, caught off guard, then leaned forward with interest. Her model-making ability was her pride, and his suggestion sparked something inside her. “Are you sure p>
Though she had never directly compared her work with others, every model she made left people astonished.
“Absolutely!” Mason assured. “I dabble in model-making too, and there’s a whole circle of enthusiasts. We even formed a club. Funny enough, the very first thing Bradly did upon returning to the country wasn’t chasing business deals, it was applying to join our club. On his first day, he even showed off several exquisite pieces p>
Mason pulled out his phone, scrolling to a small gallery. “Here, take a look. Do you think you can make ones better than these p>
The screen lit up with photos of meticulously detailed models. Among them was a towering deep-sea replica, over a meter tall.
Gabriela froze. That design and those intricate details looked hauntingly familiar, almost identical to the piece she had once lost.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the phone before she handed it back. “Yes, I’ll give it a try,” she said firmly.