Chapter 235
As soon as they stepped inside, Daniel politely told his assistant to leave. Camilla asked Ada and the lawyer to wait outside too. In a matter of seconds, the office was just the two of them.
On Daniel’s desk was a proposal, all in English, signed clearly by The Gates Group.
Camilla sat down and said, “I’m guessing you didn’t call me in because there’s some issue with my design. You want to talk because another company put something on the table even you couldn’t refuse, right p>
Daniel smiled. “Camilla, you really are sharp p>
She couldn’t help but grin. “You give me too much credit, Daniel. If you hadn’t been so up front, I’d never have figured it out p>
Honestly, if Daniel wanted this hidden or wanted to make things hard for her, that proposal from The Gates Group wouldn’t be sitting out in plain view.
Daniel glanced at her, his tone still friendly. “Camilla, you see where this is at. I have a lot of respect for you, and your work genuinely impresses me. But to be honest, I’ve heard The Carter Group is in some trouble. It sounds like you and your husband aren’t on the best terms either. We’re looking for a partner who’s steady. Right now, I’m not sure the higher ups—or myself—can feel that confident p>
Camilla wasn’t the type to dodge. “You deserve the truth. Barnard and I are getting divorced and BLC is officially in my name now. I know The Carter Group is a big deal to you and BLC might look tiny by comparison. But I’ve been building BLC on my own for years. The way we do business, it’s always been separate from The Carter Group. Any negative news about them won’t touch BLC, I promise. Just to show how serious I am, I brought you our recent financial reports too. You know as well as I do that, for as long as we’ve cooperated, you’ve always worked directly with me. We get along well. This partnership shouldn’t be affected by The Carter Group at all p>
Daniel listened quietly and nodded. “You make a strong case, Camilla, but it’s not just me you have to convince. It’s all the folks in the boardroom. Pamela—she just left—she’s been eager to work with us, and honestly, what they’re offering is, well, pretty tempting p>
Camilla looked him in the eye. “Just because someone else offers better conditions doesn’t mean I’ll slash our prices. That’s not fair to my team or my work. I know that if you agreed to meet and tell me all this face to face, it means you’re actually satisfied with what BLC brings. So tell me honestly, Daniel, what can I do to win over your board p>
He actually looked a little amused. “Talking to someone as straightforward as you really is easy. You’re right, Camilla. I admire your attitude and I hope we can keep working together. That’s why I wanted to see you in person. Tomorrow is our annual company event. I’m giving you an invitation. If you can win over the shareholders in person like you did with me, then nobody will be able to shake our partnership p>
As he talked, Daniel pulled an invitation out of his drawer—clearly prepared in advance—and handed it to her. The invite was sleek black with a gold trim, the sort that quietly screamed luxury.
This had been made just for her, Camilla knew. At first, Daniel had agreed to work with BLC basically because of The Carter Group, but ever since, Camilla had managed to prove herself with her own skills and professionalism. If The Gates Group hadn’t come in with such a killer offer that took the board by storm, Daniel would never have considered switching.
Camilla took the invitation without hesitation. “Thank you for trusting me, Daniel, and for giving me the chance. I won’t let you down p>
Daniel nodded, called his assistant to escort Camilla out, and even made sure her hotel arrangements were taken care of.
After watching her leave, Daniel’s eyes drifted back to The Gates Group’s proposal. He had to admit, their offer was almost too good—so good that they would barely make a profit themselves. In any other situation, a deal like that would be called cutthroat. That kind of offer left his board with nowhere to go but to accept.
When Camilla stepped out, Ada and the lawyer walked up. “How did it go? Did they p>
Camilla didn’t stop walking. “We’ll have to see tomorrow. Seriously, take a break. It’s not every day you get to travel. Go enjoy yourselves p>
Convincing a whole boardroom was no cakewalk. She couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel and prep her materials.
Time flew. Before she knew it, the night of Daniel’s annual event had arrived. Camilla got herself ready and followed the address on the invitation to the hotel.
The lobby was buzzing. Camilla spotted Pamela right away, dressed in a striking red dress and working the room with a group of foreign shareholders. Camilla recognized them—she’d done her homework early on, searching up company info and board members online. Their faces were familiar from those LinkedIn headshots.
Pamela caught sight of her, arched an eyebrow in a way that said bring it on.
Camilla didn’t blink. She walked straight over, already figuring now was as good a moment as any to raise the issue. Pamela had practically gathered everyone together in one spot—perfect.
As Camilla got closer, Pamela’s look changed from smug to cautious.
“What are you doing here?” Pamela demanded.