Chapter 89: Everything we can
Bracen
The meeting went way worse than I expected, and the thought lingered heavily in my mind as I made my way out of the airport and into the car that would drive me straight down to the Lowell’s main estate.
Sliding my palms slowly against my thighs, I became painfully aware that they were starting to sweat. The fabric of my trousers clung slightly to my skin. Ignoring Ren, who sat silently beside me without saying a word, I kept my gaze fixed ahead.
He was a bodyguard, dressed in his usual dark suit, and the young woman with him was special forces as she silently sat in front, facing the road with unwavering focus. Neither of them spoke, their silence only making the tension thicker.
Outwardly, I mostly looked calm, my posture straight and composed, but inwardly my heart was pounding way harder and faster than it should, each beat echoing in my ears.
I had assumed wrong.
Thinking that the proposal should have been more than enough with the amount of money we were offering to pay for just some shares. It was almost triple what any sane person would pay, and even then we had provided detailed lists of resources we were willing to inject to ensure that the company soared into an international one within three years.
No businessman in their sane mind should have refused, but Nico Romano did—refusing to sign until he saw the head of the family, which was impossible.
How would such a man ever agree to head to Gorinth country from the United States, which was a superpower?
The power between the both of them couldn’t be compared, but the fact still remained that I had failed when I had promised success before I left.
My palms were practically dripping now, and it was all I could do not to rub them together in anxiety as the car sped smoothly down the road.
’Bracen! You’ve done this before! You can fix it! Your proposal wasn’t completely rejected,’ I thought, holding onto that small hope in my chest all the way to the Lowell’s main estate, which took about ten minutes after driving from the jet.
I arrived in no time—faster than I wanted—and stepped out of the car as soon as it came to a stop. The gates had already been opened for us, and I was led inside immediately without delay.
I had already informed the head about the results, but I knew he simply wanted to look into my eyes when he told me I was a failure.
Lowering my head as I headed in, it didn’t matter that I was not young, with me older than half the people in the hall. Rank mattered more here, and right now, mine felt fragile.
I bent my head lower the moment I stepped fully into the room and stood in front of the large polished table, its surface reflecting faint light from above.
"I’m sorry! I failed," I told them, my voice steady despite the tightness in my chest, even as I felt the glares on me and stared at the ground like a prisoner waiting to be convicted.
"I looked at the proposal myself. I’m shocked that he refused," a female voice began to speak, young and clear. It was one I recognized as the granddaughter of the head, Matilda, whose negotiation skills were just as good as mine regardless of her age.
"...maybe he has some insider information? He knows why we’re offering such a large amount of money. Even if he doesn’t know, he has to suspect that something is wrong. I still feel we should have gone with the usual amount that won’t draw attention," she added, her tone thoughtful.
An older man responded, seated across from her, his expression serious.
"They haven’t agreed to any partners since the company sprang up. Clearly, money is not his problem. If we had done that, then we would have had zero chance," he said.
Matilda’s gaze sharpened slightly.
"They haven’t agreed to any partners since the company started," she repeated calmly. "If we had offered less, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation."
Listening to them speak as I stood silently in the center of the room, I watched them go back and forth, their words controlled but edged with tension, half of which was clearly pointed at me.
"Marcelle City is a big city, but it’s also new. It’s nothing compared to our state, which is a world power. If we can’t get him to accept, can’t we just get rid of him? That was the plan from the beginning, right?" Manuel, Ken’s son and the head’s grandson, spoke up, leaning slightly forward as he did.
Matilda immediately turned to glare at him.
"You think if it were easy that wouldn’t have been the first thing we would have tried? According to our information sources, the FBI suspect him of having ties to a cartel! We are, first of all, a business family. We do not meddle our fingers in dirty waters unless we have no choice," she snapped, banging her hand lightly on the table with a fiery expression on her face.
"Matilda is right! The last thing we want to do is make a move and fail," Ken said, his voice firm, which only seemed to incense Manuel even more.
He leaned on the table, staring directly at his father as he hissed,
"If I’m in charge, there’s no way it won’t succeed. Let’s not pretend that the only reason you’re siding with her is because you favor her more than me!"
All the other people who weren’t blood-related, seated around the table, seemed to lean further into their seats, avoiding eye contact and choosing silence over involvement.
Not daring to look at the people arguing, I focused my attention on the head instead, like everyone else, waiting.
"Quiet!"
He snapped, his voice as old as he looked. His hair was white and mostly bald, but he still had a strength in his eyes that couldn’t be underestimated, glaring at all of them enough to make them fall silent instantly.
"...we’ll continue to approach other big companies belonging to the other three and Castilo’s successor. Time is not on our side," he said, his tone slow but firm.
I felt his gaze slide across the room before landing on me, and I lowered my head further.
"You will offer them three times the amount if you must. The contracts are already being assigned, and that’s only a small part of the pie. Once the digging for resources starts and we’re left behind, we would forever lose," he continued, his voice deep and controlled.
His gaze moved across every member in the room again before he spoke once more.
"We will do everything we can, and if money fails, then I guess we’ll have to use force. We still have contacts in the government and with the authorities," he said before leaning back into his chair.
A brief silence followed.
"You’re all dismissed!"
He said it simply, yet with authority, and everyone instantly began to rise from their seats, packing their things without a word. Chairs shifted softly against the floor as the room began to empty.
I turned around to leave as well, keeping my head lowered, my steps measured—
"...Bracen! You wait!"
I flinched slightly at the sound of his voice calling me back, my body going still as the last few people quietly exited the room, leaving me behind.
