Chapter 195: Chapter 195: Beauty is a Stepping Stone
There was no other choice.
Knowing that President Mason was at the company, Cecelia could only choose to wait for him there.
And so she waited for over two hours.
She watched the people coming and going with intense focus until the receptionist suddenly stood up and called out, "Good afternoon, President Mason." Cecelia immediately stood up as well.
"President Mason, hello."
The man in the sharp suit heard her and looked over.
He was about thirty-five, with a medium build—not too fat, not too thin—and average looks. The very picture of a typical middle-class boss.
Cecelia had been recuperating at home for over a month, so her skin was fair and soft. Today, for the meeting, she wore a black professional suit with a white shirt, her hair tied in a ponytail, and tasteful makeup. She looked sharp and beautiful.
President Mason looked her up and down, his eyes clearly drawn to her figure and beauty.
"And you are?"
Cecelia extended a hand. "The special assistant to the president of the Grant Group. My name is Luna Linden. President Grant sent me to discuss something with you. Is now a good time?"
"President Grant? The Grant Group?" President Mason raised an eyebrow.
’He didn’t have any business dealings with the Grant Group, did he? On the contrary, they had always been competitors. I’m not usually high enough on the ladder to deal with the Grant Group directly, so why would they suddenly want to talk business with me?’
Not quite believing it, he asked again for confirmation.
"Shane Grant’s special assistant?"
"Yes, President Mason." Cecelia glanced at the time. It was 5:00 PM.
"Let me treat you to dinner. We can talk while we eat."
President Mason had plans for the evening and no time for dinner with her. But Cecelia was exceptionally beautiful, and her voice was pleasant.
"I’m not free tonight. Some other time, perhaps. Leave your contact information, and I’ll call you when I’m available."
Cecelia was happy that he was willing to take her contact information, but ’when he was available’ could be ages from now. She couldn’t afford to wait.
"I’m so sorry to have bothered you by showing up unannounced, but this is rather urgent. How about this, President Mason? Where are you headed? I won’t take up any more of your time; we can talk on the way."
’Perfect. The ride to my appointment would be boring otherwise. Having a beautiful woman for company couldn’t be better.’
President Mason gestured for her to go ahead, and the two of them got into the car together.
As the driver drove, Cecelia took out the business proposal and showed it to him.
"The Grant Group is interested in securing the international airport project and is also looking to expand its business portfolio. Since last year, many real estate companies have been looking to be acquired by the Grant Group due to poor management. So, President Grant plans to consolidate all the real estate companies. There’s strength in numbers, and when there’s money to be made, we should all make it together. What do you think? Are you interested in joining?"
"Oh, and it’s fine if you don’t want to join. We also have a dividend-based stock proposal for you to look at. As long as you’re willing to invest, you’ll receive a corresponding share of the profits once the international airport project is secured. It’s a fixed investment—guaranteed returns."
President Mason hadn’t just started in business yesterday; he wasn’t so easily fooled.
He casually flipped through her proposal.
"The numbers look pretty, and the content is certainly enticing, but aren’t you biting off more than you can chew? Acquiring all the real estate companies in Veridia and securing the international airport? Does the Grant Group really have that big of an appetite?"
"As far as I know, President Grant just won a bid for a piece of undeveloped land worth four or five billion, and he’s also caught up in a public opinion mess over some trivial matter..."
Cecelia just smiled, putting on a brave face.
"That land might not seem to have much commercial value right now, but in the long run... I doubt President Grant would tie up so much money in it for no reason if he didn’t have some inside information. As for that media storm, haha, it’s just some clowns looking for attention. I’m sorry you had to see that."
"You don’t need to worry about any of that. Let’s get back to talking about the investment or acquisition."
President Mason watched her slender, pale fingers move across the paper. He wasn’t very interested in what she was saying, his gaze slowly traveling up from her fingers to her arm, her chin, and the side of her face.
The more he looked, the more beautiful he found her.
Her features were so perfectly defined they could have been sculpted from a template, yet they looked completely natural, with no hint of plastic surgery.
Her skin was as smooth as a peeled egg; even this close, he couldn’t see a single pore.
That high-bridged nose, those upturned lips—truly a feast for the eyes.
"Assistant Linden, may I ask how old you are?"
Cecelia was in the middle of explaining the preferential policies in the proposal and was caught off guard by his question.
She paused for a moment. "Twenty-five. Why do you ask, President Mason?"
"So you haven’t been out of college for long. And you’re already the Grant Group’s special assistant. Impressive."
Cecelia knew what he was implying but pretended not to understand.
"It’s all because President Grant was willing to give me a chance. Thank you for the compliment, President Mason."
"You’re welcome," President Mason said, patting the paper and then, in the same motion, placing his hand over the back of hers.
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
Cecelia instantly broke out in goosebumps and quickly pulled her hand back.
"Yes."
President Mason looked a little disappointed, but he quickly returned to normal.
’She’s so beautiful, it would be strange if she didn’t have a boyfriend.’
"What does your boyfriend do?"
Cecelia’s expression turned serious. "President Mason, let’s stick to business."
"Why are we still talking about work at this hour? I never discuss business after hours."
President Mason was completely impervious, continuing his questions.
"Assistant Linden, you’re still working at this hour. Is this considered overtime? How much does President Grant pay you a month? What’s your overtime rate?"
Cecelia felt a headache coming on.
’This is the trouble for women in the workplace: if you aren’t pretty, people won’t even give you the most basic opportunities. If you are pretty, you get your foot in the door, but the doors you open are often full of ulterior motives.’
"You run a company, so you must have a crystal-clear idea of how much someone in my position makes and how overtime is calculated. President Mason, our proposal is genuinely excellent. The terms are very favorable, and there are even greater benefits for those who join first..."
’Is that so?’ President Mason’s gaze shifted to her legs.
’Two long, slender legs. I can tell she has great legs even through her pants. If she were to take them off...’
"Now that you mention it, I am quite interested. We can discuss it in detail. How about this? Since you seem to be in a hurry, you might as well have dinner with me. It’s an industry gathering, so I can even introduce you to a few other bosses."
Even though she knew he had ill intentions, she was still, pathetically, tempted when she heard it was an industry gathering.
"What other companies will be there?"
Whether he was telling the truth or not, President Mason listed several real estate companies that were on her list.
"We’re all old acquaintances. We’ve been getting together a lot recently for business. Don’t worry, this dinner will definitely be worth your while."
Cecelia agreed. She sent a message to her nanny saying she would be home late, then went to a restaurant with President Mason.
Waiting for him were six middle-aged men. Seeing President Mason arrive with a beautiful young woman, they all grinned knowingly.
"New secretary or new girlfriend? We haven’t seen this pretty lady before."
President Mason replied, "I wish. Do I look like I have what it takes?"
He smiled, pulled out a chair for Cecelia in a gentlemanly manner, and let her sit first before making the introductions.
"The special assistant to the president of the Grant Group. She has something to discuss with all of you. There’s a share for everyone who’s here."
Comments