Chapter 1225
Tessa studied the woman and quickly guessed her identity. “Yes, you must be the secretary I spoke with on the phone yesterday.”
“Miss Walton, you’ve got quite the memory,” the secretary said with a smile, leading her toward a nearby conference room. “Please, come this way. Mr. Lewis has been waiting for you.”
Tessa nodded slightly, her confidence growing. She hadn’t expected Daniel to wait for her–surely that meant the chances of securing this project were even higher.
When she stepped inside, she was greeted by the sight of a portly man, a string of beads rolling between his fingers, his whole demeanor slick and shifty.
Pressing her lips together, Tessa held back her irritation. Instead of the arrogance she’d shown earlier, she now introduced herself with a pleasant tone. “Hello, Mr. Lewis. I’m Tessa Walton, director of Walton Corporation.”
Daniel replied bluntly, “I know. You must be Aurora’s sister.”
The words froze her in place. Since when did she need to be introduced with Aurora’s name in front of hers? Didn’t she have her own identity? Was she doomed to live in her sister’s shadow forever?
Her fists clenched unconsciously, her voice trembling. “Yes, I’m Aurora’s sister. But I’d prefer if you remembered me by my own name. My name is Tessa Walton.” She repeated the last line word by word. Her eyes met Daniel’s with unwavering determination.
Her defiance caught him by surprise. So, his hunch had been right–Tessa was openly and secretly competing with Aurora. Everything about her made it clear she refused to remain in her sister’s shadow.
“All right, Miss Walton. I’ll remember your name,” Daniel said, extending his hand, humoring her request. It was just a name–nothing of real importance to him. As for the project, whether it went to Walton Corporation or not depended entirely on whether their offer satisfied him. If it didn’t, he wouldn’t waste his time on them. Better to have his secretary scout out another company more suitable.
“Thank you, Mr. Lewis. Since you’ve remembered my name, why don’t we move on to business?” Tessa extended her hand, shaking his. But when she tried to pull away, Daniel tightened his grip, refusing to let go.
The gesture unsettled her, though she didn’t let it show. With a steady voice she said, “Mr. Lewis, why don’t we focus on discussing the partnership?” At the same time, she pressed harder, trying to free her hand from his. She hadn’t come here for irrelevant games with an old lecher–this meeting was about business.
Seeing the flicker of unease on her face, Daniel finally loosened his grip, slowly and deliberately. “Miss Walton, you take things far too seriously. In the workplace, that won’t do. With me, I don’t mind, but elsewhere, I hope you’ll learn to be more flexible.”
Tessa’s expression darkened at his words. But remembering the project, she forced herself to hold back and replied evenly, “I appreciate your advice, Mr. Lewis. I’ll keep it in mind.”