Chapter 774: 555 Vouchers
Frank pointed out some details in the contract, and as I was thinking them over, I suddenly felt his arm slip behind me, pulling me closer to his side.
“Mr. Wallace, what are you doing?” I said, giving him a pointed reminder.
Frank laughed awkwardly. “Ah, I tend to get a little clumsy when I’m focused. Sorry about that.” He withdrew his arm, but the friendly enthusiasm on his face was gone.
“Ms. Murphy, since this is your first time running a company, let me give you a little advice. Sometimes, if you play it too straight, you might miss out on some big opportunities,” he said, his meaning crystal clear.
I knew exactly what he was getting at, but I wasn’t about to put up with this crap. My company was flush with cash, and if I didn’t take his deal, I had plenty of other partners waiting in line. If you can stick to your principles, that’s when you really shouldn’t drop your guard. And honestly, if I ever dared to use my looks to score a business deal, Edward would totally blow a fuse.
I stood up right away, giving him a faint smile. “I’ll remember your advice, Mr. Wallace. Seems like today just isn’t the right time to talk business. Maybe we can reschedule.”
“Victoria,” Frank called after me, getting to his feet as well.
I glanced back at this man, who thought a bit of authority made him king of the world. That arrogant, self-important look on his face filled me with a sudden wave of disgust. If a deal isn’t built on something healthy and decent, I honestly don’t have the patience for it. Worst case, I’ll just stick to doing business with women from now on—at least then I won’t have to waste my time dealing with these self-important guys.
“You really don’t want to stay and have a little… chat with me?” he dragged out the last two words, his gaze full of possessiveness.
“No, thanks,” I replied with a smile, not wanting to offend him but making my refusal clear.
“Your best asset is right here,” Frank said, eyeing me up and down with a sleazy grin. “I can guarantee this deal is yours, and I’ll even send more business your way in the future. All you gotta do is give me just a little… in return.”
“Not a chance,” I replied, shaking my head. Right then, I realized just how good it feels to have someone powerful backing me up. And it hit me—if all you’ve got is a pretty face, but no brains or real connections, life’s honestly pretty pathetic.
Frank stared at me, then suddenly seemed to realize something. “Is there someone backing you up?”
I smiled. “Mr. Wallace, you’re no stranger to big deals. For someone my age to start a company like this, there’s no way I could’ve made it work all by myself.”
Frank’s face changed in an instant. “Who’s supporting you? Maybe I know them.”
“Mr. Wallace, it’s not exactly polite to dig into someone’s personal life,” I replied coolly, shutting him down.
“I get it. I know plenty of big shots in Shaville, so you don’t have to tell me–I can guess who’s backing you,” Frank said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Then, as if he’d just found his swagger again, he added, “Or maybe you should find yourself a new patron. With a face like yours, you’re one in a million. Honestly, I really like you. I could even hook you up with someone even more powerful to watch your back.”
A cold shiver ran down my spine. Frank was basically trying to treat me like some kind of trophy, ready to hand me off to someone else. He’d get what he wanted, and use me to score even bigger gains. Guys like him—so sly it makes your skin crawl—always seem to come out on top. Sometimes, this world is just plain twisted.
I replied with a cool indifference, “Save your concern, Mr. Wallace. I don’t need anyone more powerful backing me up.”
“Ms. Murphy, sometimes you really shouldn’t be so stubborn. If you don’t agree now, that’s fine–I won’t get mad. I’ll just wait for you to come knocking on my door,” Frank said, then suddenly pulled out a business card and flashed it at me. “Know this guy? He’s my uncle.”
I glanced at it–it did look kind of familiar, probably someone from Braylin.
I frowned. “Sorry, I don’t really recognize him.”
Frank shot me a contemptuous look. “Shows how little you’ve seen of the world. If you stick with Warner, you’ll learn soon enough–there’s always someone bigger out there.”
I pressed my lips together and smiled. “Thanks for the advice, Mr. Wallace. Goodbye.”
With that, I closed the door behind me. The people I’d brought along were waiting outside, and when they saw me come out, I could tell they’d been worried sick for me.