Chapter 429
Eve heard her father’s summons and skipped over, her face lighting up. “Hello, Mr. Odom. I’m Eve Cameron.”
Henry introduced her. Edgar, with a polite smile, responded, “Ah, I didn’t expect your daughter to be here as an intern. A pleasure to meet you, Miss Cameron.”
Eve blushed, her heart fluttering. Before she could speak, Henry steered her aside. “Mr. Odom, allow me to introduce the team leader, Freya George.”
Edgar’s eyes gleamed with interest. “Impressive. There aren’t many with such a commanding presence in this industry. I believe Miss George will shoot to stardom.”
Everyone was surprised by Edgar’s praise. Debra, however, remained unimpressed. Freya had confronted her earlier out of jealousy, and now Edgar seemed to be trying to influence Oscar through Freya. Unaware of Edgar’s motives, Freya basked in the compliments.
Edgar turned to Debra. “Ms. Frazier, your looks stand out. Would you grace us with a dance?” His mocking smile betrayed his intention to embarrass her.
Debra was about to refuse, but Henry interjected, “Of course. Debra’s dancing skills are exceptional. Even the instructor praises her constantly.”
“Dad!” Eve scowled, her displeasure evident.
Noticing her expression, Henry attempted damage control. “Mr. Odom, if you are skeptical, you can see for yourself. Our trainees are the best.”
“Since Eve seems less than thrilled, perhaps she’d like to dance in Ms. Frazier’s stead,” Debra offered, deflecting the request.
Before Eve could react, Edgar insisted, “I really want to see Ms. Frazier dance.”
The atmosphere thickened. Seeing Debra’s reluctance, Henry improvised. “Oh, silly me. I forgot Debra sprained her ankle yesterday. She can’t dance today.”
“Really? What a pity!” Edgar said thoughtfully. “I suppose we’ll have to wait until her foot heals. Then she can dance for me, and we can discuss the investment.”
The pressure was intense. Henry looked pleadingly at Debra, who smiled. “It’s just a dance, Mr. Odom. If that’s all it takes to secure your investment, why not just give me the money directly?”
“How much would it take for you to dance?”
“I’m in a bit of a financial pickle, so how about five billion?”