Chapter 36
Reno didn’t press further. Gathering her files, she slipped out of the office unnoticed. Sienna barely registered her leaving, her attention fixed on the sunset outside. The dying light caught in her long lashes, accentuating the sharp, calculating look in her cold eyes as she watched the day fade.
Lana: Miss Enna, it’s done.
Sienna: Good. Any updates on my other two sisters?
Lana: Almost. Yesterday you asked me to check Miss Vivian’s contact with them. Turns out, they’ve never reached out to each other all these years, just like complete strangers.
Sienna set down her phone, her expression turning thoughtful. ‘Strangers,’ she thought. ‘That doesn’t make sense.’ She had tried asking Vivian about it several times, but always got evasive answers. What bothered her more was that in all the days since her return, Vivian hadn’t once mentioned their other sisters.
Mason had spent the night in the cell with no sign of his family. He kept badgering the guards about visitors until one finally lost it. “We called your family. They didn’t come. How many times do I have to tell you that? You think we would turn them away? Get real!”
Mason couldn’t believe a lowly guard would dare to talk to him like that. ‘Do they even know who I am? This was all Chloe’s fault. She played me for a fool. Once I get out, I'll make her pay,’ he thought, clenching his fists as he stomped back to his seat.
Sophie finally came face-to-face with Lana, the woman she had been dying to meet. Gifts in hand, Sophie beamed “Miss Lana, this is such an honor. Please accept this small token of my appreciation.” She pushed a card across the table, only for Lana to stop it cold with her palm.
“No need. Let’s get straight to business. So your company wants to replace Quinn Group in this deal?” Lana said seriously.
Sophie grinned. “Exactly. Same percentages, same incentives, just with us now.”
Lana rested her chin thoughtfully on her hand, her brow furrowing slightly. “Your company operates at a much smaller scale than Quinn Group. Considering the technical demands of this project, can you guarantee on-time delivery?”
Sophie placed a hand over her heart. “Absolutely, you have my word.”
Lana nodded. “Fine. If you’ve settled this internally, let’s sign the contract.”
Sophie could barely hide her grin. She had actually stolen the SIE deal right from Quinn Group. ‘Sorry, Miles. Don’t blame me. You should have given us a fairer slice of the deal,’ she thought.
Lana reviewed the contract terms, noting Sophie had conceded three additional profit points. “You made the commitment, Miss Quinn. There’s no walking back now,” she stated seriously.
Sophie’s grin stretched from ear to ear. “Of course.” Then a familiar voice suddenly cut through the air, freezing her mid-celebration.
She whirled around and saw her cousin, Miles Quinn. ‘What’s he doing here?’ Her mind raced. ‘He should be at the business forum tonight.’ Under his icy stare, Sophie’s palms grew sweaty, her shirt clinging to her back.
Lana frowned at Miles. “What’s going on? I thought Quinn Group arranged this meeting.”
Miles’s expression hardened, his gaze raking over Sophie with contempt. Sophie’s stomach lurched, knowing she was exposed. ‘How is this possible? Panic surged through her. I covered every angle.’
“Miss Lana, this was our oversight,” Miles said tersely. “Quinn Group will oversee this collaboration moving forward. My sincere apologies for tonight’s situation. I'll personally visit your company to make amends.”
Lana’s knuckles whitened around the files, putting on a convincing show of outrage. “Quinn Group is a top-tier name in Vallaris,” she said, voice dripping with indignation. “Is this really how you conduct business? Miss Noir would be disappointed to learn about tonight’s events.”
Miles knew they were at fault. He should’ve kept better control over Sophie, who had used the company name to set up this shady meeting and tried to steal the deal.
He extended his hand in apology. “Miss Lana, we’re sorry. To make things right, we’re offering SIE Corporation a 20% discount. Let’s put this behind us and keep doing business.”
Just as Miss Enna predicted, Lana suppressed a smirk. “After all these years of working together, Miss Noir definitely trusts Quinn Group. But tonight’s situation?” She shook her head. “Clean this up first. Goodnight.”
After Miles gave a meaningful look, his assistant quickly followed Lana out and discreetly handed her a card. “Miss Lana, we take full responsibility for tonight. Given our long-standing relationship, we hope you’ll help resolve this matter.”
Lana’s expression remained stern, though a flicker of anger showed in her eyes before she shoved back the card. “I play by the book, as does Miss Noir. She may let this slide, but there won’t be a second chance.” The assistant nodded obediently.
After a pause, Lana continued, “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but for Mr. Quinn’s sake, you should know this wasn’t Sophie’s first attempt. She has approached me multiple times before, which I ignored. But this time,” her voice hardened, “she used Mr. Quinn’s name to get to me.”
The assistant’s face contorted in disgust. “Sophie is such an ungrateful snake,” he muttered under his breath.
Insistently pushing the card toward Lana, he said, “Miss Lana, this is a VIP membership for the finest jewelry stores. Nothing extravagant, just a small token.” His voice took on a flattering tone, “Though truly, someone of your beauty only enhances the jewels, not the other way around.”
This time Lana slipped the card into her pocket with a knowing smirk. “A word of advice? Sophie’s a viper. Watch your back.”
The assistant nodded vehemently, “Miss Lana, you’re absolutely right.” His loyalty to Miles burned in his eyes. “After everything Mr. Quinn did for her, this is the thanks he gets!”
——
Back at Hart Corporation, Lana placed the card on Sienna’s desk and reported everything. “Keep it. Consider it a gift,” Sienna didn’t look up from her contracts. “Reno has got the other thing covered. You close the deal.” Lana gave a crisp nod.
As Lana left, she noticed the almost-empty office. Outside, former employees were hanging around. They had clearly quit to force Sienna to beg them back. ‘What a joke,’ Lana thought. ‘Miss Enna is never short of talent. These nobodies actually think they’re important?’
Aiden entered, freezing at the sight of Lana. Sienna’s voice turned icy, “What do you want?”