"Is that so strange?"
"Oh, no, not at all. By the way, I need to check the weather forecast for the day after tomorrow. If it rains, it'll be a disaster."
Emma Johnson's voice grew animated as she started planning aloud.
"Why?"
"We're going on an autumn retreat. We'll be setting up tents in the mountains to sleep. If it rains, the ground will get damp, and it'll be really uncomfortable."
Emma looked at Liam Williams with a puzzled expression. She thought to herself, Mr. CEO, this isn't your first company outing. You should know this basic stuff. Besides, you were a special forces soldier. You've spent weeks in the wilderness. Don't you have more experience than me? Why do you look so clueless right now?
To her surprise, Liam stared back at her as if she were the clueless one.
"There are villas up on the mountain. We won't need tents at all."
She had almost forgotten. This was Liam Williams, the president of Pinnacle Corporation. The richest man in the city. Buying a villa was as easy for him as buying a head of cabbage.
This realization made Emma, who had grown up in an ordinary family, feel a surge of mixed emotions. Though she said nothing, she silently added another mark against Liam in the little black book she kept in her heart.
I hate the rich.
That night, in a private room at the city's most exclusive nightclub, The Sapphire Lounge, William Thompson stared coldly at the thin, bespectacled young man sitting across from him.
"Is this the sincerity of your boss? Why won't he ever meet with me in person?"
William's voice carried a hint of resentment. They were at the final stage of their partnership, and the other party still refused to show his face. It was unreasonable.
Ryan Kim pushed up his glasses, concealing the look in his eyes, and slid the cooperation letter across the table to William.
"Mr. Thompson, our boss is, of course, sincere in wanting to cooperate with you. However, his identity makes it inconvenient for him to appear in public. If the media were to catch wind of it, it could cause unnecessary trouble for his family. Please understand. But rest assured, once we join forces, our business will run far more smoothly than any other company's."
Ryan's veiled insinuations made William wonder about the true identity of the boss behind Evergreen Corporation. Inconvenient to disclose? Could cause trouble for his family? Was this the son of some powerful official?
If that were the case, it wouldn't be wise for him, a man with underworld connections, to get too deeply involved.
"In that case, forget it."
Though William was ruthless, he was also shrewd. If his partner was indeed the child of a powerful figure, many of his business dealings would become much smoother, even effortless. In that light, not meeting the man in person wasn't such a big deal.
William took the cooperation letter from Ryan and read it carefully.
"Evergreen wants to partner with me to develop a new luxury clothing brand? You do know that Pinnacle Corporation's brand, Milan Fashion House, has been the top label in the country for years. Whether it's the wealthy elite or A-list celebrities, they only recognize Milan Fashion House. Plus, they participate in Milan Fashion Week every year and have a stellar international reputation. Do you really think a new brand we design can beat Milan Fashion House in a short time?"
William had once tried to find ways to ruin Pinnacle Corporation's reputation, but the company's foundation was too solid. It wouldn't happen overnight.
"Where there's a will, there's a way. Sometimes, to succeed, we need to take appropriate measures. Don't you agree, Mr. Thompson?"
Ryan's words struck a chord with William.
What he said was true. Defeating Liam Williams through normal business tactics would be incredibly difficult. But if they used other methods, it would be much easier.
Even though Liam Williams was a tough nut to crack, there was always a weakness to exploit. How could William give up now?
"Alright. Let's have a successful cooperation."
With a stroke of his pen, William signed his name on the last page of the cooperation letter. Then, he shook hands with Ryan.
Elijah Clark, who was on duty at the hospital, received a call from Ryan in his office.
"The old fox agreed? I see. Now, we just need to proceed step by step."
Elijah hung up his phone, rose from his chair, and walked to the window. He gazed at the half-moon hanging in the night sky, his smile as cold as ice.
"Liam Williams, I'm going to watch your Pinnacle Corporation get eaten away, piece by piece. When you're on your last legs, that's when Emma will come running back to me."
A desperate, manic glint flashed in his cold, indifferent eyes.
The next day, Emma went to visit Emilia Clark as usual. She told her that she wouldn't be able to see her for the next three days. Emilia's face fell with disappointment.
"Sister Emma, it's so nice that you get to go on an autumn retreat. But my body just won't allow it."
"Don't worry. Once your bone marrow transplant is successful, you'll be able to go anywhere and play to your heart's content. Just don't have too much fun."
Emma's words of comfort brought a smile back to Emilia's face.
Before she could chat any longer with Emilia, Emma's phone rang. It was Joshua Harris, the owner of the New York Fashion Magazine. She wondered if he was calling to ask her to come back to work.
In the past, Emma wouldn't have been thrilled about that. A vacation was rare. But now, she was eager to get back to the office.
After all, life in a wealthy family wasn't for everyone. In fact, it only motivated Emma to work harder to prove her own worth. It was nice to enjoy the life of a kept woman occasionally, but staying in it too long would only make her lazy.
"Emma, how have you been lately?"
"I'm doing great, boss. Even if you need me to come back to work right now, I'm ready."
Emma replied immediately.
"Ha ha, that won't be necessary. You should rest for a few more days. But I do have something I need you to handle. And it's something only you can do."
"What is it?"
Emma asked, a note of suspicion in her voice.
"Your cousin, Isabella Miller, has been getting a lot of attention lately. I hear she's going to attend the autumn Milan Fashion Week this year. She's well on her way to becoming a world-class model. We'd like to invite her to be the cover model for our magazine's upcoming special issue. Do you think that would be possible?"
Joshua spoke, his tone laced with hesitation.