"Mr. Lakeworth, here's the money you wanted!" Larry skidded to a stop before Sean.
"You must be Mr. Walker, the general manager." Sean's expression softened as he looked at Larry.
"You can just call me Walker, Mr. Lakeworth!" Larry wiped the sweat from his brow, looking flustered. "You should've informed me before coming, Mr. Lakeworth. I'm so sorry that you had to wait outside the company like this!"
Diego was his boss, and Sean was Diego's boss. One word from Sean was enough to decide his fate.
"You don't need to be so nervous, Mr. Walker. Besides, you weren't late or anything. I'm the one who arrived early." Sean smiled.
Larry's eyes widened at Sean's attitude. He thought Sean would be a cold, heartless person. It turned out Sean was not only friendly but also humble.
"Thank you, Mr. Lakeworth," Larry said gratefully. "This is the money you wanted."
"You can take it back. I don't need it for the time being." Sean shook his head. "I'm sorry for making you waste time on this."
"There's nothing to be sorry about!" Larry said fearfully. "May I ask what happened earlier, sir?"
"Nothing much, really. It was just a little nuisance. Oh, right. Do you know a man named Wayne Jones?"
"Wayne Jones?" Larry blinked. "He's the scion of the Jones family, which is one of Skye City's four most prestigious families. His father, Uriah Jones, has some business dealings with our company.
"He was here on his father's behalf earlier to discuss a cooperation on a project. He even took the initiative to say that he could give us an additional profit margin of 30%. Do you know him, Mr. Lakeworth?"
"No, I was just asking." Sean shook his head.
Larry didn't take this literally, though. The fact that he could gain Diego's acknowledgment and end up as Ellipse Corporation's general manager was enough to prove that he wasn't a regular Joe. He could immediately tell something was wrong from the way Sean had mentioned Wayne.
He said, seemingly casually, "I actually think the Jones family isn't really serious about working with us on this project, Mr. Lakeworth. It's better to leave this opportunity to other more worthy companies."
Sean nodded. "Okay."
Larry secretly sagged in relief. It looked like he hadn't made the wrong call. He said respectfully, "Allow me to show you around the company, Mr. Lakeworth."
"Maybe next time, Mr. Walker. I have something urgent to attend to at the moment," Sean said. The hair clip was all he could think about now. Based on what Tina had said earlier, the hair clip should belong to one of her friends.
"I understand. You can contact me whenever you have the time. This is my business card." Larry held out his business card with both hands.
Sean accepted and said with a smile, "Thanks. I'm gonna have to trouble you to continue managing the company for me in the future."
"It's my honor to be able to contribute to the company's success, sir!" Larry declared his loyalty to the company. "Where are you headed, Mr. Lakeworth? I'll arrange for the driver to send you there."
"No, it's fine. I'll make my way there myself."
"Alright."
Sean nodded and turned to leave. Suddenly, a young woman in a long, cream-colored dress walked into the building. Her long tresses cascaded over her shoulders, and her features were delicate. She looked to be around 23.
Her footsteps were hurried, and she almost ran right into Sean. She looked up and said, "I'm sorry!"
Sean's eyes flashed as he looked at her. There was something oddly familiar about her despite them not having met each other before.
The young woman didn't pay attention to him. She wasn't in the mood to consider other matters. After apologizing to Sean, she turned to head to the elevators. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Larry standing beside Sean.
Her eyes gleamed with surprise. "What a coincidence, Mr. Walker!" She'd come here to meet him.
"Good day, Ms. Worthington." Larry smiled perfunctorily.
"This is our proposal for the project at the city center, Mr. Walker. I'd appreciate it if you could review it." Cecilia Worthington held out the proposal to Larry. She felt nervous. This was her last hope of saving the Worthington family.
The Worthington family was an old family in Skye City. It couldn't compare to the city's prestigious families, but it was still considered influential.
However, in recent months, it had fallen into a crisis because of the debt Cecilia's grandfather owed due to gambling. The fact that her father's business had failed didn't make things any better. If not for the good reputation they'd built over the years, they would've already gone bankrupt.
Now, if the Worthington family wanted to turn the tides, they could only do it by forming a cooperation with Ellipse Corporation. They had to rely on Ellipse Corporation's influence in Skye City.
For this, Cecilia had come up with and amended her proposal countless times. She had faith in it.
But Larry only skimmed through the proposal after taking it from her. Then, he shut the folder.
Cecilia's heart sank. She asked nervously, "Is there something wrong with the proposal, Mr. Walker?"
"I'm not gonna be honest with you, Ms. Worthington. We've always believed in working with good-quality clients. Based on my understanding, the Worthington family is currently facing problems with its cash flow …" Larry didn't want to waste time, so he didn't beat around the bush.
He knew all about the Worthington family's current situation. There was no way Ellipse Corporation could work with them.
His words were like a bucket of cold water over Cecilia's head. She didn't give up, though. This was the Worthington family's final hope. She clenched her fists and said agitatedly, "If it's the Worthington family's capital you're worried about, I can guarantee we won't let you down.
"Also, if everything is okay with my proposal, I can make the call on the Worthington family's behalf and give you a 50% profit margin. No, 60%!"
The Worthington family? Cecilia Worthington?
Sean's eyes flickered. Only then did he realize Cecilia was the Worthington family's daughter and Tina's best friend. He'd never met her before, but Tina had mentioned her several times. Adding to that, he'd found her familiar when running into her earlier …
Could Cecilia be the little girl from 15 years ago?
"I'm sorry, Ms. Worthington. I appreciate your sincerity, but I really can't help." Larry's answer pulled Sean out of his reverie.
"Mr. Walker, please trust me just this once," Cecilia begged. She couldn't let this opportunity slip.
"I'm genuinely sorry, Ms. Worthington." Larry shook his head.
"Mr. Walker, I …" Cecilia wanted to continue pleading, but when she saw the impatience in Larry's gaze, she knew he would only grow irritated if she didn't relent. "I understand, Mr. Walker. I'm sorry for disturbing you."
She had no choice but to give up. There was no hiding the disappointment in her gaze. Her footsteps were heavy as she turned to leave.
But as soon as she turned around, Sean, who was standing beside Larry, said, "Mr. Walker, I think Ms. Worthington's pretty admirable, and she's very earnest. Why don't you reconsider your decision?"
Cecilia was taken aback by this. She turned to look at Sean. She was grateful that he was speaking up for her, but she knew no one in Skye City could make Larry change his mind.
