Jason's POV
The silence in the room was becoming unbearable.
I checked my watch again for the second time and closed my eyes in frustration when I saw it was almost eleven-thirty, and Chase was more than late. I usually handled all the meetings myself, but when he called earlier today to inform me he'd be back in time for today's meeting, I was curious about his reason.
Firstly, Chase always finds meetings boring.
Even though he's my business partner and plays an important role in our company, he always has an excuse to skip important meetings like this one. Secondly, I know Chase better than anyone else since he's also my best friend.
I know how much he despises his older brother, Matthew Evans, who is also present today as one of the shareholders. If Chase is suddenly interested in coming in today, Matthew must be the reasonâhe hates how much Matthew contributes to the company.
If he doesn't show up in ten minutes, I'll have to get started without him.
"Well, it looks like he's going to be late today. Jason, shall we begin?" Matthew asked, finally breaking the silence.
"Um, let's wait for another five minutes. I'm sure Chase will be here."
Matthew chuckled and rolled his eyes.
"Another five minutes? We've already been waiting for thirty. I'm sure everyone in this room is growing impatient. We all know my little brother has interests in other things rather than showing up for meetings."
The board members mumbled in agreement, leaving me in a tight spot. Before I could respond, the door opened, and Chase walked in with a smug look on his face.
"Apologies, ladies and gentlemen, for being late. Traffic was horribleâjust one of the things I hate about San Francisco."
He took a seat at the other end of the long, glass rectangular table and smirked at me when our eyes met.
"Okay, let's begin," I said, nodding.
The lights dimmed, and a PowerPoint presentation appeared.
The presentation lasted for about thirty-five minutes before the lights came back on. I flipped through the file in front of me, my eyes scanning the plan and investment process highlighted on each page. My frown deepened as I finished reading.
"This is the new marina project, isn't it?" Chase asked without looking up from the file.
"Indeed it is, Mr. Evans," one of the men sitting next to him answered.
"To some extent, I agree with the investment numbers, but I'm afraid the outcome won't meet our expectations."
All eyes turned to me as Chase raised a questioning brow.
"You don't like the plan?" he asked.
I shook my head and pointed at the file in front of me.
"I don't like the method."
"The method is stable. We can't make any changes because we need to start this project immediately," Matthew interjected.
"I agree with Mr. Cartwright," Chase said, his eyes pinned on Matthew, a hint of challenge in his expression. "We can evaluate the methods and determine which one is most suitable. We can also make changes to the construction plan to avoid future problems."
"We can't delay this any longer," Matthew insisted.
"We're not delaying anything," Chase replied smoothly. "We're just ensuring everything goes according to plan."
It was clear Matthew was fuming. Their relationship had never been perfect, and moments of disagreement like this tended to make that obvious.
I, on the other hand, was glad Chase knew how to run the business his way without letting his brother dictate his actions.
It's a good thing I'm an only child.
OoO
"So, did you manage to meet that New York client?" I asked.
He nodded and turned around, leaning on the glass railings behind him.
Straight after the meeting, Chase and I decided to hang out on the rooftop and talk for a while before getting back to work. I had a few things to discuss with him, and that New York client he went to meet a week ago was one of them.
"I did. Quite the sweet talker, but no problem. That deal is closed."
I smiled in satisfaction and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Nice. Now we can finally get started on that project."
"Yeah, but honestly, I still think it's not enough," he said.
I turned to the side, looking at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
He turned back around, leaned his arms on the railing, and looked down at the busy streets below.
"We need a bigger connection, Jason. The profits aren't going to rise on their own. If we want international clients, we need to work with someone who already has them."
I processed his words and glanced at him sideways.
"What are you suggesting we do?"
He sighed heavily and stared at his hands, remaining silent for a moment.
"I say we finally make peace with the Falcon Group."
My eyes narrowed at the mention of that name, memories of unpleasant encounters with the companyâand its CEOâflashing through my mind.
"Not happening," I said firmly.
"Oh, c'mon, Jason. We need them on board for this plan to work."
I shook my head quickly in disagreement.
"We can get our own clients without them, in our own way."
"Look," he said, "Matt is already forming plans with my father behind my back. Plans to take over the company and run things his way, and we both know we can't let that happen. I know I've made mistakes, and he'll use them against me. The only way to prove him and my father wrong is by approaching the Falcon Group with a deal they won't be able to refuse. We can do this together, Jason. What do you say?"
I stayed silent for a while, thinking it through, then finally sighed in defeat.
"Okay, let's do it then. But if they reject the proposal, that'll be my moment to tell you, 'I told you so.'"
He smiled and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Don't worry, man. I have a plan," he replied with a smirk.
"What plan?" I asked.
He glanced back at me and stood upright.
"I'm meeting the CEO's youngest daughter this afternoon. It's a date, and if it goes well, I'll ask her to marry me."
I burst out laughing.
The idea was so ridiculous that I couldn't even imagine Chase getting married. Not that I meant it in a bad wayâChase was a womanizer, a women's dream man. I'd lost count of the number of women who left his apartment, some crying, some storming out in anger after a "good time."
But when I realized he was serious, I stopped laughing and stared at him in shock.
"No way," I said.
"Yes way," he replied with a nod. "Her mother actually approves of the idea of me marrying her daughter."
I looked at him in disbelief.
"You're seriously taking it this far just for a partnership contract?"
"Yes," he said firmly. "I'm not letting Matt take over everything I've built. Everything we've created. This belongs to us, Jason, and I'm not going to let anyone take it away. It's a small sacrificeâno big deal."
I stared at him, trying to wrap my head around the fact that he was serious. Of all the companies, he chose the Falcon Groupâthe one I despised the most.
"You sure you're ready for this? Marriage is no joke, man," I said.
He looked away, staring into the distance.
"Trust me, I'm ready. Besides, I'm husband material. I just need to make sure she's wifey material too, which is why I arranged a background check on her."
My eyes widened in surprise. "You did what?"
He pulled out his phone and glanced at it.
"The guy should have the results by now. I'm heading there to meet him. See you later."
I watched him walk away and chuckled to myself. If he says he's ready, let him do what he wants. I just hope his plan doesn't backfire.