Jason's POV
I was a little surprised when Shelby Falcon called me in the middle of the day, asking if we could meet. Since our meetings were usually part of my everyday schedule, this one felt a bit unusual.
After my appointment with a client from a special advertisement company based in Japan, I drove straight to Falcon.Grp to see Shelby. As soon as I arrived, I went straight up to her office. Her secretary greeted me with a nod before informing her of my arrival through the phone.
She was sitting on the armchair in the middle of the room, sipping from a white china cup. I sat down in front of her and unbuttoned my suit jacket while she stared at me with a serious expression.
"Congratulations on that new Japan investment. I'm really impressed with how you managed to get Aoki Uzi to sign the deal."
I looked up at her, shocked. How did she know about that when I hadn't even decided to release the official statement yet?
She chuckled, staring at my face before averting her eyes.
"I know everything, Mr. Cartwright. I can easily access any information I want with just a snap of my fingersâjust like how I found out that you were secretly working with my sister against me."
Oh. So this was what it was all about.
I let out a short laugh and leaned back in my seat, meeting her gaze.
"If I may correct myself, I wasn't secretly working with your sister, Miss Falcon. In fact, she reached out to me, and I willingly agreed to help her. But it wasn't with the intention of working against you. I believe we've both established a clear mutual understanding regarding our business relationship?"
Her eyes wavered slightly from the eye contact, and she shifted in her chair.
"But I bet she told you the reason why she's working on that plan. If she had really stopped trusting you, she wouldn't have told you anything at all."
"What's your point?" I asked directly.
"I don't share, Mr. Cartwrightâespecially when it comes to business. Remember, you were the one who offered to work with us in the first place. Since we've already sealed that deal, you only work with me, you only talk to me, and you never share anything regarding our work with anyone except me. Do we have an agreement?"
Wow. Now her bossy side was starting to show. No wonder people found her intimidating.
"Are you telling me what to do, Miss Falcon?"
She gave me a sharp gaze.
"If you have any personal grudge against me, then you would see it that way. But if you understand my point of view based on our work relationship, then take it as a reminderâwhen doing business with me, I don't mix personal issues with work."
That clearly had a double meaning. She was definitely trying to get a reaction out of me, and I didn't like the way she was pushing my buttons.
"What do you want to know?"
She grinned before answering.
"Tell me, what is my naïve little sister up to these days? I'm really curious."
I shrugged and stared at the small glass table between us.
"Why don't you try asking her? I'm sure she'd love to tell you. Or, if you have time, check out Selina's Beauty Show tonightâyou'll find out. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd rather get back to the company and finish up some paperwork than waste my valuable time here."
Her eyes dangerously narrowed into slits as I got up from the chair and left the room without another word.
She would never get a word from me about Shay. I just hoped our plan worked so Shay could shove it in her face and show her who the real winner in this game was. I had no reason to dislike Shelby before, but now I did. The moment she told me she knew about the Japan investment, I felt furious at her for prying into information that was absolutely none of her fucking business.
Shay's POV
Going to work the next day in a happy mood feels completely different. I used to feel agitated or resentful every time the thought of work crossed my mind, especially as soon as I stepped inside the company's building. It had always been that way for me ever since I started workingâbut today was an exception.
Why?
Because I knew something good was about to happen. Attending the beauty show yesterday and nailing that interview like a pro was a game-changer. It was my first time doing something that significant, and I could already feel the impact.
As soon as I arrived at my office, my assistant at the front desk greeted me with an excited smile. I stopped in front of her, and she handed me my coffee along with a stack of multi-colored files. I managed to balance them all in my arms without a struggle.
"The income statement report is in the green folder. The marketing department sent it earlier this morning," she informed me.
I glanced down at the files in my hands and nodded.
"Thank you."
Excitedly, I walked into my office and immediately checked the green folder. This was itâthe sales data from our products sold in malls and stores. Thanks to the media ad on the beauty show yesterday, I was about to see the results.
I nervously opened the folder and scanned the income statement.
Oh my God!
I couldn't believe it. Our sales from the day before had skyrocketed in just 24 hours, and our gross profit margin had increased from 35% to 80%.
What the hell? This is crazy.
By the time I finished reading the report, my jaw was hanging open in complete shock. I wanted to scream, yell in happiness, and jump around. This was the result of my hard work, and I had never felt prouder of myself.
No. Jason deserved the credit.
Without him, this wouldn't have happened, and I wouldn't have been able to achieve this incredible outcome alone. I picked up my phone, intending to call him, but I quickly changed my mind. Instead, I decided to show him the results in person.
Placing the documents back inside the folder, I grabbed my bag and hurried out of the office, calling out to my assistant to hold my meetings until I returned. I got into my car and drove straight to C&E Holdings.
When I arrived, I parked and made my way up to his office with a joyous smile on my face. The moment I reached his floor, I beelined toward his office and knocked on the door.
His voice echoed from inside. I quickly opened the door and walked in.
Jason's head snapped up, and he instantly smiled upon seeing me, though a hint of confusion flickered in his eyes. Without a word, I handed him the folder. He took it, opened it, and started reading.
I bit my lip, watching his face for a reaction. The moment he grinned, my excitement shot from one to a hundred.
He slowly stood up from his chair, handed the folder back to me, and said with a pleased expression, "Congrats, you did it."
I noddedâmaybe a little too enthusiastically.
"It's crazy, right? This went from this in just 24 hours! Can you believe it?!"
He smiled and nodded.
"That's the power of media advertisement. It was a beauty showâimagine how many people watched and saw your interview about the cosmetics? After everything you said about their benefits and quality, they had to buy them right away."
I hugged the folder to my chest and briefly closed my eyes, relishing the moment.
I may not like working at the company, but I had achieved something greatâsomething that proved to my family that no matter how many obstacles they put in my way, I would always find a way to overcome them.
Looking up at Jason, I smiled gratefully.
"Thank you. I wouldn't have achieved all this without your help. You played a huge part in this, Jason, and I can't thank you enough."
He came around the table and stood in front of me, shrugging his shoulders.
"Hey, I just gave you the stepsâyou did the magic. This is what you truly deserve, so enjoy it while it lasts."
Without another thought, I threw my arms around him. His body stiffened for a moment, but then he relaxed and wrapped his arms around my small frame.
We may have parted on bad terms, but we had set that aside to work together. He had agreed to do the same, without complicating things further. That was what I liked about him.
And right now, I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I acted purely on impulse.
Soâ
I kissed him.