Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Susan said, “Back in school, everyone was buzzing about them being an item. And now, what a coincidence they end up at the same company, with Brandon giving her such a high-profile gig. I’m not buying it for a second that Brandon doesn’t have a thing for Hannah.”

“From what you’re saying, it looks like I might have been the third wheel, Sophia said quietly, instantly putting a lid on Susan’s grumbling.

“That’s different,” Susan shot back. “Whatever might or might not have happened between them back then, when you and Brandon crossed paths, you were both single and ready to mingle.”

Seeing Susan getting all worked up on her behalf warmed Sophia’s heart.

“Don’t sweat it, Brandon’s not that kind of guy, Sophia reassured her. “If he agreed to split, it’s just because we weren’t a good fit, and that’s the end of it

“Alright then, Susan said, not wanting to stir the pot. “Sorry for bringing up a sore subject.”

Sophia chuckled, “No biggie, I’m not made of glass, and for the record, I was the one who dumped Brandon, okay?”

“Fair enough. He should be the one crying a river for letting a catch like you slip through his fingers. He’ll regret it big time, Susan said with a laugh. “Don’t worry, I’ll get our revenge. Once I take over the Starlight Group, I’ll hop on the next flight to come hang with you and my goddaughter.”

Sophia laughed, I’m holding you to that. Can’t wait to hear the good news.”

“You got it, Susan said cheerfully, finally getting back to business. “But seriously, think long and hard about whether you want to keep the kid. I’m all bark and no bite when it comes to this stuff, but at the end of the day, you’re the one who’s pregnant, your life’s the one getting turned upside down, and you’re the one who’s gonna be responsible for the baby’s future. I can only tell you this much. Whatever decision you make, I’ve got your back one hundred percent. Susan added. “If you decide to keep the baby, I’ll be right there with you. I’ve got my nutritionist cert; taking care of a pregnant lady and a baby should be a walk in the park. And don’t worry about my career. Our company has branches over there, too. I can request a lateral move overseas anytime as long as I pass the assessment, and if I want to come back later, I just apply for a transfer.”

Sophia nodded. “Got it.”

“Take your time thinking it over. There’s no rush. You still have time, Susan glanced at her watch. “You better hit the hay. I’ve got to head to work.”

Sophia nodded, hung up the phone, turned off the light, and was about to get some sleep when she remembered the project Susan had mentioned.

Sophia and Susan didn’t talk shop too often, but she had heard Susan vent about work stuff now and then.

She remembered Susan was recently hustling for new tenants for the East Lake District shopping area.

Sophia had visited their shopping complex once. It was a mix of a mall and office buildings, with floors one through seven dedicated to retail, like any other mall, divided into various sections: a large supermarket, fashion area, kids zone, food court, sports section, and an entertainment lounge. They had pretty much filled the commercial space, except for the floors above the mall. The company’s plan was to attract a hotel, aiming for a high-end shopping district feel, surrounded by a posh CBD area, part of the new urban center in the West district planning, so naturally, they had high standards for the hotel’s star rating and reputation.

The Starlight Group had its fingers in a lot of pies architectural design, real estate construction, resorts, hotels, entertainment, and more. But the only part of their operations that might intersect with Susan’s job. Sophia guessed,

was their hotel business.

Starlight Hotel was a luxury business hotel brand tailored for the elite, a brainchild of Brandon himself, focusing on quality over quantity. It was a hot ticket for many shopping districts looking for hotel partnerships. The hotel’s branding was indeed a match for the vibe Susan’s complex was going for.

But Susan’s tearn had its challenges, being a new district in the making. Whether they could successfully land the deal was still up in the air, a real test of the decision-makers’ vision and guts.

Hetet projects were tied to the company’s brand and image, and since it was Brandon’s brainchild, Sophia figured he’d

want to have the final say. Given Brandon’s busy schedule, it was unlikely he’d be involved from the get-go. The project probably started with the Market Development Department.

The Market Development Department.

Sophia remembered seeing Hannah in Brandon’s office the day she went to see him. The badge Hannah wore seemed to belong to the Market Development Department.

If the project needed Hannah’s initial screening

Sophia thought for a moment then shot Susan a text [Are you talking about getting Starlight Hotel on board? If so, you might have to go through Hannah She just joined the company at the start of the year, still pretty green and trying to find her footing I bet she’s playing it safe right now, picking sure bets to prove her chops. Your project’s got a long ROI horizon and is high-nsk I don’t think Hannah would dare to take a gamble and send it up the chain. Your company might get axed right off the bat.]

Susan had just wrapped up her prep when she saw the message and her heart skipped a beat. She immediately video called Sophia back Is Hannah in market expansion too?”

If Hannah was the one handling it, setting aside investment returns and risks, Susan figured Hannah would toss out their proposal without a second glance, especially since she had royally ticked off Hannah back in their senior year of high school

Back in the day, Hannah was the class knockout, acing tests and turning heads with her good looks. She had everyone wrapped around her finger, which kind of went to her head She came off as a bit too cool for school, looking down on everyone Maybe she was just born with a chill vibe and wasn’t keen on getting too chummy with folks. But Susan, young and feisty as she was didnt take too kindly to Hannah’s nose-in-the-air attitude and couldn’t help but needle her whenever she got the chance

Things really got interesting when Sophia transferred in. She was so cute that you just can’t help but like-sweet, demure and not one to toot her own hom She was the kind of girl that guys go gaga over Plus, she looked a bit younger than the rest so naturally, the spotlight started shifting from Hannah to Sophia. Susan took a shine to Sophia’s down to earth personality and since Sophia turned out to be a secret brainiac, Susan shamelessly glued herself to Sophia, and soon they were BFFS Hannah, whether it was jealousy over Sophia stealing her thunder or because Susan kept poking her started giving Sophia the cold shoulder, treating her with disdain.

Sophia ended up being desk mates with Hannah, and being the new kid, she had loads of questions about the new digs and its rules: Hannah would act all aloof, barely giving her the time of day, answering with a half-hearted glance and a frosty word here and there Susan fiercely protective, couldn’t stand seeing Sophia treated like that and got even more sarcastic with Hannah, totally dissing her, which only deepened the bad blood between them. When they graduated, they didn’t even bother saying goodbye

Little did Susan expect that her high school shenanigans would come back to bite her. As fate would have it, she was about to cross paths with Hannah once again.

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Sophia was in the know about the whole Susan versus Hannah saga and could hear Susan sounding like she hit rock bottom over the phone. She quickly tried to cheer her up. “She’s probably in the Market Development Department, but I might be wrong, and even if she is there, it doesn’t mean she’ll be the one dealing with you. Don’t sweat it. Just wanted. to give you a heads-up”

Still bummed, Susan said, “I bet my bottom dollar it’s her. When I called, they told me to ask for Ms. Abbott. With so many Abbotts in the world, I never imagined it would be Hannah.”

“It won’t matter even if it is her, trust me, Sophia reassured her. Tve scoped out your business district and kept tabs on the local policies and investment opportunities. That place is set to become the new urban CBD, no doubt about it. If you can get the project to Brandon, you’ve got it in the bag. The guy’s got an eye for this stuff.”

Susan’s eyes lit up “For real?

“For real,” Sophia nodded The tricky part is getting the project in front of Brandon. He’s not one for backdoor deals, so he might not even look at it if you just hand it over But his company’s pretty clear-cut about who does what, and it’s tough to jump the chain of command. So if your contact turns out to be Hannah and she shoots you down, my advice is to hit up Kent. He’s technically Brandon’s assistant, but he’s basically the second in command. The guy’s got major clout and he’s cut from the same cloth as Brandon-fair and square. If your pitch rocks, you’re golden.”

“Kent? Susan didn’t recognize the name, no bells ringing.

Sophia said, I’ll shoot you a pic later Brandon’s a junkie for the fresh brews at the coffee shop downstairs. The mant never skips his midday caffeine fix, doesn’t even pause for a break. Kent usually heads down to grab his coffee around noon. You could try bumping into him ‘accidentally on purpose, maybe drop some paperwork or something.”

Susan looked thoughtful. “You sure know a lot about Brandon’s routines, even his office habits.”

Sophia fell silent.

Susan said, “Alright, I’ll stop teasing. Go get some rest, you can’t be burning the midnight oil when you’re pregnant. I’ll head to the office and see what’s what.”

“Okay,” Sophia nodded. “Take care of yourself. Don’t overdo it, and don’t worry about keeping me company. I’ve got this

handled.”

Susan threw an “OK” sign and hung up, her demeanor shifting from the casual vibe with Sophia to serious business mode She put on her makeup with care and left for Starlight Group.

Just as Sophia had guessed, the business development manager Susan had to deal with was indeed Hannah.

When Hannah saw Susan, she was visibly taken aback, not expecting her to be the one showing up.

“Hey, long time no see, Susan said, mustering a smile, but it felt awkward no matter how she tried.

Hannah gave her a cool once-over and cut straight to the chase. “We both know what’s what, no need to make things hard on yourself

Talk about no sugarcoating

Susan dropped the smile. “You haven’t changed a bit over the years.”

Hannah said, “Takes one to know one.”

As they sat down across from each other, Hannah reached out. “Let’s see the proposal. If it’s good, we’ll talk. If not, let’s not waste each other’s time.”

Susan handed it over without any fuss.

Hannah gave the documents a cursory glance and handed them back. “Sorry, but your company’s area is uncertain right now. We need to think about ROI, and we’re not entertaining this sort of thing at the moment.”

Just like Sophia predicted.

sans didn’t bother lingering Thanks.”