Chapter 106: Bending The Rules?

Jenny woke up feeling like she’d rested for a whole day instead of just the night. In fact, she’d slept late but her body seemed to be in a good mood.

Her mind went back to the gala. The most important thing, getting her mother to not dismiss Nico, had been successful. At least for now.

Even though they hadn’t made any significant changes, things were going fine. They might have not yet swayed any board members but that was fine. They didn’t need to. Not now.

These things took time. At least, they’ve planted seeds. All they had to do was water them and the rest would take care of itself.

With Nico’s help, of course.

After stretching and rolling her shoulders, she padded to the bathroom and turned on the shower.

The cold water washed over her, cleaning away the sense of accomplishment. Last night was merely the setting of a foundation. The real battle will start after each CEO has announced their moves.

But before she headed to the battlefield disguised as an office, she had to stop by the family home.

Her mother had summoned her and Jasmine for a family breakfast at the Newton estate.

While it sounded pleasant on paper, Jenny knew better.

Breakfasts like this were never just about the food. Their mother always had to make breakfast and activity of some kind.

It had been one of the things that had made her rebellious.

She remembered the lessons, the accusations and the tests. Why their mother couldn’t allow them to grow up as normal kids, she couldn’t understand.

Jenny dressed in what was now becoming a uniform for her. A pantsuit. This time, she chose a white one.

She grabbed her keys and made her way to her parking garage. Sliding into her car, she started it and began the drive to her mother’s house.

After escaping the traffic, she entered the long, quiet road that led to the estate. She sighed as she remembered the neighbors.

Can they be called neighbors if you had to drive a distance to be able to knock on their door?

After a few minutes, she finally arrived at the mansion, pulling in beside Jasmine’s parked car.

Jenny scoffed as she stepped out of the car. Of course, Jasmine would be here early. She was always one who loved to mark her territory.

She took a deep breath before making her way up the stairs to the doors of the house. One of her mother’s army of staff members greeted her at the door and directed her to the dining room.

It was moments like this that made her wonder if billionaires were really any different from royalty. Money was that powerful, wasn’t it?

She entered the dining room to see Jasmine already seated at the table, sipping coffee and scrolling through her phone.

She looked up as Jenny entered, her face twisting into what everyone else will call a polite smile. But Jenny knew exactly what it was.

"Well, well, well." Jasmine said, setting down her cup. "Look who decided to grace us with her presence."

"Good morning to you too, Jasmine." Jenny gave her a smile as she slid into a chair across the table. "I see you’ve already staked out your usual throne."

Jasmine arched a perfectly shaped brow. "This is why this… competition is pointless. You can’t even understand the simple things. It’s not about where you sit, dear sister. It’s about who has the power when they do."

Jenny chuckled, pouring herself a glass of orange juice. The best way to deal with Jasmine is to answer but not answer. "That doesn’t even make any sense." Jenny chuckled. "We’re in the dining room, not a king’s court."

Jasmine frowned in confusion. As she opened her mouth to speak, the door opened and their mother walked in.

Dressed in a white blouse and beige trousers, she looked like she was a painting that needed neither sleep nor slumber.

Jenny remembered the days she’d theorized that their mother was an alien. She always looked that good.

"Good morning, my girls." She said, taking her place at the head of the table. "I trust the gala didn’t exhaust you too much?"

"Not at all, Mother." Jasmine said, her tone all sugar. Jenny felt the urge to barf at the sound. "It was a fantastic evening. I enjoyed speaking with the board members."

"It was a productive night. Thank you for organizing it, Mother." Jenny said.

This was where she could score a bit more points than Jasmine. Everybody was already used to her being abrasive. So, even by being a little polite, she was impressing their mother.

"Good." Their mother’s eyes flicked between the two of them.@@novelbin@@

She motioned and the staff brought in breakfast.

A minute later, the room was quiet except for the sound of silverware clinking as they ate.

When breakfast was over and the table had been cleared, their mother finally leaned back in her chair.

"There’s a matter that needs addressing." She said without preamble. "Jasmine has brought up a concern."

"Ah. I see." Jenny glanced at her sister, her eyes narrowing. What was she up to? "What concern might that be, mother?"

Clarisse motioned for Jasmine to speak.

"I’ve been thinking about the rules of our… competition, Jenny." Jasmine smirked like she was about to land a heavy blow. "And it seems to me that you’re bending them."

Jenny raised a brow. They had rules? "I’m bending rules?" She glanced at their mother as if she couldn’t believe what was happening.

"Well," Jasmine said, "you’ve been relying on outside help. Nico Voss, for instance. It’s hardly fair to use someone who isn’t even part of Apex to increase your chances."

"Ah." Jenny leaned back in her chair with a smirk of her own. "I see what this is about."

"Oh?" It was Jasmine’s turn to raise a brow now.

"Nico is a consultant, Jasmine. Businesses hire consultants all the time. It’s not bending the rules, it’s strategy. If you can’t understand that, are you sure you deserve a seat as a CEO?"

Jasmine turned to their mother. "Mother, surely you can see how this sets a dangerous precedent."

"If she’s allowed to bring in outside help, where does it end? We’re competing to see who can lead Apex, not who can recruit the best external team."

Their mother turned to Jenny, her expression neutral. "And what do you have to say to this?" She asked.

"I’d say that Jasmine already has all the advantages." Jenny held her mother’s gaze. This was the way it had always been. Her mother and Jasmine against her. Not anymore. She’d flip the tables this time.

"One can say you designed this competition for Jasmine to win." Jenny accused. "After all, she has more experience, the board is predisposed to side with her and let’s not forget that you’ve always favored her."

There was silence at Jenny’s words.

"If I’m bringing in outside help, it’s not to cheat but to level the playing field."

"I see." Their mother said thoughtfully.

There was silence for a moment before Jasmine’s eyes widened. "Mother, surely you’re not-"

Their mother raised a hand, silencing her.

"When I announced this competition, I said I wanted to see which of you could elevate Apex and I never specified how you should do it."

Jasmine looked like she wanted to interrupt but Jenny knew she wouldn’t. She’d been trained not to by their mother and at this juncture, she wouldn’t attempt anything that might be marked against her.

"In fact," their mother continues, "I rather like the idea of bringing in outside perspectives. It shows initiative."

Jenny shot Jasmine a victorious smirk as her sister kept her expression blank.

"That being said," their mother turned to Jenny, her eyes hard, "this doesn’t mean you can throw away the values that Apex was built on."

She leaned forward. "Innovation is important but so is respect for tradition. Never forget that, Jenny."

"I understand, Mother." Jenny nodded seriously.

"Good." Their mother stood. "I expect great things from both of you. Don’t disappoint me."

As she left, Jenny turned to Jasmine who was masking her anger with a polite smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"Congratulations, Jenny. You won this round but this isn’t over." Jasmine stood. "You may have Mother’s blessing for now but it won’t save you in the end."

Jenny stood as well, wearing a big smile. "I guess we’ll see about that."

She turned and walked out of the dining room, leaving her sister behind.

With this taken care of, it was sealed. No one could stop Nico and her from working together.

And together, they had no intentions of losing.