Chapter 16

Chapter 16 Trouble At The Company One day, Corynn was leading a seminar in the conference room when an urgent call came in. It was from the director of the business department, Lila Harriss.

Corynn stepped out to take the call. “Did something happen?”

“Ms. Harper,” came Lila’s anxious voice. “I’m afraid we need your help with an important issue.”

Corynn listened patiently as Lila explained the situation.

It turned out that the suppliers they were working with had failed to deliver the raw materials, effectively breaching the contract they had signed. The thing was, it wasn’t just one supplier, but all of them. They all just happened to renege on their obligations at the same time.

It was unprecedented, and Lila panicked. She had no choice but to defer the matter to Corynn.

Corynn told Lila that she would call her back, but as soon as she hung up, her phone rang again.

This time, it was the procurement manager informing her that the packaging supplies were also delayed.

Corynn did her best to defuse the situation and asked them to wait for further instructions. Then she headed straight to her father’s office to discuss possible solutions.

These were long–term partners. She found the predicament highly irregular. It didn’t take her long to figure out what was going on, though.

Corynn pushed through Erick’s office door. “Dad!”

“Yes, yes, I’ve heard, Corynn. Sit down.” Erick motioned toward the chair in front of his desk. His expression was grim. He had been trying to come up with a solution, to no avail.

“I think I know who’s responsible,” Corynn stated.

Erick’s head jerked up. “What did you say?”

“It’s the same person who caused the Mason family to suddenly back out from a deal three years ago.”

Erick’s scowl deepened. “Do you mean the Willis family?”

Corynn nodded.

“Because of Elliot?”

Corynn hesitated and slowly took a breath. She nodded and watched her father’s expression morph from confusion to anger.

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C 16:39 Chapter 16 Trouble At The Company “That bastard again! Hasn’t he made you suffer enough? And that fiancee of his... Haven’t they ruined you enough? Why are they so keen on destroying everything we have?”

Corynn didn’t know what to say. She knew better than anyone that all these issues were ultimately caused by her and her involvement with Elliot.

“I need to speak to the Willis family once and for all!” Erick slammed his fist against his desk and shot to his feet, ready to storm out.

But Corynn quickly stopped him. The Willis family would never agree to see him. After all, they were nothing more than tiny insects in the eyes of the wealthy and powerful.

This instance was the perfect example. All the Willis family had to do was to hint at something they wanted to happen, and people beneath them would scramble over themselves to make it happen and earn favor.

“Let me handle it, Dad,” Corynn said wearily.

“Why should I?” Erick immediately protested. “So that they can make things even harder for you?”

“Dad, do you think they would go easy on us if you’re the one who talked to them? Look, I’m the one who caused this. I should be the one to fix it. You were already planning to hand over the company to me, anyway. I need you to trust me on this. Besides, I understand precisely why Amanda is doing this. I’ll have a proper talk to her and make her see clearly.”

Corynn patted her father’s hand and gave him a smile.

Erick sighed heavily. He didn’t approve of her decision, but he agreed anyway. He just hoped that his daughter wouldn’t get caught in yet another mess.

“Don’t worry, Dad. What happened three years ago won’t happen again.”

“Just be careful, my dear.”

Before heading out, Corynn called each supplier that backed out on them. She explained her intentions, but they all hung up on her midway.

Amanda’s goal was obvious. She wanted to keep the Harper Group from meeting its delivery targets, thereby damaging the company’s reputation within the industry.

Corynn assessed the circumstances. Their company worked with around sixty brands. Failure to deliver on time would result in substantial penalties, which could very likely cripple the company’s operating funds.

She took a deep breath to brace herself, then scrolled through her phone for that unregistered number that had sent her dozens of text messages. She pressed the call button.

The call connected, but before Corynn could say anything, the other party spoke first. “I’ve been waiting for your call.”

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