Chapter 21
Chapter 21
“No, no, Ms. Lambert, you’re way off,” Daniel Walker blurted, jumping in as the tension spiked..
He wiped his forehead, even though it was dry, and kept going. “This is our chairman, Mr. Yosef Campbell. He was just dropping by for a routine check
in
“It was planned forever ago,” he added, his voice tight. “We didn’t mean to keep you waiting. We’re just swamped.”
Skylar’s face stayed stone–cold. “So, you
company falls apart without the boss? No one else can run a meeting?”
They could’ve sent someone else to negotiate, but instead, they left her team sitting around.
Jacking up herb prices was bad enough, but this lack of basic respect? Not okay.
“If this is how you run things, your company’s got six months, tops,” she said.
Daniel’s face darkened. “Ms. Lambert, watch it.”
Skylar smirked, not backing down. “You pull this move, and I’m not allowed to call it out?”
Daniel started to argue, but one look from Yosef shut him up.
Five years apart had changed Skylar so much, Yosef barely recognized her. He was scrambling to figure her out.
‘And why is Daniel calling her Ms. Lambert? Her maiden name is Stone,‘ Yosef wondered.
But he also knew now wasn’t the time to dig into that.
She was here for business, so he’d treat it like business.
“We messed up,” Yosef admitted, his voice calm. “To make it right, we’ll grant one fair request, as long as it doesn’t screw either side.”
“Your company’s a mess,” Skylar fired back. “I’m not interested in doing business.”
She wasn’t buying that they were the only supplier in the country for that ingredient.
With a quick glance, she led her team out, not giving them a second thought.
Yosef clenched his teeth, taking a deep breath to keep cool.
Skylar was all sharp edges now, cutting anyone who got close. Nothing like the soft, easygoing woman he once knew.
What kind of nightmare has she been through to turn into this stranger?‘ he wondered.
Yosef pulled out his phone and called his assistant, Hudson. “Look into Skylar’s past. Everything.”
“And get my lawyer on the line,” he added. “I need him to draft some contracts.”
Back at Phidon, Skylar told her team to find new suppliers.
Their hard work paid off, and they set up meetings with several solid companies.
Everything looked good, just waiting for the go–ahead.
Then, one by one, the companies bailed, saying they couldn’t negotiate.
“Why the sudden change?” Skylar asked, her voice tense.
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Chapter 21
Her assistant hesitated. “Their companies got bought out. The parent company’s sending someone to handle all deals, and we’re out of the loop.”
Every company gave the same excuse. This wasn’t random; someone was coming for her.
It didn’t take a genius to point the finger at Yosef, that petty jerk.
No one else had the money and the grudge to buy up multiple companies just to mess with Skylar.
Skylar’s bad mood followed her like a dark cloud all the way home.
Yana took one look at her daughter and knew something was wrong. She treaded carefully. “Sweetie, how was work today? Everything okay?”
Skylar forced a nod. “It’s fine.”
“Anything… interesting happen at the office?” Yana asked gently.
The question brought back the day’s frustrations–the stalled ingredient deal, her plans stuck in neutral.
Skylar’s chest tightened, but she didn’t want to stress her parents with her problems.
“Company’s good, I’m good,” she said, faking a smile. “No worries.”
Yana could tell Skylar was holding back, but pushing would only upset her. If her daughter wasn’t ready to open up, there was a reason.
She dropped it, switching to lighter topics.
At dinner, Yana piled food onto Skylar’s plate. “Try this, Skylar, it’s so good.”
AD
