Chapter 165 Pushing Her to Yield
Nora's fingers clenched around the spine of the book she held. "Our exchanges were fleeting. It's of little consequence," she said, her voice laced with a hint of dismissal.
Jenny responded with a derisive snort. "Pathetic."
Lifting her gaze, Nora offered Jenny a sardonic smile. "Enough with the idle chatter. Don't you feel the need to freshen up? Go take a shower."
Jenny retracted her head, leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
A hush fell over the room, broken only by the distant sound of water cascading in the bathroom.
Nora's gaze became distant, her mind preoccupied with Jenny's words, her emotions a tangled mess. 'Could this truly be the conclusion of their encounters?'
'He was a powerful CEO, and after her continuous rebuffs, his pursuit of her seemed futile.'
Nora inhaled deeply, attempting to clear her mind. In a strange way, she found solace in this finality.
However, her decisions may have been too precipitous.
"What did you say? The Gordon Group has abruptly cancelled our order and refuses to supply materials to our lab?" Jack's voice echoed with surprise as he listened to the report from the supply manager in his office.
"Yes, Jack. What should our next steps be? Several experiments are dependent on these materials."
Jack's brows knitted together. "Did the Gordon Group provide a reason for this sudden change?"
The manager replied, "I asked. They claim it's a direct order from Mr. Gordon himself."
Aaron's directive. But why would he do this?
Jack pondered over this unexpected development.
At that moment, Nora knocked and entered, a data report clutched in her hand.
"Jack, do you have a moment?"
"Of course."
Jack dismissed the manager with a wave of his hand, indicating his need for solitude.
"Alright," the manager said, offering a brief nod to Nora before departing.
Noticing Jack's troubled countenance, Nora asked, "Is something amiss, Jack?"
Jack paused for a moment before revealing the issue. "The Gordon Group has inexplicably withheld a shipment of pharmaceuticals, claiming they won't supply our lab anymore. And I was told it was a direct order from Aaron."
"What?!" Nora's beautifully arched brows furrowed in surprise.
After a moment of contemplation, she suggested, "Jack, stay calm. Since we know Aaron gave the order, why not call him to understand his reasoning?"
"Aaron's a cunning businessman. He must have a rationale for halting our supply."
"All I have is his assistant's contact."
Jack found Nora's advice reasonable but lacked Aaron's direct contact.
"I have it," Nora offered, promptly sharing Aaron's number with Jack.
Without hesitation, Jack dialed the number.
"Who is this?"
The call was answered by a man's deep, resonant voice.
"Mr. Gordon, this is Jack."
A pause ensued. "Ah, Jack, how may I assist you?"
"I wanted to inquire about the pharmaceuticals. Why are you denying our lab's supplies?" Jack asked straightforwardly.
"The pharmaceuticals intended for your lab failed inspection, hence their detainment," Aaron explained.
"Is that so?"
Jack was skeptical. "May I ask, Mr. Gordon, will the Gordon Group continue to supply our lab or not?"
"That remains to be seen."
"Uncertain!" Jack's frown deepened, a suspicion flickering in his mind.
He glanced at Nora, his expression growing grave. "Mr. Gordon, are you doing this intentionally?"
The thought occurred to him that Aaron's actions might be motivated by envy over Nora's closeness to him.
"Jack, you're quite perceptive. If you wish for our group to continue supplying your lab, send someone else to negotiate the partnership," Aaron proposed.
Jack's grip on his phone tightened. "Who would you prefer to come for the negotiation?"
"Nora."
There it was. Aaron was indeed captivated by Nora.
Jack observed Nora surreptitiously eavesdropping on his call and subtly moved aside, his countenance grave.
"I never anticipated the CEO of the Gordon Group would resort to such underhanded tactics!" he exclaimed.
Aaron's response was a light chuckle. "Jack, I'm a businessman, and we're all about strategic maneuvers."
Jack's voice was frosty as he retorted, "Do as you wish. I'd rather relinquish your pharmaceuticals than submit to your whims."
With that, he ended the call.
Nora, observing the fury in his eyes, ventured to ask, "Jack, what did he truly say to you?"
Jack reined in his anger, responding, "It's nothing. Concentrate on your research, that's all."
"But if the materials are being withheld, what will we utilize for our experiments?" Nora queried.
"I'll devise a solution. There are other suppliers besides the Gordon Group," Jack assured her confidently.
Indeed, the Gordon Group might have a monopoly on supplies in Houston, but there were other sources available.
In the worst-case scenario, he could reach out to suppliers from out of state.
The expression Jack had given her lingered in Nora's mind, leading her to suspect that this entire fiasco was somehow linked to her.
'Could Aaron be so petty as to manipulate Jack just to make her yield to his demands?'
A spark of determination ignited in Nora's eyes. Exiting the office, she made her way to the stairwell and dialed Aaron's number.
Aaron answered promptly, as though he had been expecting her call.
Not one to mince words, Nora got straight to the point: "Mr. Gordon, what's the meaning of this? Why are you withholding our lab materials?"
"I can have the shipment dispatched to the lab immediately, Nora, if you visit my office," Aaron countered, his voice carrying a sharp edge.
Nora fell silent.
She was correct. Aaron was holding the materials ransom because of her!
"Mr. Gordon, you can't let personal matters interfere with business, right?" Nora retorted, attempting to maintain the moral high ground.
"I'll wait until noon," Aaron replied curtly, then abruptly ended the call, his veiled threat clear.
Overwhelmed with indignation, Nora stared blankly at her phone screen.
'Such a detestable, arrogant man!'
She considered ignoring him but then massaged her temple, troubled by the thought.
Jack's lab needed to continue functioning. She couldn't let him suffer due to her personal issues.
Aaron was a man of his word. She couldn't simply not show up.
After much contemplation, Nora grabbed her bag and informed Jack.
"Jack, I'm stepping out for a bit."
"Where to?" he inquired, curiosity piqued.
"I'll tell you when I return."
Without offering further explanation, Nora drove off to the Gordon Group.
The Gordon Group building towered majestically over the bustling downtown street, reaching skyward, both impressive and imposing.
The gilded logo shimmered under the sunlight, radiating a golden glow.
Upon entering the building, Nora approached the reception desk.
"Hello, I need to see Mr. Gordon," she informed the receptionist.
The receptionist gave Nora a once-over, noting her modest attire, and raised an eyebrow, "Do you have an appointment? The CEO doesn't meet with anyone without one."
"He summoned me," Nora replied.
The receptionist clearly didn't believe her. "May I have your name?"
"Nora," she stated.
The receptionist checked the log. "Apologies, but you don't have an appointment with our CEO, so you can't proceed."
Nora didn't bother with further explanation. She pulled out her phone and dialed Aaron.
"I'm at the reception. Could you inform them so I can proceed?"
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