Chapter 299 Alaric's Confidence
Cecilia's silence made Alaric chuckle. He asked, "Did you miss me?"
"No," Cecilia replied bluntly, "I was thinking, if you came back any later, Dominic might have already secured the win with his votes."
It was clear that for the last ten days, Dominic had led the way, and Alaric had been completely underexposed.
She was still thinking that once Alaric returned, she would plan carefully on how to boost his exposure.
Now, he just said he was not coming back. If he didn't come back, he would just declare failure.
"Ms. Lockhart, do you think my return would guarantee victory?" Alaric retorted.
He couldn't guarantee victory by coming back.
But it was still better than being stuck in some remote, impoverished area with no chance of winning.
Alaric said, "Now the noble families are clearly focusing on promoting Dominic. My return would be of no help."
Cecilia retorted, "So you're planning to deceive yourself and hide away, not coming back?"
"Ms. Lockhart, you really don't understand me." He suddenly laughed.
Cecilia frowned slightly and thought, 'What is so funny?
'I'm almost dying of anxiety.
'And he can still be so nonchalant.'
"I have never failed to get what I want, unless..." Alaric paused, "unless I voluntarily give up."
Cecilia thought, 'He is a bit too confident.'
But when she thought back to her previous life, she realized that although Alaric didn't stand out much in front of Dominic, Dominic also didn't manage to completely overshadow Alaric.
She thought, 'What kind of background does Alaric have to be so confident?'
"Just like how I treat to you, Ms. Lockhart," Alaric added.
Cecilia was a bit surprised.
She pondered, 'What does he mean by that?
'Is he saying that if he doesn't voluntarily give up, he will definitely get me?'
Cecilia felt inexplicably angry.
She thought, 'To him, am I so easy to get?
'I always felt like I'm being played by him.'
Cecilia never thought that Alaric's so-called voluntary giving up referred to his past decision to give up on her.
Otherwise, there would have been no Dominic from the beginning to the end.
"I'm not coming back because I'm plotting a major comeback," Alaric shifted the conversation abruptly.
"What are you planning to do?" Cecilia furrowed her brow.
She had no idea how Alaric intended to turn the tables. In their past life, when Dominic began advancing with the noble family, Alaric was just an insignificant playboy, overlooked by everyone. This time, everything was clearly on a different timeline.
The battle between Alaric and Dominic had started earlier than expected.
"Just wait for the good news," Alaric said.
"Alaric," Cecilia called out to him.
He responded from the other end of the line.
"Please stay safe," Cecilia said, her voice tinged with concern. She couldn't shake the feeling that whatever Alaric was planning was going to be risky.
"Okay."
That one word seemed to convey more than a thousand sentences.
Sometimes, what Cecilia and Alaric needed was simply mutual trust and reassurance.
They ended the call.
Cecilia remained pensive, her mind racing with questions about Alaric's plans.
She was filled with a mix of confusion and an inexplicable trust in him.
Taking a deep breath, Cecilia decided to wait for his results.
Her gaze shifted, and she picked up the phone. "Rose, gather all department heads for a meeting in ten minutes. I have some work to delegate."
"Understood," Rose replied respectfully.
Ten minutes later, Cecilia sat in the most authoritative seat in the conference room.
The executives she faced were all older than her, some by decades.
Yet, her presence commanded respect.
Andrew watched Cecilia with growing envy.
He thought, 'This position should have been mine.
'One day, I will reclaim it.'
"I've called this impromptu meeting due to some adjustments in my work. Initially, we should have convened when the work assignments were made, but due to my unfamiliarity with certain aspects, there was a delay of ten days. The goal is to make the meeting more efficient," Cecilia began.
Everyone listened attentively.
Cecilia had earned her position through sheer capability, and no one dared to underestimate her, even though she was relatively young.
Cecilia continued, "First, let me introduce myself. I'm Cecilia, temporarily in charge of the position of Senior Vice President at the Lockhart Group. During this period, I ask for your guidance and support."
Applause filled the room.
It was a warm welcome, acknowledging her new role.
Her choice of words was deliberate, making it clear that her time in this position was only temporary, reinforcing that she was not overstepping her bounds.
"Now, let's get down to business. I'll be outlining and clarifying the responsibilities and plans for each department. If there's anything that seems off, feel free to speak up. As I mentioned before in the Sales Department, my principle is to address the issues, not the people. So, I welcome any suggestions."
The room fell into a focused silence, everyone listening intently.
Cecilia proceeded to redefine the responsibilities within her jurisdiction, meticulously planning out the timelines for all ongoing projects. Her thoroughness was so impressive that it was hard to believe she had only been in the role for a short ten days and had become so familiar with the Lockhart Group.
When Cecilia first took on this position, many of the executives had expected delays or hesitance from her due to her youth. They thought she might be too intimidated to conduct such a high-stakes meeting. This moment served as a wake-up call for those who had underestimated her.
Her first executive meeting was extended longer than usual.
It lasted a full two hours, setting a new record for Cecilia.
"As this is our first meeting and I want to avoid frequent interruptions, I've tried to cover everything comprehensively. Future meetings will be kept to under thirty minutes. I also encourage department meetings to be similarly concise, focusing on specific issues rather than gathering everyone," Cecilia concluded.
"Understood," the executives responded respectfully.
"Today's meeting is adjourned. You're free to go," Cecilia said, her tone brisk.
With that, she left the conference room without a moment's hesitation.
The executives began to disperse.
As they left, many murmured among themselves.
"Ms. Lockhart, despite her young age, has a commanding presence."
"I used to look down on her, but now it's clear she's not to be underestimated."
"No one in Serenovia City's elite can compare to Ms. Lockhart."
Andrew heard the comments clearly.
He struggled to keep his emotions in check, his resentment toward Cecilia boiling over. At that moment, he wished he could do anything to get back at her, his anger nearly consuming him.
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