Chapter 388 Cecilia's Sowing of Discord
Dominic's face went dark as he heard Cecilia's words.
He couldn't hold it in and yelled, "Cecilia, do you even get how much blood, sweat, and tears the Kingsley Group has poured into this project? Do you know how many of our folks have been burning the midnight oil for this? And now you want us to just walk away? Are you kidding me?"
Cecilia shot back, "You think the Lockhart Group hasn't busted their butts for this project, Mr. Kingsley?"
"Look, there's no way in hell the Kingsley Group is backing out of this! Worst case, we ditch your plan and come up with our own," Dominic snapped, clearly pissed.
Cecilia stayed cool, saying, "So, the Kingsley Group is just looking out for itself and not even thinking about helping Mr. Ward!"
"Cecilia, quit trying to stir the pot. I have thought about helping Mr. Ward, but if you don't back off, my hands are tied. The Kingsley Group has sunk a ton of effort and cash into this, and we can't just bail. I hope Mr. Ward gets that," Dominic said.
Of course, Kai didn't get it.
All he cared about right now was his own performance.
With the Innovation Arc project weighing on him, Kai's face was naturally grim.
But with Cecilia and Dominic there, he kept his cool and stayed quiet.
Dominic, being sharp, could see Kai's displeasure, but for the Kingsley Group's sake, he wasn't backing down.
He was betting that Kai would persuade Cecilia to grin and bear it.
Cecilia probably wouldn't dare to cross Kai, and with a bit of pressure, this whole mess would blow over.
Sure, it might mess up his relationship with the planning department, but he figured that with some bribes and a killer Innovation Arc, things would smooth out.
In Dominic's mind, relationships could be patched up, but losing this project? That was a no-go.
He couldn't afford to take that hit!
The room went dead silent again.
It was like whoever spoke first would lose.
After what felt like forever, Cecilia let out a heavy sigh.
Kai and Dominic both looked at her.
Cecilia said, "Since the Kingsley Group is dead set on keeping this project, no matter what, I'll back off. For me, it's not just about profit; relationships matter too. If neither side gives in, Mr. Ward's the one who'll suffer, and I don't want him to be in a tough spot right after getting to Serenovia City."
Dominic's face showed some strain after hearing Cecilia's words.
She was really trying to make herself look good while throwing him under the bus.
But for the sake of the Innovation Arc's construction rights, Dominic could only swallow his pride.
As long as Cecilia backed off, he could take whatever she dished out.
"Really?" Kai was a bit taken aback.
He hadn't expected Cecilia to suddenly fold.
The one who had been so stubborn was clearly Cecilia.
She had more confidence and a strong presence.
The sudden flip really made Kai feel grateful.
This project had stressed him out so much his hair was turning gray. Even before any issues popped up, he was already losing sleep over it, which showed how much he valued the project and feared any screw-ups. Consequently, he found it hard to trust anyone easily.
Kai just stared straight at Cecilia, eyes wide.
"Really," Cecilia confirmed. "Look, the Lockhart Group can step back from the Innovation Arc construction. But our proposal? Our team busted their butts on that, and I can't just hand it over for free. So, we're willing to sell it to the Kingsley Group at market value," she said, sounding all generous.
Dominic's face twisted again.
What was Cecilia playing at?
She wanted to sell the proposal to him?
Cecilia kept going, "Since the Kingsley Group won't back down, this is the fairest solution I can think of. It won't mess with the construction timeline, and the Kingsley Group won't take a hit. What do you think, Mr. Ward?"
Kai clapped his hands, grinning. "Ms. Lockhart, you're a genius. You came up with a fix so fast. I've been losing my mind over this! I totally back this plan! No, I strongly back it!"
Kai was all in.
This way, the construction would go smoothly, and he could show he handled things fairly. No one could complain.
Kai couldn't help but give Cecilia a few more approving glances. The Lockhart Group really came through for him this time.
If they had stuck to their guns, he would've been stuck.
And he had to admit, Dominic was so stubborn; he'd rather tank the project than let go.
Thinking about it, Kai naturally started weighing Cecilia and Dominic in his mind.
Keeping a straight face, he turned to Dominic, asking, "What do you think of Ms. Lockhart's plan?"
Dominic's face was tight, but he couldn't argue.
Cecilia had laid it all out; if he opposed it now, he'd look like a jerk, but agreeing left a bad taste in his mouth.
Dominic felt like this project had made him enemies, and Cecilia was coming out smelling like roses!
Feeling the weight of it all but keeping a poker face, he said, "Okay."
"Since Mr. Ward and Mr. Kingsley are on board, I'll quote the price for the proposal to the Kingsley Group," Cecilia said seriously. "The Lockhart Group's proposal is priced at twenty million dollars. If the Kingsley Group is cool with that, we can sign the contract right here in front of Mr. Ward..."
"Twenty million dollars?" Dominic's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
It seemed like Cecilia was driving Dominic up the wall today!
"Twenty million for a proposal? Is it made of gold?" Dominic snapped at Cecilia.
Cecilia just pursed her lips, staying calm. "Mr. Kingsley, you know the quality of our proposal. We pitched it for a two-billion-dollar project. As the heart of the project, is it too much to ask for one percent of the project's value?"
"Not too much?" Dominic was losing it, shouting, "The profit from this project is less than twenty million, and you want to sell us a proposal for twenty million? Do you want us to end this project in the red? Do you think that's even possible?"
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