Chapter 290 How Dare I Take Advantage of You?
Hugo's face went all stiff when he heard that, and he quickly blurted out, "Mr. Smith, this whole mess was Cook's idea. By the time I got wind of it, it was already too late. Trust me, I would've shut it down if I could. Plus, the Cook Group's taken a big hit, and now a bunch of shareholders are plotting to kick him out."
Seb just stood there, stone-faced, like he couldn't care less. "And this concerns me how?"
Hugo tried to read Seb's face, but it was like trying to read a brick wall.
Word on the street was that Seb was a master schemer, and dealing with him was like walking on thin ice.
With that in mind, Hugo took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Smith, I know you and Cook have some bad blood. I can help you take him down."
Seb let out a cold chuckle, his eyes like ice. "You? Help me? Really?"
Hugo's face twisted a bit, but he pushed on, "Look, it's a win-win. I want to be the president of the Cook Group."
Seb raised an eyebrow, "Mr. Lowe, didn't peg you for the ambitious type. But I don't need you to handle the Cook Group. I got this. Now, if you don't mind, get out."
Hugo's face darkened, "Mr. Smith, when Silvercrest first hit Aidamore, Zachary gave you a hard time. Don't you want payback?"
"That's my business. Before you try to use me, maybe check if you're up to the task."
Seb's cold stare made Hugo feel like his every thought was laid bare. Feeling exposed, he quickly looked away.
"Mr. Smith, you got it wrong. I'd never try to use you."
Seb cut him off, "Mr. Lowe, I'll pretend this never happened. Paul, show him out."
Paul, who'd been standing by, stepped up and said, "Mr. Lowe, this way."
Hugo gritted his teeth, "Mr. Smith, I'll give you 5% of Cook Group's shares if you help me take down Zachary!"
Seb put down his papers, looked up, and smirked, "So, you do have some brains. Just playing dumb earlier, huh?"
Hugo seethed inside, realizing Seb was toying with him. But thinking about becoming president, he swallowed his pride and smiled, "Mr. Smith, can we talk details now?"
In the days that followed, every time Sharon texted Zachary, it took him forever to reply.
She asked a friend at Cook Group and found out Zachary was in deep with the shareholders.
Turns out, Zachary had thrown a ton of money into a project to compete with Silvercrest for a suburban amusement park, and it flopped.
The shareholders were livid and demanded he fix the mess.
He even promised to step down if he couldn't sort it out.
That's when Sharon realized why he'd been so slow to reply and always sounded exhausted.
Feeling guilty about the pressure Zachary was under because of her, Sharon hesitated for a long time before finally making a call.
Half an hour later, Sharon strolled into this swanky café.
By the window, there was Aimee Lawson, a woman in her late forties. She had short, neat hair and rocked a white suit. Her face, though marked by time, had a gentle smile.
Seeing Sharon, Aimee put down her coffee and waved, "Sharon, over here!"
Sharon slid into the seat across from her, apologizing, "Ms. Lawson, sorry, traffic was a nightmare."
Aimee gave her a kind look, "No worries, I'm not in a rush. So, what's up? Why the sudden coffee invite?"
Seeing Sharon's hesitant look, Aimee got more curious.
"What's going on? You look like you've got something heavy on your mind."
Sharon took a deep breath and looked at Aimee seriously, "Ms. Lawson, I need your help with something."
Aimee looked surprised, "What is it?"
For Sharon to ask for help, it had to be big.
Aimee had met Sharon at a pharmaceutical research discussion. Aimee had fainted from low blood sugar, and Sharon had saved her.
After getting to know Sharon better, Aimee grew really fond of her. They shared not only interests but also similar life stories.
When Aimee was young, she had also worked alone to raise her son, which led to the creation of the Lawson Group.
She saw in Sharon the same brave, unyielding spirit she had in her youth, which was why she admired Sharon.
Sharon quickly explained the recent events and finally looked at Aimee, "Ms. Lawson, I heard the Lawson Group has a resort project and hasn't picked a partner yet. I was hoping you could give the Cook Group a shot."
Aimee got the gist and said, "Sharon, I told you before, you saved my life, and you could ask me for one favor, as long as I can do it."
After a pause, Aimee continued, "I can work with the Cook Group, but are you sure you want to use your life-saving favor on this?"
Sharon nodded firmly, "Yes, this mess is because of me. I don't want him to suffer because of me."
"Alright, I'll have my secretary contact the Cook Group later."
"Ms. Lawson, thank you!" Sharon was genuinely moved.
Aimee took a sip of her coffee and smiled, "I hope he deserves your care."
Aimee and Sharon chatted a bit more before Sharon left.
Just as Aimee stood up to leave, she heard a surprised voice nearby.
"Ms. Lawson, what a coincidence to see you here!"
Aimee turned to see Rebecca walking towards her with a delighted expression, and she greeted, "Ms. Walker, what a coincidence."
Rebecca was thrilled. She had overheard Seb and Lowell talking about collaborating with the Lawson Group when Seb visited her home.
Especially since the Lawson Group's recent resort project hadn't picked a partner yet, many local groups in Aidamore were eyeing it and competing for it.
Lowell had made several trips to Aidamore recently and had only managed to meet Aimee once, but Aimee had turned him down flat.
If it weren't for a recent invite from a friend in Aidamore to attend a gathering held by the Lawson Family, Rebecca wouldn't have had the chance to meet Aimee.
However, Rebecca hadn't been able to see Aimee again since then.
Now, running into Aimee here, Rebecca thought if she could get closer to her, she might be able to pitch the Silvercrest Group to Aimee and even secure a deal with the Lawson Group.
If she could help Seb land this project, he would definitely see her in a new light!
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