Chapter 464 Trying to Slander Me
'The problem is, the price the Bridges Group gave is already rock bottom. If we drop it any more, even if we win the bid, we'll be in the red.' she thought.
She called Garry and quietly laid out the situation.
Garry was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "This price is as low as it gets. We can't go any lower. Stick with the original price for the second quote. It's better not to take on a losing project."
"Got it." After hanging up, Ayla's face looked pretty grim.
Her team had been burning the midnight oil for over a month on this project. She'd promised them a bonus and a nice dinner if they won the bid.
But now, it didn't look like they were going to win.
She sighed, disappointment all over her face.
Leo noticed and tried to comfort her, "Ayla, don't stress. Just because someone bids lower than the Bridges Group doesn't mean they'll win. The Bridges Group has a better reputation than those other companies."
The companies bidding lower were small and desperate, cutting their profits to the bone.
But if the price was too low, the project's quality might suffer.
Ayla pressed her lips together and stayed silent.
The second round of bidding started soon. All the other companies, except the Bridges Group, lowered their prices.
Even the company with the lowest bid before dropped their price by another $200,000.
At that price, there was no profit left.
Ayla's face was grim, her eyes full of frustration.
Leo tried to comfort her again, but she snapped, "Enough, stop talking. I don't want to hear it."
"Sophie, I know you're upset, but the results aren't out yet. Don't be so negative."
Ayla glared at him, "Easy for you to say. You didn't work overtime for a month. You can't understand how I feel!"
Leo looked at her calmly, "You think I don't understand? I spent years building a gaming company, only for your grandfather to take it back and sell it to save the Bridges Group with a single word."
Ayla's expression changed, "What do you mean? That gaming company was originally the Bridges Group's. What's wrong with selling it to save the Bridges Group? You're just an employee. Do you think it became yours after working there for a few years?"
Seeing Ayla's mocking look, Leo lowered his eyes, but a cold glint flashed in them.
Ayla didn't want to deal with him anymore and anxiously waited for the results.
Soon, Gino walked back on stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please stay calm. After a tense and orderly evaluation, the results are in. I'm now going to announce the winning company for this project."
Everyone in the audience tensed up, all eyes on the host.
He smiled and began, "I'm honored to announce that the winning company for the Harmonious Shopping Mall project is the Bridges Group! Let's give them a warm round of applause!"
Gino led the applause.
Ayla's eyes widened in disbelief and joy.
The Bridges Group actually won the bid!
The joy almost knocked her off her feet. She'd been so bummed out earlier, and now she was over the moon.
With this project in the bag, those shareholders who'd been giving her grief over the Starlight Corporation project would have to eat their words. Plus, she'd finally get back in Garry's good books.
The more she thought about it, the more pumped she got, feeling almost giddy.
Amidst the envious and jealous stares from the crowd, Ayla stood up with a smile, "We're super honored that the Bridges Group won the bid this time. We've always stuck to the principles of quality first and integrity. We'll finish this project with the fastest speed and the best quality..."
Before she could finish, a cold voice cut her off.
"Ms. Bridges, bribing staff to mess with competitors' bid documents to ensure your own success—do you really think your company deserves the title of integrity?"
Everyone turned to see Seb walking towards them.
His face was blank, but his gaze on Ayla was sharp, making her feel like she was being pricked by needles, her face turning pale.
She gritted her teeth, "Mr. Smith, your company's bid documents weren't sealed properly. Now that the Bridges Group has won the bid, you're jealous and want to slander me. Isn't that going too far?"
Seb smiled slightly, "I have the surveillance footage from the scene. Whether it's slander or not, we'll know once we play the footage."
Ayla's face changed, but then she remembered she had chosen a blind spot for the cameras. How could there be surveillance footage?
She felt a bit more at ease and said to Seb, "Mr. Smith, falsely accusing others is illegal. If you apologize to me now, I can pretend this never happened. Otherwise, if you can't produce evidence later, I will call the police to clear my name."
"No need, I've already called the police. When they arrive, I'll hand over the copied surveillance footage to them."
Ayla's face turned even paler, a look of panic flashing in her eyes. 'How could this be? Seb actually called the police? Could he really have evidence?'
"If Ayla really tampered with Silvercrest Group's bid documents, their legal team might make sure she spends some time behind bars."
"I don't care about the feud between the Bridges Group and Silvercrest Group. I only care about the bidding results. If Ayla really sabotaged Silvercrest Group's bid, can we re-bid?"
"The Bridges Group is a big company. Ayla wouldn't do something like that, right?"
"You never know. The Bridges Group has been having financial issues lately. They might be counting on this project to save them!"
Listening to the mocking discussions around her, Ayla's face grew paler, her nails digging into her palms.
She stared coldly at Seb, "Mr. Smith, since you have evidence, show it now. If you can prove it was me, I will give this project to Silvercrest Group. But if you can't, you must apologize to me in public!"
Although her face was calm, only Ayla knew how panicked she was inside.
She was taking a huge gamble, hoping there really was no surveillance in that spot and that Seb had no evidence and was just bluffing.
If she was wrong, all her efforts would be in vain. The shareholders of the Bridges Group would never allow her to remain as the general manager, and Garry would be completely disappointed in her.
But she had no choice. If she showed any sign of guilt now, it would be no different from admitting it.
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