Chapter 53 That Rule's out the Window

Fiona had cooled off from her anger yesterday.

She'd already helped Darwin get the materials together for this project.

Darwin was all in.

Making money wasn't the problem. It was just about how much they could rake in.

"Alright, let's cut to the chase," Fiona said, cool as a cucumber. "I've got a rough idea of your financials for the past six months. Long story short, you're bleeding cash."

"Ms. Woods, I want to clarify that our company's overall strength isn't reflected in these financials. Last year, another department took on a bad project, and it tanked early this year. That's why the financials look bad!" Manuel blurted out.

The others jumped in, "Yeah, Ms. Woods, our other projects are killing it!"

"Exactly, or Mr. Solomon wouldn't even think about partnering with us!"

Everyone was talking over each other.

Darwin stayed quiet.

He just watched Fiona, waiting for her to drop the hammer.

Fiona said, "The industry's moving fast. Even big companies have gone belly up in the past couple of years. The Atlas Group plays it safe; we're talking about a multi-billion-dollar deal here. We only look at the current numbers. A loss is a loss, whether it's one project or a bunch. It's all bad management, right?"

Manuel was speechless.

"Mr. Solomon's aunt has some personal ties with your chairman. Honestly, if it weren't for that, I'd tell Mr. Solomon to find a more solid partner," Fiona went on.

Manuel and the others started to panic.

"We've come too far to back out now!"

"Yeah, Ms. Woods, other companies might look good on paper, but who knows what's really going on? At least you know what you're getting into if you choose us!"

Fiona didn't say a word.

She signaled her assistant to fire up the projector. "Here's a draft contract based on our evaluation of your company. Besides the binding terms, the key part is the budget. Look it over, and if it's cool, we can keep talking."

After reading it, Manuel and the crew were floored.

Fiona was brutal!

It was just a couple of bad quarters.

And she stomached slashing the budget by a third?

Even Darwin wouldn't go that far, right?

"Ms. Woods, this budget is way too low!" Manuel said, trying to keep his cool. "We're partnering with you; you can't leave us with nothing, can you?"

Fiona shot back, "Of course not. The Atlas Group isn't here to rob you. This budget leaves room for profit, just not as much as you might want."

Her grandma always said the first offer was just a starting point.

Both sides wanted to work together; it was all about the numbers now.

Manuel's team fought hard.

Fiona didn't budge.

They kept stepping out to make calls, checking with higher-ups overseas who couldn't be there.

They kept throwing out new numbers, and Fiona kept shooting them down.

After what felt like a million rounds, Manuel, worn out, finally offered the budget Fiona had been aiming for.

"Deal." He looked beat and frazzled.

He stared at Fiona, thinking he must've heard wrong.

"Arguing more will just mess up the vibe. The Atlas Group will back off a bit. Deal," she said, sealing the deal.

Manuel looked wiped out.

The contract took a while to finalize.

But they got it signed before nightfall.

Everyone split.

Fiona let out a big sigh, finally relaxing her tense shoulders.

Darwin gave her a gentle pat on the back. "Ms. Woods, you just saved the company a ton of cash."

"Is there a bonus?" Fiona asked, half-joking.

Darwin grinned. "Yep."

"Thanks, Mr. Solomon," Fiona said, trying to stand up, but Darwin pulled her onto his lap.

Fiona was caught off guard.

"Darwin, this is a branch office, there are cameras!" she whispered, trying to get up.

But Darwin held her waist, keeping her in place.

"I should've known earlier how good you are," he said, rubbing her waist.

"Mr. Solomon!" Fiona pressed his hand. "No PDA, remember? That's your rule."

Darwin frowned. "That rule's out the window!"

"Darwin, I just crushed their spirits. If they see this, what do you think they'll say?" Fiona said sternly, "No one will respect my skills; they'll just think I rely on you!"

Darwin went quiet and let her go.

Fiona quickly straightened her clothes, shot him a disdainful look, and stood by the door waiting for him.

Darwin was always getting the cold shoulder from Fiona.

At first, it made him mad, but now he just felt bummed out.

He couldn't even hug her?

He pulled out his phone and texted Henry.

He told Henry to delete the recent footage from the conference room.

Then he got up and walked to the door.

Fiona opened it for him and followed him out.

A lot of people in the company already knew about Fiona's big win.

Most of the guys gave her subtle looks.

The women, some with disdain, others with admiration.

As usual, when visiting a branch office for a meeting, Darwin would leave first, and Fiona would stay to handle the small stuff.

She stood by the elevator, watching him get in.

He didn't look at her, busy with his phone.

Yesterday at the airport, Darwin had forced Fiona to take him off her blacklist.

As the elevator doors closed, Darwin put away his phone and looked at Fiona.

Fiona's phone buzzed twice.

She glanced at it.

Mr. Solomon: [Just go through the motions.]

[I'll wait for you for dinner.]

Fiona looked at it, feeling a bit dazed.

They seemed like a couple secretly dating in the office, having a perfectly normal conversation before the end of the workday.

This thought just popped into her head, and Fiona immediately snapped out of it.

She pinched her palm to wake herself up.

There wasn't much to do at the branch office.

Fiona just took a tour with the general manager.

As they were about to wrap up, a mocking voice came from behind. "Isn't this Ms. Woods?"

Fiona turned around.

She saw a stylishly dressed woman, about twenty-four or twenty-five, walking over with a sway.

"Ms. Garcia!" the general manager quickly greeted her.

Thalia Garcia was Anniston's sister's daughter.

Fiona had met her once.

Thalia crossed her arms, looking Fiona up and down with disdain. "I've heard Darwin is willing to spend a lot on you. Seems true. But Lilian wouldn't dress so extravagantly. You're not a very good stand-in, are you?"

The Substitute's Revenge: From Secretary to Queen
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