Chapter 87
Chapter 87:
“He seemed to linger over you a bit too long just now.”
With a quirk of his eyebrow, Aiden responded with a touch of humor, “Perhaps my charm was just too much for him to ignore.”
Janice gave a playful eye roll and shot back, “It seems you’re not only clever but quite the narcissist as well.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he teased back, their playful exchange feeling like an intimate dance only they understood.
Connor and Lowell, who were watching this exchange from a distance, felt a mix of suffocation and annoyance.
As they tensed over the pending results, Janice and Aiden didn’t take the bidding seriously at all.
“Dad, I think we might be worrying too much,” Lowell said, managing a strained smile. “Sure, Green Group holds some sway, but it’s obvious Aiden isn’t interested in the project. He’s merely playing along with whatever Janice wants. Janice can barely compete for attention with Delilah. How could she ever pull off something as demanding as a bid proposal?”
Lowell’s words seemed to offer Connor some reassurance, yet they felt more like an attempt to convince himself. He was reluctant to acknowledge that his past proposals could be in any way tied to Janice’s efforts.
“That’s true,” Connor agreed with a nod. “There’s no need for undue concern. Considering what we’ve seen so far, as long as Green Group stays on the sidelines, securing this project should be a sure thing. You’ve poured your heart into this proposal, staying up all night. It’s bound to succeed.”
Lowell’s smile twisted wryly, the optimism failing to reach his eyes. Though he had indeed labored into the early hours, his faith in the proposal’s success had dwindled.
Just then, there was a stir among the representatives from Forest Corp.
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Colson, with a set of bid proposals in hand, let out a weary sigh and furrowed his brow. “I’ve gone through all your submissions. Many are passable, a few are impressive, but a couple are disappointingly inadequate.”
His words cut through the calm, sending a ripple of tension across the room.
Impressive and disappointingly inadequate? What could that possibly mean? Was it possible that amidst a pile of proposals, some shone brightly while others were complete letdowns? Yet, considering the seasoned veterans in the room, it seemed unlikely that any proposal would be outright disastrous, right?
Colson’s eyes swept over the gathered crowd before he pulled out two distinct proposals. “These two made quite the impression on me. Any guesses on which companies they represent?”
A wave of confusion rippled through the room. No one could venture a guess.
The proposals, after all, bore a striking similarity in style.
Without a peek at the signatures, they were indistinguishable. But then, Lowell caught something—a subtle crease, nearly imperceptible unless scrutinized closely.
Was it possible that his proposal had captured Colson’s attention with this subtle mark? The one next to it had to be Janice’s. Only a foolish rookie like her could come up with something so pathetic.
A smirk of derision spread across Lowell’s face as he looked over at Janice.
Perhaps he was reading too much into it. After all, Janice couldn’t possibly put together anything remarkable. Her frequent involvement had probably left his memories all tangled up. Indeed, all prior proposals had been his own creation.
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