Chapter 179
Chapter 179:
Franklin’s smile twitched. “She’s… shy. Not much of a talker. Let’s eat p>
Still blocking the door, he waved for the waiter. Plates started arriving—prawns, roast duck, asparagus spears glazed in something thick and amber. No drinks yet, but the food alone could’ve fed twenty people.
I counted the plates. The total bill would land deep in the four figures.
Maxwell must’ve been holding something they wanted. A project. A contract. Something big enough for the Vances to pull out all the stops and sell their dignity along with mine.
I dropped my gaze, feeling eyes crawling up my arm. Maxwell was still staring; he hadn’t stopped since I came in. His breath came out thick, and his elbow brushed mine again.
I shoved my chair sideways with a sharp scrape. The legs dragged across the tile, loud enough to startle a busboy.
Franklin snapped, “What the hell is wrong with you? Show some manners.” He leaned in close and hissed, “If this deal goes through, I’ll wire you some cash. Just shut up and behave p>
I rolled my eyes so far back it felt like they might get stuck.
He tried to laugh it off. “Let’s eat, then. Mr. Maxwell, how’s the spread? If there’s anything you don’t like, we’ll order something else p>
Maxwell’s eyes stayed locked on me. “It’s fine.” He wasn’t talking about the food.
Still, he didn’t touch his plate.
Eventually, he started chatting with Preston and Franklin, discussing procurement cycles and contract clauses. His attention shifted off me, which meant I could finally breathe. I stayed put, back stiff, fork untouched. I didn’t drink the water.
Preston broke the silence. “Mr. Maxwell, about that project, any update p>
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Maxwell’s cheeks tightened into a grin. His eyes disappeared into the fleshy folds. “Almost at the tender stage p>
“You must be swamped. Appreciate you making the time p>
Franklin jumped in, lifting his glass. “Yes, thank you for squeezing us in. Cheers.” He took a sip, then leaned sideways, lowering his voice. “You know, if the contract lands with us, we’ll be… very grateful p>
He raised two fingers behind the glass and flicked them once.
I caught it.
What did that mean? Twenty thousand? Twenty million? Or twenty percent?
Maxwell didn’t blink. He reached for his fork. “There’s a process. Let’s stick to that. The food looks great p>
Franklin nodded. “Of course, of course. Let’s eat p>
They’d just started moving their cutlery when I cleared my throat.
“Mr. Maxwell, just a heads-up. You should steer clear of Vance Overland. The place is tiny, outdated, and they’ve got a pile of violations stacked higher than their forklifts. Total shitshow p>