Next Man, Better Plan novel Chapter 44

He chuckled nonchalantly. "And what could you possibly repay me with?"

"I..." Victoria looked flustered. Having been poor for over twenty years, her every move, even her style of dress, radiated a certain unrefined, small-town air.

Even after four years of trailing after Stephanie, she had only managed to mimic the superficial aspects of her style, like a poor imitation.

Quennel's friends, who were standing with him, all laughed at the sight.

Back then, Stephanie had kindly walked over to help Victoria out of the awkward situation. As a fellow woman, she didn't want her friend to be judged for her appearance. Victoria's humble background had limited her perspective, and that wasn't her fault.

But this same Victoria, who hadn't been worthy of a second glance from these wealthy heirs, had somehow managed to worm her way into their circle within six months.

Stephanie wasn't sure when things had started to change between her and Quennel. By the time she noticed, it was already like this.

The meeting continued.

Troy droned on, analyzing heaps of experimental data. He was only thirty-five, but his hair was almost completely gone.

Troy scratched at the few remaining strands on his head before finally getting to the point at the end of the meeting.

"As I'm sure you've all heard, we still have an opening for an assistant director. I have to go on a business trip for a while, and before I get back, the responsibilities of the R&D department will fall on the new assistant director's shoulders."

Everyone exchanged glances, and a few pairs of eyes landed on Stephanie.

She was the one most favored by the management, had the highest qualifications among them, and had even skipped a grade in high school—a certified genius.

Serena raised her hand. "Mr. Cooper, I'd like to formally recommend Victoria! She may be new, but she brought core technology with her. Using her tech for the new product launch later this year will definitely make Sapphire Group a leader in the industry!"

Troy lifted his gaze to look at Victoria.

It was true; in their industry, technology was king. It was the foundation of their success.

Verdant Grove Capital was one of the top companies in Veridian. While Sapphire Group had done well over the years, landing a partnership with a company like that would cause their business to skyrocket.

Verdant Grove Capital valued stability in its partners, meaning any contract they signed would be for a minimum of three years.

Three years. Whichever technology Verdant Grove Capital chose, the other would likely be shelved and forgotten.

Stephanie's expression darkened.

Before, this would have been easy. She could have just gone home and said a word to the Gonzalez family, and they would have certainly done her this favor.

But she and Quennel had just had a massive falling out.

That's right. Verdant Grove Capital was the Gonzalez family's company, and Ternence was its legal representative.