The Transactional Marriage That Imploded novel Chapter 75

Bianca pushed back, "Tell your dad we don't need to sign a memo of understanding. We can start exploring the technical roadblocks right away, and I'll draft a preliminary proposal. That way, if Crestwood Dynamics fails, your company won't have wasted any time."

Milo looked conflicted. "My dad is almost definitely going to say no, and I'm not brave enough to ask. He'd chew my head off."

Losing a major client like Fiyato was something Bianca wouldn't be able to justify to the board of directors.

She pressed on. "Then help me set up a meeting with him. I'll talk to him myself."

Milo rolled his eyes. "Don't send me on a suicide mission. Figure it out yourself. I'm not getting dragged into your mess."

With that, he stood up and walked out. Bianca had no choice but to ask Mona to settle the bill and grab the receipt.

When they stepped outside, they saw Milo pulling out in his obnoxiously loud, purple Ferrari. He waved at Bianca. "Bye!"

The sports car roared off down the street.

Bianca looked up at the blazing sun hovering in the sky and muttered, "Driving a convertible in Austin City. Doesn't he care about getting a sunburn?"

Yet Milo's skin wasn't just un-tanned; he had a never-sees-the-sun complexion.

It suddenly dawned on Bianca that this guy was probably a creature of the night. He had likely just been sent by his dad, Marcus Wilder, to brush her off today.

Turning to Mona, she said, "Try to schedule another meeting with Marcus Wilder. Tell him I can personally solve his technical issues. Any time that works for him is fine."

Bianca might not have considered herself an expert in corporate management, but when it came to technology, she never backed down. If she couldn't solve a problem, Crestwood Dynamics certainly couldn't either.

While Milo was driving, Marcus called him.

"Did you brush that woman off?"

"I did," Milo replied. "But Bianca actually seems pretty genuine. Why not give her a shot? Otherwise, our product iterations are going to be stalled."

Marcus sighed. "She crossed Mathis Jagger, and Mathis personally gave me a heads-up. How can I not do him a favor? Honestly, we'll probably have to wait until she leaves Austin City before we can sit down with Stellaride again."

Mathis rubbed his temples and ordered coldly, "You don't need to look into it anymore. I'll send someone else."

He had to find Mabel. She was Bianca's only weakness.

...

As soon as Bianca got back to the office, she called Elias Donovan in.

She didn't waste time. "Mr. Donovan, what do you think of the proposal the R&D team gave Fiyato?"

"There's massive room for technical improvement," Elias said bluntly. "When the first draft was finished, I didn't even sign off on it before it was sent straight to the client. The client getting pissed off is completely justified. If I were them, I'd blow a gasket too. That first draft was absolute garbage."

Bianca looked thoughtful. "Who do you think took the proposal? Do we still have the security footage?"

Elias shook his head. "I checked the footage the same day. There's a blank gap—someone definitely tampered with it. As for suspects, realistically, it could be anyone in the company."