Whats She Overheard in Her Own Marriage novel Chapter 196

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Chapter 196

Chapter 196

Kaia nodded. “It was fine.”

Finnian followed up with another remark. “It looked like your group got along very well. Great team spirit.”

Kaia gave him a weird look over her shoulder. Was this him being caring?

In her memory, Finnian rarely said things like this, and he certainly never cared about the dynamics of her business trips.

“Teamwork is the key to success,” Kaia replied flatly.

Finnian seemed to take the hint that he was being shut down and didn’t push it any further.

A few days later, Aethelstan Biopharma was gearing up for their high-stakes negotiation with Cytogene AG.

Noelle’s fingertips lightly traced the thick stack of draft agreements.

Her team had already revised this document four times, yet Noelle couldn’t shake her underlying

anxiety.

Because of her previous media interviews, she had already made this potential partnership highly public. The entire industry was watching.

A single mistake now could lead to catastrophic losses down the line.

Wendy, her assistant, walked in with a reminder. “Ms. Lawrence, the tickets are booked. Our flight leaves tonight at eight.”

Noelle looked up, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear and smoothing out her navy blue suit. “Good. Tell the team to get ready to head out.”

Dr. Gordon Hayes was also joining them on this trip. He took a company car to Noelle’s gated community, registered with security, and took the elevator straight to her front door.

“Let me take those,” Gordon said, eyeing the two suitcases she had packed-one large, one carry-on. As Noelle sat in the entryway changing her shoes, Gordon considerately gathered all her belongings. Noelle cast one last glance back at her apartment, grabbed her handbag, slipped on her sunglasses, and closed the door behind her.

“We have to succeed this time. I won’t let anyone turn me into a laughingstock again.” Leaning against the wall of the elevator, her eyes were hidden behind the dark lenses, but her voice carried a ruthless determination.

Gordon replied in his steady, calming tone, “I know. I’ll do everything I can.”

Noelle finally turned to look at him, a look of appreciation tugging at her lips. “Gordon, I’ve always believed in your abilities. You never disappoint me.”

Gordon’s dark eyes flickered. He stared down at the luggage, seemingly afraid to meet the gaze hidden behind her sunglasses.

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“I know,” he said, his voice dropping even softer.

Once outside, Gordon practically acted as Noelle’s butler, handling every logistic flawlessly. Like a queen. Noelle slid into the back of the car and leaned back against the leather seat to rest

The team flew out shortly after.

The negotiation was set in Switzerland.

As soon as Noelle arrived at the hotel, she called Finnian. He gave her some words of encouragement and strategic advice.

The next day, her team arrived promptly at the conference room. Cytogene’s delegation was already there.

Leading their side was a German woman with impeccably styled silver hair-Dr. Shirley, Cytogene’s Senior Vice President of Global Strategic Partnerships.

Behind her sat a formidable lineup of technical experts, legal counsel, and market analysts. It was an intimidating sight.

“Dr. Shirley, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Noelle said, standing up and greeting her in fluent English.

“Ms. Lawrence, always punctual,” Dr. Shirley smiled politely. “I hope we can make some substantive progress today.”

After the pleasantries, everyone took their seats. Noelle let out a quiet breath. While she kept her composure on the outside, internally, she felt completely unanchored. She couldn’t help but wonder-if Kaia were sitting in this chair right now, how would she handle this room?

Noelle rubbed her fingertips together, feeling a surge of frustration.

Kaia’s absolute mastery of the science was her armor. She was unflappable in these situations, exuding a power that terrified her competitors. Noelle knew that if Kaia had led this team, there wouldn’t be a second or third round of negotiations. She would have closed it in one.

“Regarding the technology transfer for the gene-editing therapies, we remain firm on our phased licensing model…” Dr. Shirley bypassed the small talk and went straight for the throat the moment she sat down.

Noelle listened carefully. When the discussion shifted to specific deliverables, she interjected. “We are highly committed to this partnership. We propose establishing a joint Asia-Pacific Training Center, funded by both Cytogene and Aethelstan. We will strictly adhere to Cytogene’s protocols for the technology rollout.”

Dr. Shirley’s sharp voice cut through her pitch. “Ms. Lawrence, your proposal is constructive. However, establishing a training center requires massive resources and time. We need clear, binding terms regarding liability and the exact investment ratios from both parties.”

“Of course,” Noelle said, flipping to another page in the binder. “We’ve drafted a few proposals for your review.”

Three hours into the meeting, there was no end in sight.

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When Noelle brought up a tiered profit-sharing model for the next five years as a counter-offer, the Cytogene team hesitated. The negotiations ground to a grueling halt.

It wasn’t until nightfall that they finally called a recess.

Exhausted both physically and mentally, Noelle asked Gordon to take a walk with her along the Rhine riverbank.

Gordon grabbed her trench coat, draped it over his arm, and walked silently beside her.

The river flowed quietly, reflecting the city lights and the stars above.

“Gordon, we’ve put so much work into this, but today was far from the victory I expected. What exactly went wrong?” Noelle rested her hands on the railing, staring out at the dark water.

Gordon thought for a moment before answering. “The terms we proposed carry significant legal risks under their country’s regulatory framework. It’s perfectly normal for Cytogene to be this cautious.”

Noelle closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “How long are they going to keep ‘evaluating’? I’m starting to panic.”

Gordon looked at her with concern. “Ms. Lawrence, we still have a chance. We’re back at the table the day after tomorrow.”

“Do you think… if Kaia were the one negotiating, could she have closed the deal?” Noelle suddenly turned and stared straight into Gordon’s eyes. “What kind of strategy would she use?”

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