Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 209

Sometimes, I felt like Neil and Russel had some sort of telepathy going on.

They know each other so well that it was like they could predict each other's moves and thoughts.

I just basically rolled with it.

"Don't trust a word he said. Just trust me." Russel paused, then continued, "He's tried to drive a wedge between us."

He was pretty straightforward about it.

Given how things stand, I'm inclined to believe Russel. I trust him not just because we're currently an item but because he has always been a stand-up guy.

"Alright, I got it," I gently explained, "Don't worry, I didn't see Neil alone. We just bumped into each other at a party. He was the one who approached me."

"I trust you," Russel replied with certainty.

We chatted a little more before I had to hang up for work.

No sooner had I hung up than I received a notification for an emergency meeting. It was from my mom.

Considering the message was directly from my mom, I had a bad feeling about it, and my mood instantly took a nosedive. I hurried towards the meeting room.

The meeting wasn't for all the top management, but just the procurement team.

The meeting was simple: a couple of suppliers suddenly informed us that they could not continue supplying raw materials. It was a sucker punch.

My mom solemnly informed everyone that StarGlow Enterprises had poached these suppliers by offering them a higher price.

Even though we had contracts with them, they were willing to pay the penalties.

So now we needed to find a solution as soon as possible. We have to try to convince these suppliers to change their minds and continue working with us while also reached out to other potential suppliers.

StarGlow Enterprises made their move so quickly?

And, these suppliers were even willing to pay penalties to sever ties with us.

"Rena, you're coming to dinner with me tonight. I've arranged a meeting with Dominic Evans," my mom called out to me, sounding a bit worn out.

"Alright," I nodded.

Dominic is one of our most important raw material suppliers. His father ran their family business and was good friends with my mom. Dominic took over the company two years ago. Although he hasn't stopped working with us, he did propose increasing prices, which my mom didn't agree to.

By nightfall, I headed out to dinner with my mom. It was less of a dinner and more of a work meeting.

Dominic, around forty, looked quite sharp. Over dinner, it was mostly him and my mom talking while I just sipped my drink at the right moments.

"Mrs. Finch, we're all in this for the profit. I now have a better partner. I can't just let the money slip through my fingers, can I?" After a few rounds of drinks, Dominic stated his position clearly.

My mom went straight to the point, "What price did StarGlow Enterprises offer you?"

When Dominic quoted the price, my mom and I exchanged glances. We knew we couldn't afford it.

After some negotiation, I had quite a few drinks and felt a bit queasy.

I excused myself from the room and threw up quite a bit in the bathroom.

On my way back to the room, I ran into Gloria and Bonnie.

"Ms. Finch!" Gloria greeted me. The man with her excused himself.

Bonnie looked vibrant and wore a sweet smile. There was indeed a resemblance between her and Gloria.

In my previous life, she completely defeated me; in this life, I didn't lose, but Bonnie was like a parasite, tenaciously clinging to me.

"Bonnie, what do you want?" I was really fed up.

"Irene, I just hope you could attend my engagement party with Neil. I mean no harm," Bonnie insisted that I attend her and Neil's engagement party.

She was half out for revenge and half for showing off. I knew what she was up to.

I took the invitation she handed me, "I got it."

Bonnie finally wore a satisfied smile on her face.

When I got back to the private room, the atmosphere was pretty frosty. My mom looked a bit upset, and Dominic looked even worse. Clearly, their negotiation hadn't gone so well.

"Dominic, I gotta ask, besides the price, what's got you so hell-bent on choosing StarGlow Enterprises? They're just a startup," my mom stood up to question.

Mr. Dominic chuckled, "Mrs. Finch, you know, Bonnie, the VP of StarGlow Enterprises, is about to marry Mr. Whitmore. I am not changing my mind. Maybe we can do business together in the future."

After saying that, he took off. My mom and I were left in the room, feeling pretty down in the dumps.

"Now that StarGlow Enterprises has the backing of a powerhouse like Whitmore Co., they're set for smooth sailing," my mom sighed, "Neil might have had a hand in this."

"Mom, let's head home. It's getting late," I walked over to her, helping her up and murmuring.

My mom nodded, but she still looked pretty worried. I didn't tell her about running into Bonnie and Gloria earlier. I didn't want to add to her worries.

Was Dominic genuinely convinced that StarGlow Enterprises had a bright future, or had he been strong-armed into siding with them because of Neil's interference?

I had a bad feeling about this. If Neil really was pulling the strings behind the scenes, my family's company might be in for a heap of trouble, and it could only get worse.