The CEO Gets What He Wants novel Chapter 428

Thanks to the moonlight and brightly lit streetlamps, Armand finally caught a clear view of Cayden when the latter glanced in his direction.

One thing was for sure—Cayden had beautifully curved lips and exuded boundless elegance and grace.

For a moment, Armand was almost sure that Cayden was a prince who had stepped straight out of a fairy tale. Not only did he have striking features, but there was also an air of aloofness about him. All in all, he radiated a most regal and imposing aura.

Needless to say, Armand felt a little defeated.

He couldn't believe that the man he had just listed as his love rival was such a charming and dignified individual. As much as he hated to admit it, the sight of Cayden hugging the poised and gorgeous Avery was most pleasing to the eye.

After all, the handsome couple was the kind who could easily attract attention and charm the pants off of anyone.

At that moment, the woman Armand had fallen head over heels in love with was snuggled up against Cayden's chest, looking incredibly happy in the safety of his arms.

Of course, that only made Armand even more uncomfortable. However, just as he wanted to approach Avery, he saw Cayden leading her to the car and opening the door like the perfect gentleman.

The woman couldn't help but beam with delight.

Upon seeing that, Armand changed his mind and froze in his tracks.

He knew he had no right to interfere, so all he could do was helplessly watch the luxury car drive away and into the distance.

The next day, Avery was up at the crack of dawn.

After sitting down for breakfast as a family and sending Zachary and Rory to kindergarten, she promptly left for the office in Cayden's car.

When she was finally at her desk, Avery was shocked to see that her drawer was unlocked.

A worried expression instantly marred her face.

Hmm. I remember rushing off to Azure Royal for a gathering with Yvette and the others last night, but I can't remember if I locked my drawer before leaving...

However, Avery soon saw the neat stack of papers in the drawer and recognized the top sheet as the meeting materials she had prepared the day before. Just like that, her suspicions were immediately allayed.

Without further ado, she grabbed the thick stack of documents and walked to the conference room.

As it turned out, the upcoming meeting was very different from before. Not only was Trident Group's design department involved, but Vivi Group's employees would also be present. More importantly, the upper management and directors from both companies would be in attendance, too.

With Cayden and Vivi Group's chairman gracing the event, that meant everyone's words and actions would reflect the image of their respective companies.

Ultimately, they had to gain the approval of Trident Group's CEO and keep the higher-ups of Vivi Group satisfied.

Due to the large turnout, the meeting could only be held in the multimedia room with stepped seating.

Vivi Group's chairman, Johnny Lawson, had already taken his seat on the left side of the conference table. He was a stern-looking middle-aged man who had long gotten used to calling the shots. Aside from his no-nonsense attitude, one couldn't deny that he was in great shape for his age.

Cayden, who was spiffily dressed in a sleek black suit, had settled into a chair on the right of the table. Even though he was much younger than Johnny, his imposing aura was comparable to the latter's.

The higher-ups of Vivi Group quickly filled the seats in the two front rows while the other meeting attendees sat from the third row onward.

Before long, Yvette's team had taken up the entire third row.

Avery decided to join Cecelia, Nina, and Trevor in the middle of the fourth row, but unfortunately, that left an empty seat beside her.

Having noticed the opening, Armand ignored Avery's glower and shamelessly plopped himself into the seat.

Naturally, Avery was annoyed. Argh! What else can I do, though? The meeting is about to start, and I can't possibly argue with Armand over a seat. I could ask to change with someone else, but that'd make me seem overly petty... Oh, forget it. I'll let him be.

Soon, the meeting was officially underway.

The bigwigs of both companies shook hands to kick off the discussion, starting with the development plans for the old commercial district.

Since the two parties had different opinions about the profit distribution and various conflicts of interest to iron out, the goal of the meeting was for them to reach a consensus.

The higher-ups from both companies began taking turns to state their respective cases. They explained the purpose and significance of the development project and even elaborated on how they'd overcome the possible issues. In short, they were all sharing their opinions and ideas to secure more benefits for the company they served.

After an enthusiastic sharing by the higher-ups, it was finally the architects' turn to showcase their plans.

Yvette took the stage first, followed by Wisteria.

Not only were both women the industry's cream of the crop, but they also excelled in the art of negotiation. In their attempts to increase profit for their respective company and prove their design was superior, the women pulled out all stops to showcase and justify their design blueprints.

As it turned out, that was also Avery's first time witnessing Wisteria's design prowess.

The latter was, without a doubt, an accomplished architect. Given the way she had wowed the crowd with her innovative designs and ideas, it was no wonder she was the lead architect for Trident Group.

However, Vivi Group's Yvette was no slouch, either. Her design was unique and impactful, and she could easily hold her own against Wisteria.

When it came to Armand's turn to present, Avery got the shock of her life.

Oh, my goodness! Armand's a newcomer to this project like me, but who knew he was this talented? He has all these novel and riveting ideas, some of which have never even crossed my mind! Hmm... Maybe this frivolous blue-eyed man isn't as annoying as I thought.

After Armand, it was Nina's turn to speak, followed by Madeline.

As always, Madeline had put on a flawless face of makeup. Her attire, however, was much more formal, especially since she didn't dare to be overly presumptuous in front of Johnny. Even then, she still paired a figure-hugging white shirt underneath her tailored black suit that left little to the imagination.

Although Madeline's design and presentation weren't as impressive as what her colleagues had prepared, she was still capable enough to add her unique flair and creative touch to her work.

After all, Yvette had a good eye for people management. She would never have chosen Madeline to be part of the urban planning team if the latter had zero redeeming qualities.

Once Madeline ended her presentation, it was time for Avery to take center stage. Alas, she was so nervous that she felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

Cecelia, who had finished her speech, pumped a fist into the air. “You can do it, Ery! There's nothing to worry about. Just treat this like any other normal meeting!”

Nina, too, chimed in, “You'll be fine, Ery! I was also sweating bullets when I first got on stage. As soon as you start presenting, you'll find your rhythm and gradually get the hang of it...”

“Got it. Thank you so much,” Avery replied.

With that, she mustered up her courage as she strode to the conference table with her stack of documents and plugged her flash drive into the laptop.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, a smirk had crept across Yulissa's face as though she knew something was about to happen...