Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 1199

Walter just stared, silent. He had no interest in playing along.

He dropped the nickname argument and switched gears back to business. “Here’s the contract we put together. Take a look and let me know if you want to change anything.”

“Sure,” Audrey said, accepting the papers. She read through them carefully, then, since nothing looked off, signed her name without hesitation. While she sipped her tea and nibbled on pastries, they talked through the details of the partnership.

The Wilson Group already had a solid head start in AI systems, mostly because of Camila Davis’s breakthrough product. But The Smith Group hadn’t been sitting idle. After learning the hard way, Jordan Smith had managed to recruit two top tech experts from overseas, and now The Smith Group was closing the gap.

The Wilson Group needed to hold onto their lead, and that’s why teaming up with The Williams Group was so important. They couldn’t just let The Smith Group catch up in this area.

Audrey leaned in a little, her voice confident. “NextGen Technologies is going to send over some of our best engineers so they can work side by side with your team. And, we just heard, the Aux Summit is happening in Harrisburg in three months…”

She was talking about a major event, even bigger than the one Camila had attended before.

“This summit isn’t just local. It’s drawing in global tech giants and leaders from NextGen Technologies. Basically, it’s a world-class event. If we can get everything ready in time, The Wilson Group could really make a splash there.”

Walter already knew about the summit and had been making plans. He was sure The Smith Group was doing the same.

He and Audrey spent a long time hashing out the plan, covering every angle until they finally reached an agreement.

“That’s settled, then. I’m ready to start as soon as your tech team arrives,” Walter said as he stood up, ready to walk Audrey out himself.

But Audrey just stayed put on the sofa, watching his movement with a playful glint in her eyes. “You’re sending me off already? Walter, are you really so quick to forget me now that business is done? We just closed an amazing deal. Shouldn’t you at least take your client out for dinner? Or, hey, I could treat you.”

Walter couldn’t help but laugh. “Didn’t we just have dinner yesterday? And don’t you need to head back to The Smith Group?”

Audrey answered, totally unfazed. “Yesterday was dinner with a friend. Today would be dinner with a client. Not the same thing, right? Besides, last night you promised to show me around, but your friends pulled you away for poker. I’m the brains behind The Williams Group, so all I have to do is give instructions and let my team handle the details. You’ve got things under control here, so why not make good on your promise tonight?”

Walter was a bit surprised. He was curious about what Iris wanted to talk about, but he was the kind of person who kept his promises.

He looked at her and shook his head. “Sorry, tonight’s not a good time. Let’s talk work another day. I already have plans.” Then he turned to Audrey, who was still on the sofa, and called softly, “Audrey, ready to go?”

Hearing her name, Iris finally noticed Audrey sitting there. The pretty pastries on the table were clearly picked out for her. It was obvious Audrey had been there for a while.

Jealousy flashed in Iris’s eyes, but she kept her expression polite and forced a smile. “Oh, you’re having dinner with Audrey? Since we all know each other, why not invite me along? It’d be nice to have dinner together.”

Audrey saw right through her intentions. She knew Iris was trying to wedge herself between her and Walter, using work as an excuse. If it was really about business, why not schedule a meeting earlier? Why show up just as everyone was leaving for the day? Her motives couldn’t be clearer.

Last night there were too many people around, so Audrey hadn’t been able to refuse. Tonight, she had no intention of letting Iris get her way.