The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 106

The most attention-grabbing pair in the room was undoubtedly Sawyer and Jeanette.

"Ms. Yarbrough, The Iverson Group has a strong foothold in Havencrest. I truly believe we'd be the best partner for CICI Group," Sawyer insisted, pushing his way to the front of the crowd to speak to Carlotta, his usual air of superiority nowhere to be found.

Jeanette hovered just behind him, chiming in every so often to back him up.

But at that moment, Carlotta's gaze caught on something—or rather, someone—across the room, and her entire expression softened into a genuine smile. It was a far cry from the polite, professional mask she wore with the rest of them.

Everyone instinctively followed her line of sight.

"Isn't that President Carmichael?" someone whispered in surprise.

Without hesitation, Carlotta slipped through the crowd and strode straight toward Citrine.

The mood shifted instantly, a ripple of surprise and speculation passing through the gathering.

Sawyer and Jeanette were left standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, ignored and out of place.

Someone in the crowd, noticing Carlotta's warm demeanor toward the young woman beside President Carmichael, whispered, "Who's that girl? She seems awfully familiar with the CICI Group's director."

From a distance, they could see Carlotta smiling easily, looking far more relaxed than she had a moment ago.

Someone else recognized Citrine and spoke up, "That's the same girl who was sitting in the front row this morning, chatting with the director of the Medical Research Council. She seemed pretty close with him too. She must be someone important."

Sawyer and Jeanette listened to the murmurs, their surprise quickly giving way to growing frustration. Still, they had no choice but to stand their ground and wait.

Jeanette clenched her jaw, cursing Citrine silently a thousand times over.

Raymond shook Carlotta's hand lightly and let go. "Nice to meet you, Carlotta. I'm Raymond."

He got straight to the point. "I'm here to discuss a potential partnership. If you have a moment, could we find somewhere to talk?"

"Of course. There's a coffee shop downstairs," Carlotta replied, shooting a quick glance at Citrine.

She never could have imagined she'd one day be negotiating with President Carmichael himself—the wealthiest man in Havencrest. Unbelievable. Her luck was almost too good to be true.

Just as she finished speaking, an idea struck her. "Citrine, why don't you join us?"

The three were about to head out when Sawyer suddenly reappeared with Jeanette in tow.

Sawyer hurried over, stepping in front of them with his arms outstretched, blocking their way. He looked directly at Carlotta, his tone deadly serious: "Ms. Yarbrough, you can't choose The Carmichael Group."