Bruno retorted, “Grandma, while I didn’t see it with my own eyes, it’s highly probable. Grandma, look, she still hasn’t shown up. She must be unwilling to fulfill the bet after losing. You must stand up for me.”
“Calm down a bit. There’s one more minute until the meeting starts,” the grandmother, who managed the Henley family group, maintained her dignity.
Thirty seconds later, someone with sharp eyes exclaimed, “Sophia is here, and her useless husband is here too!”
“Arriving so late, she really thinks she’s a big shot. What an attitude.”
“Exactly, look at her expression. She’s so happy even after failing in the negotiations. She’s heartless.”
“Associate with the wicked and you become wicked, stay with trash for too long, and you’ll get tainted as well.”
People around the meeting table began their usual cold taunts and sarcasm.
Sophia tuned out the buzzing annoyance and approached Teresa, greeting her, “Good morning, grandmother.”
Bruno shot Sophia a sideways glance, “Sophia, so many of us waited for you. You sure have some nerve.”
“I wasn’t late, so shut your mouth!” Sophia retorted irritably.
“Sophia, even though you weren’t late, arriving last is disrespectful to Grandma and is still wrong!” Fanny supported Bruno.
Sophia coldly chuckled, “Fanny, do you think Bruno’s farts smell like roses?”
Leo mentally applauded: Good comeback!
“You-” Fanny’s face turned green with anger.
“Alright, everyone, take your seats. Let’s start the meeting!” Teresa wasn’t fond of the bickering among her grandchildren.
Sophia took a document from her bag and placed it on Teresa’s desk, saying, “Grandma, this is the full authority exclusive agency agreement I signed with Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company. Please take a look.”
“Full authority exclusive agency agreement?” Bruno’s eyes widened as he abruptly stood from his chair and grabbed the document from the table. “Grandma, this agency agreement must be fake!”
“Put it down!” Teresa ordered in simple words.
Bruno obediently placed the document back on the table.
“Grandma, Sophia’s negotiations indeed failed. This agreement is definitely forged!” Fanny, with a sneering expression, continued, “To secure her position as the general manager, she resorted to this despicable tactic. Shameless.”
Sophia grew furious, “Fanny, do us all a favor and close your foul mouth! Bruno, whether this agency agreement is real or fake, Grandma will find out!”
Sophia’s words prompted Teresa to flip open the contract. Bruno quickly looked as well.
The contract contained clauses related to the agency agreement, complete with signatures from Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company and Sophia and Alvin Simpson.
“This can’t be!” Bruno still couldn’t believe the situation.
He had spent a fortune bribing Alvin’s secretary, Kevin, who had provided Alvin with fabricated information. As long as there was no thorough investigation, the forgery wouldn’t be detected.
In this situation, anyone who wasn’t an idiot wouldn’t sign an exclusive agency agreement with Sophia.
Seeing Teresa’s serious expression, Bruno felt uneasy and cried out, “Grandma-”
Teresa closed the agency agreement and declared in an unwavering voice, “This agency agreement is real.”
Even though Grandma favored Bruno due to her inclination, Sophia was still her granddaughter and a member of the Henley family. Sophia’s ability to secure the exclusive agency rights for Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company was, in any case, a positive development for the entire Henley family.
Exclusive agency rights were much more significant than ordinary agency rights. In essence, with exclusive agency rights, the agent became the sole distributor of the cosmetics produced by Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company. This meant that by signing an exclusive agency agreement, the products effectively became the sole property of the Henley family.
Leveraging the robust strength of Azure Financial and the extensive background of Azure Cloud Group, the quality of Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company’s products was undeniably trustworthy.
For Teresa, a cosmetics manufacturing company wasn’t necessarily the focal point. Her plan involved using Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company as a platform to connect the Henley family with Azure Cloud Group. This step was crucial for the Henley family’s aspirations to join the ranks of top-tier aristocratic families.
With the terms clearly laid out, although Teresa leaned towards Bruno in her heart, as the leader of the Henley family, she had to uphold fairness in certain matters.
Certainly, this was a chance to test Bruno as well.
Fanny and the other members of the Henley family were equally stunned by the revelation of the truth.
“I never thought Sophia would really succeed. Bruno’s face must be burning right now.”
“Something doesn’t feel right. Breeze Cosmetics and Sophia Cosmetics are evenly matched in strength. Both are Henley family companies. Why didn’t the owner of Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company choose Bruno but chose Sophia instead?”
“I have a feeling there’s more to this than meets the eye. Could there be something fishy going on?”
Suddenly, Teresa’s expression softened. She looked at Sophia and praised her, “Sophia, successfully securing the exclusive agency rights with Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company is quite impressive.”
“Thank you, Grandma.” Sophia smiled in response.
As Bruno gazed at Sophia’s triumphant expression, his eyes burned with jealousy and anger. In his opinion, this honor should rightfully belong to him.
Fanny also felt uneasy. Hadn’t Bruno arranged everything perfectly? How could things have taken such a turn?
Hearing the discussions around her, Leo sneered inwardly. These Henley family relatives were truly fickle. They leaned wherever the wind blew.
“Sophia’s company has secured the exclusive agency rights for Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company. In my opinion, it won’t be long before Sophia Cosmetics becomes a leading cosmetics company. This opportunity could also elevate our Henley family to new heights.”
“Exactly, no wonder Grandpa held Sophia in such high regard while he was alive. Now I understand.”
“I suddenly feel like investing in Sophia Cosmetics. This agency matter is definitely an opportunity.”
Hearing the discussions around him, Leo smirked inwardly. These relatives of the Henley family were quite fickle, leaning wherever the wind blew.
“Alright, quiet down,” Teresa tapped the table and the hushed conversations ceased.
Teresa raised her voice, “Now, I’ll announce two things. First, remove Bruno from his position as the general manager of Breeze Cosmetics. Fanny will take over.”