Bianca sheepishly admitted, “No, I was just taking a chance. I’m not familiar with his schedule.”
But since both the CEO and Justin were here today, this could be an opportunity for her.
Rushing to convey her purpose, Bianca added, “Mr. Wilson, I really hope you can do me a favor. I have something very important to discuss with him.”
Justin struggled with his decision about what to do.
He knew he needed to ask Dave for permission first.
“Bianca, what brings you here to see the CEO?” he asked before reaching out to Dave. He wanted to understand why Bianca had come so suddenly.
Bianca looked away and quickly admitted, “Honestly, I rushed here because I heard rumors that Phoenix Alliance Group wants to acquire Cherish, my mother’s brand.”
Hearing this, Natalie sneered in disbelief. “Bianca, are you serious? Cherish is just a minor acquisition. Do you really think Mr. Evans would care about this? And asking for an introduction to the CEO through Mr. Wilson? Who do you think you are?”
Although Cherish had recently made progress in the international luxury market, it still couldn’t compete with the bigger, established brands. Even with its global presence, its foundation and stability were nowhere near that of the larger companies.
For the vast business empire of the Phoenix Alliance Group, Cherish was insignificant.
Ignoring Natalie’s mocking, Bianca turned to Justin with sincere eyes.
“Mr. Wilson, I just heard that the CEO personally approved the purchase of Cherish, and there’s no one in charge of it right now. That’s why I made this request. Please…”
“Okay, I understand,” Justin said gently, smiling warmly at Bianca. “I’ll contact the CEO right away to discuss this.”
“Really? Thank you so much!” Bianca replied, her eyes shining with excitement.
Natalie, standing a distance away, was completely stunned. Her first instinct was to confront Justin. “Mr. Wilson, why are you-”
Justin shot her a sharp glare, causing Natalie to shrink back in fear. Frustrated, she bit her lower lip, confused by Justin’s continued attention toward Bianca, who had already left Phoenix Entertainment.
In Natalie’s mind, the idea of the CEO meeting Bianca seemed impossible, especially after his refusal to see her.
It would really be something extraordinary if that happened.
Stepping aside, Justin took out his phone and dialed Dave’s number.
“I called you here. Why this sudden call?” Dave’s cold voice came through the receiver.
Justin replied softly, “Dave, I’m here, but guess who I ran into?”
A brief silence followed. Impatience seeped into Dave’s breath on the other end of the line.
Realizing he needed to get to the point, Justin quickly added, “I met Bianca.”
On the other end, there was a noticeable pause before Dave asked, “Why is she here?”
Meanwhile, in his office, Dave seemed more relaxed.
“For the Cherish acquisition,” Justin replied. “I’m not sure what to decide, so I’m looking for your guidance.”
“Of course, I can’t see her so soon.”
Justin had anticipated this response, but he nodded after getting a clear answer. “Okay, I’ll turn her away right away.”
Justin’s last sentence, spoken in a normal tone, reached both Natalie and Bianca.
Hearing this, Natalie felt a surge of satisfaction. She looked at Bianca with disdain. “I warned you. With your status, the CEO won’t meet with you. Even if Mr. Wilson tries to help, it won’t matter.”
“Wait!” Dave’s sudden interruption stopped Justin.
“What’s wrong?” Justin asked, surprised, pausing just before hanging up.
Dave casually replied from the other end, “Let her wait in the reception room for now.”
Justin furrowed his brow in confusion. He couldn’t understand what Dave was thinking.
‘Wasn’t he worried about revealing his identity to Bianca? Why did he suddenly want to meet her?’
But since Dave had given the order, Justin felt he had to follow it. “Okay, I see,” he said with a resigned tone.
After ending the call, Justin approached Bianca. Natalie, expecting Bianca to be rejected and sent away, eagerly waited for the scene to unfold.
To her surprise, Justin’s words took a different turn. “Bianc, the CEO has requested you to wait in the reception room for a while.”
Bianca couldn’t contain her joy. Just moments ago, she had prepared herself for rejection. “So, the CEO is willing to see me?”
“I suppose so,” Justin chuckled lightly.
Hearing this, the onlookers were astonished. All eyes turned to Bianca, wondering about her background and connection. The unexpected permission to meet the CEO left them in disbelief; they hadn’t expected the CEO to agree to see her.
This led to speculation that she must have a special status because of her link to the CEO. As a result, they decided to be more cautious in their future interactions with her.
Natalie, feeling blindsided, exclaimed in disbelief, “How is that possible?” Her voice echoed through the lobby.
“Why is she allowed to see the CEO?” Natalie exclaimed, clearly in disbelief.
Her shout drew everyone’s attention.
“The CEO made the call, and I just passed on the message,” Justin said, lacking the patience for a long explanation. He winked at the CEO’s secretary.
The secretary understood and gestured to Bianca. “Miss Scott, please come this way.”
“Mr. Wilson, are you sure about this? Mr. Evans didn’t even meet with me. Why does he want to see Bianca?” Natalie asked, following Justin and expressing her confusion.
Justin stopped and gave Natalie a cold look. “You think I don’t know why you’re trying to see the CEO? I can tell you’ve not been happy with Phoenix Entertainment lately. You want to expand your network within the whole Phoenix Alliance Group.”
“But Mr. Wilson, that’s not what I-” Natalie’s confident attitude quickly faded.
Justin looked at her and scoffed. “Honestly, they want you to stay at Phoenix Entertainment for old times’ sake. Without you, the company wouldn’t lose anything. We can focus on other artists. The entertainment industry has plenty of talent. If you want to move on from Phoenix Entertainment, you can find opportunities elsewhere.”
With that, Justin walked away without looking back at Natalie.
After receiving the CEO’s disdain, Natalie now faced a direct scolding from her boss. People around her pointed fingers, and the mocking laughter was hard to ignore.
“Really, huh? That’s it!” Natalie’s anger erupted, her face flushing with fury as her once beautiful features twisted in rage. “If that’s how it is, don’t blame me for not giving you a chance.”
Natalie stormed out of the Phoenix Alliance Group building and immediately called her agent at Orion Entertainment. “I’ll join Orion Entertainment on your terms.”