The contract was finalized on that stormy night. Julian negotiated on behalf of the Montgomery Group with Eric, using two of his most valuable land properties as a bargaining chip to secure the contract for Aurora. Aurora was right; there are no free lunches in this world, and even if there were, they come at a cost. The cost, in this case, was paid by Julian, simply because she had once expressed her desire to him to become the vice president.
Since the contract was without issues, the signing went smoothly. Magnus was still somewhat excited; landing such a major deal was a significant development for Montgomery Group. He was particularly happy that his daughter had clinched the deal.
From the board’s decision to the present moment, only a few days had passed. While happy for the company, he felt even prouder and more boastful of his daughter.
“Mr. Gilpin, it’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Jason said as he stood up and shook hands formally.
“Mr. Montgomery, this is Luminary’s first project in Clothville. My boss places great importance on it, so I hope your company won’t disappoint us.”
Magnus nodded repeatedly.
“Montgomery Group is an established name in the industry; rest assured, our cooperation in Clothville won’t just be a one-time thing. Perhaps there will be frequent collaborations in the future. We always maintain a friendly and proactive approach to our partnerships and will certainly not disappoint you.”
“That’s reassuring. I have another meeting, so I must take my leave now,” Jason murmured to himself that Magnus was quite the sly fox, already wooing him for the next deal.
“Please.”
After escorting Jason out and seeing the contract signed in black and white, Magnus finally felt at ease; contracts were incontrovertible.
“Aurora, you’ve really outdone yourself this time.”
“Dad, I didn’t really do much,” Aurora felt as if she were in a fog, likely the easiest contract she had ever signed.
It was normal for her to feel anxious before the contract was signed, but she still felt odd now that it was done. She was accustomed to achieving through hard work and was uneasy about receiving something without effort.
“The things that come too easily don’t feel substantial, making me feel unsettled.”
“You’re just being modest, my child. A deal this big couldn’t have been easy to get. Mr. Gilpin kept praising you; it was your sincerity that moved him to choose us out of forty or fifty companies.
Aurora, you’re the hero of our company this time. With this contract, I can call a board meeting and formally nominate you as vice president.”
“Okay, Dad, it’s still early, so I’ll head back to work. By the way, Grandpa’s birthday is coming up soon; it’s his 80th, so make sure to prepare well.”
Magnus slapped his forehead.
“Right, I can’t believe I almost forgot such an important event.”
Aurora smiled slightly, suspecting that her grandfather’s 80th birthday would be quite the lively event, though to what extent, she did not know.
As they were about to take the elevator back to the office, Ivy rushed over.
“Dad, why was Aurora allowed in the meeting room and not me?”
The secretary beside her had three scratch marks on his face, likely from when he had dragged Ivy away.
Ivy’s appearance only served to upset Magnus further.
“Are you insane? We were just negotiating a deal worth billions.”
This deal could sustain the Montgomery Group for half a year, easily surpassing last year’s profits by several percentage points.
“What are you doing here? If you anger Mr. Gilpin, this whole deal will fall through. What will you use to compensate? Do you realize that dozens of companies are breaking their heads trying to secure this big contract?” Magnus’s questioning left Ivy somewhat dazed, but she quickly recovered, “Even if this contract is huge, it has nothing to do with her.”
“The contract was secured by her; how can you say it has nothing to do with her? You must be out of your mind! Ivy, I hired you to learn. If you’re going to throw a tantrum or just cause trouble, I’d rather you went home and spared us the embarrassment.”
Magnus shuddered at the thought of her recent actions. He wondered if his daughter might be mentally unsound, having clearly explained the importance of the situation, yet she still interfered. She nearly jeopardized the deal, and if the deal, which was almost in hand, were to slip away, the board would surely convene to impeach him.
“Yes, I am an embarrassment, and she is excellent. Dad, now that you’ve driven mom away, are you planning to drive me and my brother away next? Your heart is biased. Can’t you see? I’m starting to hate you more and more!” Ivy cried and ran off again.
Aurora sneered internally; some people just can’t be stopped from digging their own graves. She really thought she was a princess just because she lived with the Montgomery family. Fine, let her continue; it won’t last long.
“Ah, I’ve spoiled them too much, which is why she turned out this way,” Magnus sighed, looking helplessly at the secretary’s facial injury.
“There’s nothing much this afternoon; take half a day off and go to the hospital.”
“Thank you, President,” the secretary said, covering her face as she left.
Aurora spoke calmly, “Dad, according to our previous agreement, between Eric and me, whoever secures the order will become the vice president. Now that I’ve secured the order…”
“Rest assured, Aurora, I’ll convene the board tomorrow. No one will have any objections this time; you’ll be the vice president,” Magnus assured her confidently.
Now that she had proven her capabilities, the board members weren’t fools; they wouldn’t ignore a profitable opportunity.
“Dad, then I’m off. That leaves the manager position vacant,” Aurora purposefully mentioned the impending vacancy.
“Aurora, I won’t hide it from you. Initially, I planned to have your sister take over your position once you were promoted to vice president, but now, I…”
“Dad, you’re thinking correctly. We should support each other since we are family, and that was my intention too, but…”
Aurora paused.
“But what?”
“But based on her performance at work these past few days, I’ve realized she’s not as capable as I imagined. She’s completely unfamiliar with the business, constantly needing help. She throws tantrums all the time, as you’ve seen. She runs off at the slightest provocation. If we let her manage, I’m afraid…”