Chapter 174
If Cecilia’s accusations were sugar–coated, Hogan was laying it on thick with his cheers from the sidelines.
But I didn’t want to waste my breath on a shouting match, so I gritted my teeth and said, “I get that we might need to play it by ear in negotiations, but from what I can tell, Mr. Abbott is totally into the idea of us teaming up. He seems to be holding back because of some skeletons in his closet, so I wanna give it another shot.”
“Skeletons in his closet?” Hogan snorted, giving me the stink eye, “He’s just playing hard to get because we’ve chased him down to Pinecrest Hollow. You sure have a soft spot for him.”
The mockery in Hogan’s eyes fanned the flames in my chest.
All I wanted was to seal the deal, why’s he gotta be so snarky?
“What’s up? Scared of giving Mr. Abbott a lesson because he’s Timothy’s buddy?”
The words “Timothy’s buddy” rang in my ears, extra grating.
I took a deep breath, trying to keep my cool, “Mr. Zade, I wish you would chill out.”
“The one who needs to chill is you,” Hogan shot me a glance, “Our offer is sweet enough, it’s Sean who’s being ungrateful.”
Hogan’s hardline stance caught me off guard, and I said with a sense of resignation, “I just wanna give it one more try. Is one day too much to ask?”
That time frame wasn’t exactly an eternity, but it was no blink of an eye either. Hogan could surely wait.
But Hogan seemed to have run out of patience, replying coldly. “He doesn’t deserve it.”
Just as he was about to take off, Cecilia stopped him.
Cecilia grabbed his arm, her voice all syrupy. “Hogan, don’t be mad. Let’s give Xaviera another chance, okay? Maybe Mr. Abbott really does have a reason he can’t spill.”
Hogan paused, looking down at Cecilia, “You’re kinda addicted to playing the peacemaker, huh?”
Chapter
“I’m just looking out for the project,” Cecilia said with a coy smile, “You said it yourself, our offer’s tempting, and Mr. Abbott isn’t a fool, right?”
Hogan’s expression softened a bit.
Seeing this, Cecilia turned to me and said, “But Xaviera, you know the score with our offer. The pay is top–notch, but as for the lead on the project.”
She paused, batting those big beautiful eyes at me, “Do you really have what it takes to convince Mr. Abbott to give up full creative control over the art department?”
Her question caught me off guard.
Hold on, we were all negotiating here, so why was it suddenly on me to get Sean to hand over the reins?
Even though this was part of my plan, hearing Cecilia throw it out there like that still rubbed me the wrong way.
“Xaviera, is it too much to handle?”
The weight was back on my shoulders.
Feeling like I had a lump in my throat, I looked up at Hogan and asked, “So, if I agree to Director Irwin’s terms, Mr. Zade, will you give me one more day?”
Hogan’s brows knitted together, scoffing, “You really don’t know when to quit.”
That was a silent nod to Cecilia’s terms.
I knew it wasn’t fair, but feeling like I had to stand my ground, I shot back, “If the negotiation tanks, I’ll leave it to you to decide my fate, Mr. Zade.”
“You’re quite the protector of a friend’s friend,” Hogan said with an indifferent glance, “Fine, I’ll give you the chance. But Xaviera, if you can’t win Sean over this time, your can kiss the lead goodbye.”
After dropping that bomb, Hogan turned and walked away without giving me a chance to utter another word.
Cecilia quickly caught up, her heels clicking as she followed him, soon latching onto the man’s arm.
I couldn’t make out what she whispered to Hogan, but soon enough, a smile broke through the clouds on his face.
