At that mont, just as Cora was about to end the call, she suddenly paused. Again her voice ca through the line with a calm but deliberate tone. "Since you said you’ll be going with to see Levi," she said, "then I don’t see any reason to keep saying no. I’m still not totally okay with the idea, but honestly, I’m curious. I want to know what exactly Levi wants to show. So, go ahead—accept the invitation."
Malisa’s eyes lit up imdiately. "That’s very good," she replied, nodding to herself with a small grin. "I was hoping you’d say that. I’ve also been dying to know what he’s talking about. And now that you’ve decided to give it a second thought, we might finally get to the bottom of everything. Whatever Levi saw in Jas’ house... it might be even bigger than we imagined."
Cora leaned back into her chair, her expression unreadable. "Hmm," she muttered softly, her eyes narrowing just a little. "Whatever it is, I’ll see it myself. Then I’ll know how to move."
"And one more thing," Malisa added, sitting upright as if energized, "if this really leads us to knowing what Jas is planning or hiding, then we’ve just taken the first right step."
Cora gave a small sigh, but not out of frustration this ti, it was more like cautious readiness. "No problem," she said. "Both etings would be arranged."
At that mont, Cora would then end the call. But even after the line dropped, her phone still in hand, she didn’t move. Her eyes were fixed ahead, lost in deep thoughts. The news of her eting with Robert had planted sothing powerful in her chest, a quiet but burning fla of ambition that began to spread through her entire being. She leaned back against the cushion of the sofa, her mind racing faster than her heart.
Robert wasn’t just any CEO.
He was the direct heir to one of the most financially and politically influential family in the country. The na "JSK" alone commanded respect in boardrooms around the world. Their investnts stretched across continents, their reach was deep, and their influence was feared. If JSK had sent in a proposal to work with her company... then this wasn’t just a random corporate interest. It was deliberate. It was calculated. And it ant they saw sothing in her. They recognized her power.
Cora gently placed her phone down on the glass table in front of her. She stood up slowly and walked over to the wide window that overlooked the city. The skyline shimred in the fading light, tall buildings glowing beneath the evening sun. One day, her gacity would shine brighter than all of them. This was no longer just about developnt it was about identity, about proving to the world that she wasn’t just the woman people gossiped about in quiet corners or tried to bring down in boardrooms. She was a force. And this partnership with JSK... this would be her formal declaration.
At that mont Her fists clenched softly at her sides. This project was going to be the crown jewel of her empire. She could already see the headlines: "Cora Breaks Boundaries in Multi-Billion gacity Deal with JSK". A smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
Without wasting any more ti, she walked quickly back to the coffee table, picked up her phone, and scrolled to Oliver’s contact. She didn’t hesitate. Her thumb tapped the call button.
It rang twice.
"Cora," Oliver answered.
She didn’t waste a second. "Robert and his company JSK they’ve decided to partner with us," she said, her voice steady but filled with underlying excitent. "It’s about the gacity project. The one I whispered to you about."
At that mont, Oliver stay quiet for a few seconds. His thoughts trailed back to the number of etings they had sat through in the past big nas, powerful firms, all of them rejecting any form of partnership with Cora then. And now, suddenly, JSK the biggest of them all—was the one reaching out.
"You had a lot of people who actually rejected a collaboration years ago," he finally said, his tone filled with doubt. "So what is actually happening now? What changed their minds?"
However Cora didn’t rush her reply. She walked slowly toward her desk, picked up a glass of water, and stared at her reflection in the window again. Then she said quietly but firmly, "Well... I don’t know, Oliver. Maybe... they finally see that things are not what they used to think."
She turned around and leaned against the desk.
"Back then, I was just building a rising company then without by family na, too ambitious for our size. They didn’t see as a threat. They didn’t think we would last. But now? Things have changed. Our last two projects made the top headlines. Our revenue doubled in less than a year. That’s not small news, Oliver. Maybe now... they’ve seen their mistake."
Oliver exhaled deeply on the other end of the line. "And they want to make ands?"
"Exactly," Cora nodded. "Even though they rejected us last ti, this ti they’re the ones knocking on our door. It’s not pride. It’s strategy. They know we’re not going anywhere. So they either stand beside us now or get left behind."
She paused, then added with a low confident voice, "That’s the power of results."
At that mont, Oliver shook his head slowly, his expression tightening with concern. He leaned against the edge of the desk, folding his arms across his chest as his gaze dropped toward the floor for a second before locking back on Cora through the call.
"I don’t see it that way," he said firmly. "I’m sorry, Cora. I really am. But you should know by now. I don’t sugarcoat things, and I don’t pretend everything is fine when it’s not. You know I always try to look at the truth even when it’s uncomfortable."
Cora stayed quiet, listening as Oliver continued.
"People like Robert don’t just change their minds overnight. You rember, don’t you? A year ago, they practically laughed at the idea of a partnership. Now suddenly they’re not only interested, but their CEO is personally reaching out? It doesn’t add up. Sothing’s off. GSK doesn’t move unless there’s sothing big in it for them. And if they’ve seen sothing that valuable in your project, then believe , they’re not coming to help—they’re coming to take."
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