Chapter<b>60</b><b>It’s</b><b>You</b>
Sylvia led a surprise visit to Ward’spany<b>with</b><b>her</b>team in tow. Ward was caught<b>off-</b>guard, in<b>the</b>midst of a meeting about securing the partnership, when he was told Sylvia and her entourage hade<b>to</b><b>assess</b><b>the</b><b>ce</b><b>.</b>The stakes were<b>clear</b>: pass the inspection and the partnership would proceed;<b>fail,</b>and it was all over.
Ward was anxious, having no idea what Sylvia nned to inspect. He trailed behind her, watching nervously as she examined everything scrupulously, even plucking leaves from the potted nts they passed. Once they settled in<b>the</b>office, Sylvia didn’t press about the partnership. Instead, she casually inquired about how things had been and what they had been discussing earlier.
Ward exined everything candidly. There was a time when, as a street punk, he had run into Sylvia’s brothers and endured a heavy reprimand<b>from</b>them. Since then, he’d known Sylvia wasn’t someone to be taken lightly.
“Can you give it to me straight? If there’s something about what we do that you’re not impressed with, you can tell me. I can handle it,” Ward finally said, bordering on desperation.
Sylvia paused, thenughed softly. “Calm down. The partnership will continue. I’m here to see for myself what’s going on. Frankly<b>,</bpared to otherpanies the Ivans work with, you’re small. But I’m willing to give you a chance<b>.</b>The n you submitted impressed me, and that’s why I’m here. Now<b>,</b>you need<b>to</b>convince not just me, but the critics I’ve brought along. And let me warn you–they’re excellent at finding faults.<b>If</b>you can handle them, consider our partnership secure.
Ward knew hispany wasn’t the usual caliber Sylvia partnered with, but her willingness to give them this chance spurred him on. He was ready to give it his all.
After the meeting, as Ward busied himself addressing the feedback, Sylvia stepped out to make a call to Bruce<b>.</b>They’d received news this morning that Cyril wanted to partner with Ward, and Sylvia was determined not to let Cyril secure the deal without a fight. Besides, why should Cyril get first dibs on working with Ward?
Perhaps there was a hint of retaliation in her actions; after all, the past three years hadn’t been easy<b>.</b>It wouldn’t sit right with her to just let bygones be bygones without making things at least a bit difficult for Cyril.
Sylvia’s next stop was to check out the rest of thepany. Despite its modest size, the overall vibe was promising.
Juliet arrivedte<b>,</b>carrying a stack of documents which she handed to<b>Sylvia</b><b>.</b><b>“</b>This<b>is</b>from your brother. There’s an inspection at the mall this afternoon<b>,</b>and he wants<b>you</b><b>to</b>oversee it<b>,</b><b>”</b>Juliet exined. The files detailed<b>a</b>promotional event featuring Sylvia’s second brother, aiming to make a ssh<b>with</b><b>this</b>year’s<b>concert</b>by starting with today’s showcase.
Realizing that this meant her brother was expecting arge turnout, Sylvia couldn’t help<b>but</b>dread the chaos that might ensue. No wonder Bruce wanted her to be there.
As Sylvia and Juliet approached the mall<b>,</b>they didn’t announce themselves, choosing to blend in as ordinary shoppers. On a usual day, the<b>mall</b>wouldn’t be this crowded – but today, Brock’s presence transformed it into a bustling hub.
Having attended several of Brock’s concerts before,<b>they</b>expected the energy, but the sheer scale of the excitement still startled them as they arrived.
“Goodness, imagine if this was at a bigger venue like a stadium<b>;</b>the fans would swarm your brother!” Juliet whispered, loudly enough for Sylvia to hear despite the din.
Sylvia smiled ruefully; she’d always known her brother was a favorite, but this outpouring of affection still amazed her.
“No wonder Bruce wanted me toe. He probably didn’t want to deal with this crowd. Let’s head to the central hall. I heard that’s where the event is,” she suggested.
As they edged through the throngs, a bright–eyed girl with golden hair rushed up and grabbed Sylvia’s hand. “It’s you, I know you!”
Sylvia was taken aback–she’d never seen this girl before.
“Last time at the lounge, I saw you sing. You performed Brock’s songs, remember? I wanted your contact then, but you were swamped. Can I get it now? It’s fate, meeting you here again.
Delighted, Linda was overjoyed to run into Sylvia after missing an opportunity to connect
before.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.
Sylvia chuckled, took out her phone, and willingly exchanged numbers.
“Are you here for the signing event? You might bete; they could be gone. But there’s a good spot over there for pictures—you’ll get a clear shot of his face.”