Chapter 212


    Chapter 212 Just Hit Me Up


    I tossed and turned all night and ended up waking at the crack of dawn.


    Winter mornings in Lake City took their sweet time to brighten up. Squinting at the still–gray sky, it took


    me a minute to remember that I had knocked out at Clearwater Residencest night.


    The sound of soft breathing next to me snapped me back to reality for a second. I did not linger -I


    climbed out of bed, careful not to disturb my soundly sleepingpanion, grabbed my car keys, and


    left.


    After a rough night and with dawn barely broken, I could not just barge into Sweety’s ce and wake


    her, so I headed back to the Scotts instead.


    I caught some more Z’s at the Scotts, and by the time I woke up again, it waste afternoon. Feeling


    refreshed, I lounged in bed and scrolled through my phone.


    A bunch of missed calls popped up–Mom’s, Maxwell’s, and… Idris’s.


    I decided to ring my mom back first. She was not as young as she used to be, and going to weddings


    now tired her out like it has not before. She had a lot to say, and I listened, chiming in when needed.


    Once we had caught up, I called Maxwell back. He was with Mom. He was not that interested in the


    wedding, but how thepany was faring in his absence. I filled him in on everything, including the


    chat I had with Mr. Lowryst night.


    He took a moment after hearing everything, then ventured, “So, judging by what you’ve told me, if we


    can just get Yates Group on board and strike a deal with them, we could lock down a few big projects in


    Avaloria, right?”


    I found myself nodding before I remembered he could not see me. “Yeah, that’s the n,” I confirmed.


    He fell silent, lost in thought. A few secondster, he broke the silence. “I’ve been through Scott


    Corporation’s partners over the years, and there’s barely a trace of Yates Group among them. No ties


    to any big international yers like them, either. Do you really think Yates Group would give us the time


    of day? Remember, they’re not exactly short on cash or clout. If they wanted to, they could easily snag


    all the projects for themselves. For Mr. Lowry and his crew, it’s a lot less hassle to work with one party


    than to juggle two.”


    Maxwell might have a biting wit on any given day, but when it came to work, he was all business,


    thinking things through from every angle.


    His concerns were the same ones that had been nagging at me. I hesitated for a beat, then, instead of


    answering his question directly, I threw a curveball. “Remember the kid who rescued me when Noah


    had me? Inch?”


    “Inch?” His voice wasced with confusion. “What’s he got to do with any of this?”


    “The rich friend he mentioned,” I said, dropping the bombshell, “is Charlie.”


    “Charlie?” Maxwell’s voice spiked with a mix of shock and excitement that he could not quite rein in.


    “You’re talking about that Charlie? The Silvana magnate? The big boss of Yates Group, Charlie?”


    Chapter 212 Just Hit Me Up


    “That’s the one!” I said, with a certainty that felt like a turning point. “I just found out myself.


    The line went quiet for a few seconds before the voice on the other end finally broke the silence. “So,


    you’re looking to have a chat with Charlie, hoping to get Scott Corporation and Yates Group to team up


    on those Avaloria projects?”


    “Yeah!” I chimed in eagerly. “I want to give it a shot. Whether it pans out or not, I’ve got to try.” If I could


    notnd the project, I would just drop it. Now, thanks to a chance encounter with Inch, and Inch’s solid


    rapport with Charlie, why not use that connection to my advantage?


    There was a brief pause on the line before Maxwell’s voice came through. “Okay, just tell me what you


    need from me.”


    Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    “Great!”


    Just like that, we had a n.


    I ended the call and rubbed my stiff neck, thinking I should probably catchter. I could not shake off


    my concerns about her and Liam.


    with Sweety up


    My phone buzzed insistently again. I nced at the screen–Idris was calling.


    Seeing his name brought on an instant headache. His drunken shenanigans from the night before were


    still fresh in my mind. Considering the time, he was probably just waking up. Why was he calling this


    early?


    N