An Understated Heir Returns

Chapter 6

Chapter 6: She Earned It

The following morning, Emma Turner stood outside Weston Group with a proposal file tucked tightly against her chest and a second folder filled with notes she had barely finished before sunrise. She had slept for less than three hours, but exhaustion was the last thing on her mind.

This was her final chance.

If Weston rejected her again, Adam would have to keep the promise he had made in front of her family, and Emma refused to even think about what that meant.

She drew in a slow breath and entered the building.

Weston’s lobby was already busy despite the early hour. Employees moved quickly between elevators while visitors waited near the reception area, most of them dressed far more confidently than Emma felt. She approached the desk, introduced herself and handed over the appointment request she had submitted again the previous night.

The receptionist checked the system and Emma prepared herself for another polite rejection.

Instead, the woman looked up. “Ms. Turner, your proposal has been approved for review. Please take a seat. Someone will take you upstairs shortly.”

Emma stared at her.

“Approved?”

“For review, yes.”

For a moment, Emma almost asked her to check again.

She had spent weeks trying to get past Weston’s first screening stage. Now, less than a day after Adam recklessly promised she would secure the contract, Weston suddenly wanted to hear her proposal.

Emma slowly moved toward the waiting area.

Adam’s strange confidence from the previous night crossed her mind again.

Then she shook her head.

Impossible.

Adam barely knew anyone outside the Turner family’s circle, much less someone capable of influencing Weston Group.

She opened her folder instead and went through her notes one final time.

Twenty minutes later, an assistant escorted her upstairs.

The meeting room was larger than she expected. Four Weston executives sat around the long table, with two members of the project department beside them. Henry Grant was not among them.

Emma actually relaxed a little.

Facing Weston’s chairman directly would have made her even more nervous.

She took her seat, introduced herself and began.

The first few minutes went smoothly. Emma explained Turner Group’s proposal, the projected cost and the timeline she believed they could realistically maintain. She deliberately avoided exaggerated promises. Turner Group was already under enough pressure so promising Weston something impossible just to win the contract would only destroy them later.

One of the executives interrupted her.

“Ms. Turner, your proposal looks reasonable on paper. Turner Group does not.”

Emma’s fingers tightened slightly around her pen.

The man continued, “Your company has lost several opportunities in the last six months. Two previous partners withdrew, and your cash flow has weakened. Why should Weston accept that risk?”

Emma had expected the question.

She answered carefully, explaining which parts of Turner Group remained profitable and how the Weston project could be handled separately from the weaker divisions. The executive listened without interrupting, then immediately questioned whether Turner Group had enough reliable suppliers to maintain the schedule.

That one was harder.

Emma paused.

Another executive noticed. “If you need time to think, take it.”

Emma hated that her mind had briefly gone blank, but she forced herself to slow down. She had spent weeks building this proposal. Panicking now would waste everything.

She opened one of her supporting documents and explained the supplier structure she intended to use, including alternatives if their primary partners failed to meet demand. The answer was not perfect, and one executive pointed out a weakness in her backup plan, but Emma did not try to pretend otherwise. She admitted the risk and explained how she intended to reduce it.

The questioning continued.

Some were straightforward and others felt deliberately uncomfortable.

At one point, Emma wondered whether Weston had only called her in to prove Turner Group was not ready.

Still, she refused to crumble, she knew the proposal better than anyone in the room and by the time she finished, the nervousness that had followed her into the building was gone.

Unknown to Emma, Henry had joined the meeting through the internal conference system from his office. He did not speak or allow his image to appear on the screen. He simply listened.

At first, he had been curious.

Now, he understood why Adam had refused to simply hand her the contract.

Emma was not relying on charm or the Turner name. She knew exactly what she had prepared, and when one of Weston’s executives intentionally pushed her on Turner Group’s recent failures, she did not become defensive. She answered what she could and admitted what needed improvement.

Henry leaned back in his chair.

The Young Master had chosen well.

When the meeting finally ended, Emma was asked to wait outside while Weston reviewed the proposal.

Those twenty minutes felt longer than the entire presentation.

Emma sat with both hands clasped around her phone, resisting the urge to call Adam. If she failed, she wanted to know first before deciding how to tell him.

The door eventually opened.

“Ms. Turner?”

Emma stood immediately.

The assistant smiled. “Chairman Grant would like to see you.”

That almost made her more nervous than the meeting.

Henry’s office was on another floor. When Emma entered, he was seated behind his desk with her proposal in front of him.

She greeted him respectfully.

Henry gestured toward the chair across from him. “Sit.”

Emma obeyed.

Henry looked through the proposal for a moment before lifting his eyes.

“I listened to your presentation.”

Emma’s heart dropped slightly.

“You still have weaknesses,” he continued. “Turner Group’s financial position is not ideal, and some members of my team believe accepting your company creates unnecessary risk.”

Emma forced herself to remain calm.

Henry closed the file.

“I disagree.”

She blinked.

“Weston is willing to cooperate with Turner Group.”

Emma did not react at first, she was not sure she had heard him correctly.

Henry almost smiled. “You may breathe, Ms. Turner.”

Emma released the breath she had been holding.

“Thank you, Chairman Grant. I... thank you. Turner Group will not disappoint Weston.”

“That remains to be seen.”

Emma straightened immediately and Henry slid the preliminary agreement toward her.

“There is one condition.”

Her excitement cooled slightly.

“What condition?”

“You will personally manage the project from beginning to end. Weston approved the proposal presented by Emma Turner. We are not interested in signing with Turner Group today only to discover next week that someone who knows nothing about your plan has taken over.”

Emma stared at him and well, of all the conditions she had expected, that was not one of them.

“You want me to lead it?”

“If you have a problem with that, we can reconsider.”

“No.” Emma immediately reached for the agreement. “There’s no problem.”

Henry nodded once.

“Then read before you sign.”

Emma went through every page carefully. The terms were demanding but reasonable, and the condition naming her as project head was clearly written into the agreement.

She signed.

By the time Emma walked out of Weston Group, she was still trying to understand what had just happened.

Yesterday, she could barely get her proposal reviewed and today, she had walked out carrying the biggest contract Turner Group had seen in months.

Her first thought was Adam so she called him immediately.

He answered after a few rings. “You sound alive. I assume Weston didn’t throw you out.”

Emma stopped walking.

“How did you know I got it?”

There was a short pause.

“I didn’t.”

“You sounded very sure.” her brows tightened

“I’m always sure.”

Emma narrowed her eyes even though he could not see her. “Where are you?”

“Why?”

“Just come here.”

“Did you miss me?”

“Adam.”

He laughed. “Fine. I’m coming.”

Twenty minutes later, Emma heard the familiar sound of his scooter before she saw him.

Adam pulled up beside the pavement wearing an ordinary shirt and trousers, looking completely out of place in front of Weston’s expensive headquarters.

Emma stared at him then she started laughing.

Adam removed his helmet. “I came all this way and this is the welcome?”

“You really came here on that thing.”

“It brought me here, didn’t it?”

Emma shook her head and walked toward him, still smiling. Then she held up the agreement.

“I got it.”

Adam looked at the document and gave an exaggerated nod as though he had just received shocking news.

“Incredible. Who could have predicted this?”

Emma narrowed her eyes. “You’re annoying.”

“And correct.”

She slapped his arm lightly.

Adam smiled, then took the agreement and looked through the first page.

“You did well.”

The teasing disappeared from his voice for a moment, and Emma felt strangely proud hearing it but then suspicion returned.

“You were too confident yesterday.”

Adam looked innocent.

She studied him carefully. “You knew something.”

“I knew my wife was capable.”

“That was smooth.” She scoffed

“I’ve been practicing.”

Emma laughed despite herself.

Whatever strange feeling she had about Adam lately, she pushed it aside. Right now, she had something far more satisfying to deal with.

“The twenty-four hours aren’t over yet.”

Adam handed the contract back. “Then we shouldn’t waste them.”

Emma understood immediately.

They headed straight for the Turner residence.

By the time they arrived, Margaret, Linda and Robert were already waiting inside, completely convinced Emma had failed and Adam was finally about to leave her life. The family needed her free for Jason Ford, and as far as they were concerned, Weston Group had already solved that problem for them.