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Chapter 225: Speechless
The minutes moved slowly.Gray checked his watch more than he wanted to admit. Each one felt longer than the last. He and Mara sat quietly at their table, speaking in low voices only when they had to. The restaurant's stillness made even a whisper feel conspicuous. The other diners ate with the focused quiet of people who came here for the food and not the company."I hope Conrad arrives soon," he thought.And then, as if responding to that thought, the restaurant doors opened.A complete stillness rippled across the room.Gray looked up.Conrad Everett walked in with the kind of presence that did not announce itself. His secretary followed a half-step behind, tablet in hand, expression professionally neutral. The same man who was always at Conrad's side.What caught Gray off guard was not Conrad himself but what happened around him.Diners who had been mid-conversation rose from their seats. Others raised a hand or a glass in acknowledgment. Nobody looked away or pretended not to not
Chapter 224: Call Back
Waiting was not easy for Gray.Three days had passed since the meeting with Owen, and there had been nothing. No call, no email, not even a brief follow-up message. The silence stretched across every quiet moment at the office."What do you think will happen?" Mara finally said, breaking the surface of it. "Will Conrad actually invest?"She had been working across from him, papers shuffling between her hands. But the question had clearly been sitting there for a while.Gray set down the document he was holding and rubbed the bridge of his nose."I'm not sure anymore," he said.He meant it.The night after Owen left, he had gone to bed genuinely confident. The numbers had been strong. Owen's reaction had been good. It had felt within reach.But one day had become two, and then three. No word from either of them. And in that silence, the certainty he had been holding started to thin.What if Conrad had decided to pass? What if someone more experienced had caught his attention between th
Chapter 223: Everett Group
By the time Gray arrived at the office, the sun was already past its peak. He and Daniel had stopped for a late lunch at a small restaurant on the way.He pushed through the glass doors looking composed. Inside, his head was anything but. Thoughts of the land in the East District were still circling, the size of it, the potential of it, the cost of it.Mara looked up the moment he stepped in. She had papers organized in front of her and her hair tied neatly back. One brow rose immediately."You're late.""Good morning to you too, Mara.""It's afternoon," she said. "Where were you? You had nothing on the schedule."Gray set his bag down and chuckled. "I had something important to check on this morning.""Something important." She said it like a question that had already decided it did not believe the answer. "Are you alright? Did something happen?""Nothing happened. Everything's fine." He leaned against the edge of his desk. His gaze moved briefly toward the window, and for a moment h
Chapter 222: East District
Gray rubbed his temple as the holographic screen faded. The excitement of completing the mission was still sitting in his chest, but he kept his face composed. He cleared his throat and glanced at Mara. "Guess we'll finally get a decent night's sleep," he said, a small smile slipping through. Mara laughed. "We definitely deserve it." They stayed at the office for another hour or so, working through smaller tasks without any real urgency. It was too early to leave, and the lighter workload now would help them tomorrow. Just before four, they packed up and headed out. By the time Gray stepped into the condo, the exhaustion of the day had settled into his shoulders. He set his bag on the counter, loosened his tie, and dropped onto the couch. His eyes wanted to close. But not yet.He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "System," he said quietly. "Show me the reward. The land title."The familiar glow appeared in front of him.[Ding!][The Host Has Initiated Reward Collection.][Pe
Chapter 221: Mission Success!
Gray gestured for Owen to take a seat at the table. Mara quietly gathered the finalized reports and placed them neatly in front of him."Thank you," Owen said, giving Mara a polite nod before adjusting his glasses and looking back at Gray. "Well then, let's get into it. How has the month been?"Gray leaned forward. "Better than I expected. The online launch was strong, though the integration had a rough few days early on. Delayed orders, some logistics confusion. After that, operations leveled out. Suppliers consistent, inventory steady. Overall, it's been a good month." "Good to hear," Owen said with an approving nod. Gray turned the first page of the report toward him. "The numbers are where it gets interesting." Owen's attention sharpened. He leaned in slightly. "Last month, our gross sales were around $3.71 million," Gray said. "This month, as of yesterday's close, we recorded $4.86 million." Owen reached for the calculator on the table without ceremony and worked through it
Chapter 220: Meeting Owen Again
Even after taking that call and returning to the table composed, Mara had not quite been herself. The anxiety sat just beneath the surface, visible enough for Gray to notice and too carefully hidden for anyone else at the table to see. She was still carrying it now, back in the office, in the quiet hours between tasks.Gray left it alone. He did not know what it was, and she had not offered to tell him. What he did have to deal with was the calendar.The end of the month was close. That meant finances: sales reports, expenditures, payroll, supply invoices, everything stacked and waiting to be verified. None of it could be approximate. "Ugh." He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples, one hand still hovering over the mouse.The spreadsheet on his screen had numbers everywhere, but there were gaps and inconsistencies he had not closed yet. "We need to have everything sorted within three days," he said, half to himself and half to Mara. "I know," she said, not looking up fro
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