Chapter 606:
Nearly an hour had passed since the agreed time, yet Rylie was nowhere to be seen.
Lionel’s hand slammed against the table. “Laurel, is your niece mocking us? Does she have no intention of showing up?”
Zavier’s voice was sharp. “Or is she brazen enough to disregard even your name?”
Laurel’s pride burned at their words. Her expression hardened as she snapped, “Enough. I’ll call her and get an answer.”
Meanwhile, Rylie sat in the CEO’s office, perfectly at ease in the leather chair. Across from her, Alyssa quietly reviewed the latest design drafts, while Melany shifted nervously, waiting for her verdict.
Watching the two across from her, Rylie leaned back in the CEO’s chair, a piece of candy in her mouth as she lazily answered Laurel’s call. “Ah, Laurel, I got caught up with work and completely forgot about tonight’s dinner. But it doesn’t matter; those people aren’t important. Just enjoy the meal, and I’ll cover the bill later. We can reschedule.”
“Rylie!” Laurel’s voice spiked with anger. “Those executives have been waiting for you for over an hour. How can you simply refuse to show up? Do you think this is proper?”
The crunch of Rylie’s candy rang through the receiver. A faint, careless smile tugged at her lips. “Executives? That’s odd. I was under the impression all the executives were already present at the meeting this afternoon.”
Her deliberate provocation made Laurel’s grip tighten until her knuckles turned white. “Rylie, you may have money, but don’t let it blind you. Wealth doesn’t solve everything. Sweetberry isn’t sustained by design alone. The fabric producers, the suppliers—these people hold the strings. I set up this dinner for your sake. If you show up and apologize for what you did today, they might still agree to back you.”
“Apologize? No need.” Rylie’s smile deepened, her voice carrying a lazy edge. “Laurel, you misspoke earlier. In fact, money does solve everything. It always has.”
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The call ended with a crisp click. Laurel’s face turned ashen. Slamming the phone onto the table, she felt the sting of humiliation, her authority stripped in front of so many members of her family.
Her voice grew cold. “If Rylie insists on being disrespectful, then I won’t hold back either. From this moment on, cut off every supplier and pull out all our designers. Let’s see how she keeps that near-bankrupt company of hers alive without us.”
“But… what about our salaries?” Several members of the Garrett family suddenly stood up, their voices tinged with panic. They knew very well that many of the factories supplying Sweetberry were their own, relying on the company’s orders to bring in enormous profits. If that flow was cut off, their pockets would suffer just as much.
Laurel, though just as displeased, forced herself to keep her temper in check. “What? Are you telling me your factories can’t survive without ‘Sweetberry’? You’ve already enjoyed enough favors from the Garrett family’s main branch. Don’t tell me you’ve grown so dependent that you can’t stand on your own. And don’t forget, Rylie will go looking for other suppliers. But I’ll make sure she gets nowhere. With the Elegance brand, I’ll strike new deals with other factories. If Sweetberry dares approach them, I’ll have every one of them refuse.”
Her sharp words worked like a balm, easing the panic of those gathered and restoring some of their confidence.
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