Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 172 Under Cecilia's suggestion, Hogan finally gave in and agreed to head over with me.

But just before we entered, he gaveanother heads-up.

| knew he had made a concession, so | geared myself up to be on my A-game.

What took us all by surprise was that Timothy was also there.

Upon seeing us, both Timothy and Sean were visibly taken aback.

Sean, a seasoned player in the business world, paused for a brief two seconds before extending a courteous hand towards Hogan, buttering him up with, “Mr. Zade, what an honor! A VIP visit and not a peep beforehand - | would've rolled out the red carpet for you.” Hogan, cool as a cucumber as always, cut straight to the chase, “Mr. Abbott, you're too kind. We cespecially to see Mr. FreeMan.” At the mention of FreeMan, Sean's face stiffened, and he started to stumble over his words, “Mr. Zade, what are you talking about? It’s justand Timothy here, not FreeMan in sight.” Hogan didn’t beat around the bush with Sean, simply stating. “Mr. Abbott, this morning Rainbow Capital just inked a deal with Lucky Star.” The subtext was clear - Hogan had dug up Sean’s lodging records at Lucky Star like an open book.

Sean, no fool himself, let out a weary sigh and said with a flattering tone. “You're on the ball, Mr. Zade. Come, come, let's sit and talk.” He bowed ever so slightly, showing a decent dose of humility: We were then ushered into the living room. [x] Once we all sat down, Sean seemed a bit out of his element, his hand trembling slightly as he passed Hogan a glass of water, quite unexpected.

Hogan remained aloof and composed, but his brow furrowed ever so slightly when his gaze swept past Timothy.

“I'd like to get down to brass tacks with you, Mr. Abbott, about a potential collaboration. Or | should call you FreeMan,” he said, exuding an air of authority. “I believe it’s best for unrelated parties to step out for a moment.” Chapter 172 His message wasn’t sugar-coated, and anyone with half a brain could tell he was hinting at Timothy.

Sean got the hint and, after scratching his nose, said, “Don’t take offense, Mr. Zade. Timothy and | go way back - thick as thieves since we were kids. Plus, we're intertwined professionally, he’s not an outsider.” Hogan didn’t respond but shot Cecilia a look.

She instantly got the hint and handed over a document to Sean with a sweet, cooing voice, “Mr. Abbott, please take a moment to review the partnership proposal we've drafted.” Sean glanced at it without much interest and sighed, “I won't lie to you, Mr. Zade. It's been a busy year, and I'm afraid | might let you down.” An outright rejection.

Hogan didn’t get riled up, but Cecilia seemed a bit flustered as she quickly said, “Hold your horses, Mr. Abbott.

Take a gander at the contract. I'm sure you'll be pleased once you see what's on the table.” Sean raised an eyebrow, intrigued, “Oh? Care to enlighten me, Ms. Irwin?” Caught off guard, Cecilia froze for a good few seconds before stuttering out, “In a nutshell, the two conditions we've proposed are something no other company can match.” No other company, I I mulled over that bold statement, a shadow of unease creeping into my thoughts.

Such absolutes rarely hold water in the world of collaboration.

Sean's lips curled into a smirk, “Which are?” Cecilia, sensing interest, confidently beamed, “First, in terms of compensation, Mr. Zade recognizes your talent and ability and is willing to offer you a salary that’s 40% above the market rate.” 40% - an enticing figure indeed.

Sure, it was a big draw for us mere mortals, including Cecilia, but for someone like FreeMan, as far as | knew Sean, that kind of money was small fry.

“And the second?” “Mr. Abbott, if you collaborate with us, you'll have complete creative control over the Chapter 172 art department,” Cecilia chirped, all smiles and brimming with confidence.

Her confidence, however, gavea slight sting.

It was clear that she could only make such a lucrative offer because Hogan had given. it the nod.

But why? The project was a collective effort, and no company in their right mind would ever hand over 100% control of a project, especially not the crucial art aspect of a game.

And Hogan had made this decision without consultingfirst.

My hand clenched involuntarily as | fought off the discomfort in my chest.

| was also curious to see how Sean would respond.

Just when we all thought Sean was tempted, Timothy chimed in from the side, “Ms. Irwin, you paint a pretty picture, but as far as I'm aware, shouldn't Ms. March be the project lead? Xaviera, are you willing to hand over that 100% control?” His words sharpened the edge of the negotiation.

Had we not had prior dealings, | might have suspected he was doing it on purpose.

He was deliberately exacerbating the tension.

How was | supposed to respond? If | didn’t back Cecilia up, it would be like slapping Hogan in the face in front of everyone. But if | went along with her, | couldn't follow through.

After all the teeth-gritting perseverance since my arrival at Pinecrest Hollow, all for a say in the project, to now declare I'd happily give it away - not only would that be a slap in the face, but what would happen with the collaboration afterwards?