Aston sidestepped Conner’s questions. “Sorry, Mr. Ashford. I can’t give you any answers about Mr. Cole’s personal matters.”
His polite demeanor gave Conner the illusion that taking a hard line would force the Cole Group back into the deal.
Conner pressed on. “If you can’t answer about personal matters, then at least you can answer
about business matters. You can’t just change things on a whim.
“Last night, you confirmed the Novara Corporation for this project. Now, barely a day later, you tell me there’s a change? That’s unacceptable.”
Aston kept dodging with polite excuses. “Sorry, those decisions come from the top, and I’m
not involved. My role is simply to deliver the message.”
His response completely set Conner off, and he knocked the coffee cup off the table. “If you have no say in anything, then you have no right to sit here and talk to me about this.”
Aston blinked, as if unsure whether he had heard correctly. If he hadn’t allowed Conner in, the man would still be standing outside the building.
“I’m not here to waste time with you. My time is valuable. Call Mr. Cole over here,” Conner
said.
It was the first time Aston had seen someone take a small courtesy and push it to the limit. His patience and politeness were wearing thin.
His smile was gone, replaced by a stern expression. “Mr. Cole is busy, and even if he weren’t, he still wouldn’t come see you.”
Conner instantly sensed the slight. As the heir to the Ashford family of Norland, being looked down on by an assistant was nothing short of insulting.
“What gives you the right to make decisions for Mr. Cole? Who do you think you are?” he said.
Aston let out a resigned smirk. “I’m Mr. Cole’s assistant.”
Conner waved his hand dismissively. “Either let me speak to Mr. Cole, or I will make a scene right here. After all, it was the Cole Group that started this nonsense in the first place.”
Aston knew that if Conner actually got through to Sebastian, the only one who would come out losing was Conner himself.
At first, he didn’t intend to let Conner make a fool of himself, but seeing how stubborn and relentless Conner was, even Aston no longer wanted to stop him.
“Fine. I’ll call Mr. Cole right now. Is that good enough for you?” he said.
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Conner thought his outburst had done the trick. Feeling smug, he was sure he had caught the Cole Group going back on their word. That meant the project with Novara was as good as done. Since he was already in their building, he figured he might even get the contract signed today.
The call went through.
Conner reined in his temper and spoke in a more agreeable tone. “Mr. Cole, this is Caleb from the Novara Corporation. I’d like to discuss with you again about the project collaboration.”
Sebastian was at home admiring Noelle’s painting when he received a call from Aston, who reported that someone from Novara was causing a disturbance at the office, refusing to leave, and insisting on speaking with Sebastian.
His good mood vanished in an instant, replaced by sheer annoyance. He hadn’t wanted to take the call at first, but remembering the awful thing this man had done last night, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
Besides, with nothing better to do, toying with a fool could be entertaining.
Sebastian lowered his voice on purpose. “There’s nothing to discuss. We have already decided on the Aurora Corporation. If I recall correctly, the contract will be signed this afternoon.”
Conner froze for a moment. That voice sounded familiar, as if he had heard it not long ago.
He racked his memory but couldn’t recall ever meeting Sebastian in person. Although he had visited the the Cole Group building twice to discuss project deals, each time he only met with the project manager.
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Chapter 93