Chapter 49 Declaring Ownership
Everyone froze in shock.
Olivia quickly handed over a tissue, asking with concern, "Melo, what's wrong? Is the taste off?"
Melo coughed repeatedly, choking hard.
He winced from the sour taste. "What is this flavor? It's so sour, nothing like what I've had before!"
The meeting room fell into dead silence.
Luca's expression darkened as he called out to the employee who had brought the coffee.
The employee trembled in fear, shaking their head frantically. "I-I just delivered it upstairs, it's not my fault…"
Olivia was completely clueless. This coffee shop had been around for over a decade with a great reputation. There shouldn't be such a serious issue!
Before the negotiation even started, they had offended their potential partner. This was a major hospitality blunder.
As the atmosphere grew tense, Windy stepped in with a cup of warm water, a gentle smile on her face, rushing to smooth things over. "Sir, please don't get worked up. The staff might have made a mistake with your order. Here, rinse your mouth with this. I'll make you a fresh cup of our best coffee, on the house."
However, Melo instantly sensed something was off. He ran his own company and had seen all kinds of situations.
The moment the incident happened, this woman conveniently showed up to save the day. It was obvious she was deliberately trying to make things difficult for Olivia, hoping to embarrass her on such an important occasion.
Melo didn't take the water Windy offered. He just wiped his mouth with a tissue and said coldly, "No thanks, I can't drink anything right now." He tossed the cheese latte into the trash and added, "It's not the coffee's fault. I just haven't had it in a while and am not used to this new flavor."
Windy's hand, holding the water, froze mid-air.
She had intentionally poured apple vinegar and bitter gourd juice into the coffee, making it sour and bitter, absolutely awful. Yet Melo wasn't angry, didn't blame Olivia, and even refused her water. This was nothing like what she had expected! Why?
Since Melo wasn't upset, Luca didn't have time to investigate why the coffee was bad. Right now, the priority was to secure the partnership.
"Mr. Gerald, I'm so sorry for this mishap. It's our fault for not hosting you properly," Luca said, taking responsibility with a sincere tone. "Let's move on to discussing the partnership. I'm confident our proposal and data will show that Vettel Group is your most reliable partner."
Melo nodded. He was very interested in the proposal and wouldn't let a tampered cup of coffee ruin the potential deal.
The meeting officially began. Olivia, as the lead, quickly got into her groove.
Standing in front of the presentation screen, she answered every question from Melo's team with speed and offered solutions on the spot.
All eyes were on Olivia. She seemed to shine.
Melo nodded frequently, his eyes showing clear admiration.
Luca listened quietly. He had never realized how outstanding and brilliant she was in the project department. Having her as his personal assistant before seemed like a waste of her talents.
A few shareholders at the meeting started whispering.
"Olivia's presence is so strong. No one can match her quick thinking."
"Yeah, even after that awkward moment before the meeting, she bounced back so fast. Her presentation is amazing."
"Even though Olivia was on sick leave and didn't oversee the project from start to finish, she's still so professional. The company's key projects can't do without her!"
Windy and Luca overheard these comments.
Windy was already annoyed that her plan had failed. Hearing everyone praise Olivia made her jealous and frustrated. She couldn't help but interrupt, "Isn't it a bit unfair to say that? The company's success is due to Luca. Olivia is just an employee."
Before Luca could respond, a shareholder shot back, "Miss Ross, as a secretary, your job at an important business meeting is to take notes and assist. Keep other comments to yourself."
Windy's eyes instantly turned red, and she looked at Luca with a wronged expression, hoping he'd speak up for her.
Luca knew Windy was trying to defend him, but he didn't feel that the shareholders praising Olivia's skills was an insult to him. In fact, Olivia's performance made him feel a quiet sense of pride.
After all, he was the one who decided to make Olivia the project department manager. He was the first to recognize her exceptional abilities. Windy's words, in such an important negotiation setting, only seemed out of place.
Luca spoke coldly, "Windy, we don't need notes for now. You can step out."
Windy felt even more humiliated.
Luca didn't agree with what she said and even asked her to leave the important meeting for Olivia's sake.
Biting her lip and holding back tears, Windy lowered her head and left the room.
Without her interference, the meeting went smoothly.
Olivia ultimately convinced Melo's team, and after several rounds of discussion, both sides finalized the terms of the partnership contract.
With a suitable partner for the project, Melo was in a great mood. He stood up, smiled, and extended his hand to Olivia. "Olivia, happy to work with you. Are you free tonight? Let's have dinner, just the two of us, and chat more." Looking at Olivia's beautiful and confident face, his eyes showed clear appreciation.
Dinner alone? Luca's face darkened instantly.
He quickly stepped to Olivia's side, naturally reaching out to shake Melo's hand on her behalf, giving a polite but distant smile. "Mr. Gerald, that's very kind of you. Since it's dinner, as Vettel's president and Olivia's husband, let me arrange it. My wife and I will host you properly."
"Husband?" Melo's eyes widened in shock.
He had no idea Olivia was married, let alone to Vettel's president!
Olivia froze, too, a bit annoyed. She didn't know what Luca was up to, but in front of Melo, she couldn't say much and had to play along with a nod.
"So, Mr. Gerald, what do you think?"
Melo quickly recovered, shrugging with a hint of disappointment. "Maybe next time. I just remembered I have other plans tonight, so I won't bother you. Let's have a good drink when we officially sign the contract!"
He declined the dinner invitation and left with his team.
After seeing off the partners, only Vettel Group's team remained in the meeting room.
The team couldn't hold back their excitement, cheering and clapping as they gathered around Olivia to celebrate. Olivia smiled and joined in the celebration.
Afterward, when no one else was paying attention, she walked over to Luca. "Luca, why did you say that earlier? We're getting a divorce soon. It'll be awkward to explain this to our partners later."
Luca frowned. Olivia's eagerness to distance herself irritated him. His tone was icy. "I'm stating the facts. As long as we're not divorced, you're still my wife!"
"You…" Before Olivia could finish, Luca grabbed her wrist.
He pulled her out of the meeting room and headed straight for the lounge on that floor.