Chapter 21 Take That Bet
Briar's POV
Eric slammed his laptop shut. He shoved his chair back and stood.
"I think everyone in this room is delusional if they believe participating in the Apex bid is some kind of honor. We can barely afford basic research supplies. Our lab equipment hasn't been updated in three years."
He turned toward me. "Vance Botanicals is a shell company held together by distributor orders and prayers. What exactly are we supposed to compete with against Montgomery Medical?"
The conference room went dead silent. I could feel every pair of eyes shifting toward me. My fingers tightened around the stylus until my knuckles went white.
Eric gathered his laptop and started toward the door, then paused with his hand on the frame. "Tell me something, Miss Vance. What exactly qualifies you to sit at the head of this table giving orders? Is it because your father gambled away the company and threw you in as collateral? Or is it because you're good at keeping Julian Sterling entertained?"
The world went very still. The production manager examined his cuticles. Marketing pretended to be absorbed in his phone. No one said a word.
Owen had been sitting quietly in the corner throughout the entire meeting and now he suddenly kicked his wheelchair forward with enough force. The chair slammed directly into Eric's shins and he went down hard, his laptop flying from his hands to crash against his chest. Owen immediately wheeled his backup chair over, his face arranged in an expression of exaggerated concern.
"Oh my god, Mr. Thorne, I'm so sorry! My leg just cramped up out of nowhere." He started to lean down as if to help Eric up.
Eric's face turned an impressive shade of purple as he tried to scramble to his feet, but Owen helpfully grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back down. "Don't move too fast! What if you fractured something?"
The knowledge that at least one person in this building was willing to stand with me made my throat tight. Eric finally managed to shove Owen away and climb to his feet, glaring daggers at both of us before stalking back to his chair.
I took a slow breath and stood. "I spent two years rotating through every single department in this company. I worked as a warehouse clerk, a market analyst, a production line supervisor. I have never missed a single payroll, not even when my father drained our operating capital. Your year-end bonuses have consistently been double the industry standard because I take half my dividend every year and redistribute it to staff benefits."
"So before you ask me again what qualifies me to lead this company, you might want to consider whether you'd even still have a job without me."
Eric opened his mouth but nothing came out.
I straightened and felt Lucian's words from last night echo in my head. "If you're tired of being afraid, stop giving fear so much power over you."
"Eric is right about one thing. We have been on our knees too long. Begging distributors for orders, groveling to banks for loans, accepting whatever scraps the major players are willing to throw our way. But I'm not kneeling anymore. I'm standing up, and if I fall flat on my face, at least I'll know I tried. So here's my question for all of you: do you want to keep crawling, or are you willing to take a chance with me?"
Mara bit her lip. "Miss Vance, your determination is admirable, but the Apex bid requires significant capital investment. If we fail—"
"The cash flow can't support it," the marketing director cut in.
The production manager leaned back in his chair. "I've got a wife and two kids to feed. I can't gamble my livelihood on a long shot."
I walked to the projector and pulled up the presentation I'd spent the last three nights preparing. Detailed sales data filled the screen, tracking our Moonlight Series herbal tea line over the past three years. "This is our Moonlight Series performance data. Our overall market share is small, but we've maintained a fifteen percent annual growth rate with a sixty percent customer retention rate, well above industry average."
I clicked to the next slide. "Apex specifically requested natural plant extracts with clinical validation potential. Our Lunar Stabilizer formula already has preliminary data supporting its effectiveness in managing lunar cycle aggression in shifters. That's an advantage none of our competitors can match. This isn't a reckless gamble. It's the only real chance we have to break out of the small-time market we've been trapped in."
Mara's expression softened slightly. "If we actually won the Apex contract, the cash flow situation would definitely improve..."
The marketing director nodded slowly. "The Moonlight Series does have strong customer feedback..."
But Eric remained unmoved, his arms crossed over his chest. "Beautiful presentation, Miss Vance. But you're conveniently ignoring the most critical issue. Money. First, the research department can barely afford basic lab supplies. How exactly do you plan to complete the preclinical testing Apex requires? Second, production line expansion, packaging design, marketing campaigns—all of that costs money we don't have. Third, the Apex bid deadline is three weeks away. Even if you could secure funding immediately, there isn't enough time. Research funding, clinical testing, production scaling, marketing push—you're looking at a minimum of five million dollars. Where exactly do you plan to get that kind of money? Rob a bank?"
The weight of his words crushed down on my shoulders. Mara winced. "We only have about one million in liquid assets..."
"The banks won't extend us credit," marketing added quietly.
I felt like I was drowning, but I forced myself to straighten and meet Eric's challenge head-on. "I'll get the money. Give me one week. Seven days from now, I'll have five million dollars ready to go."
Every head in the room snapped toward me.
I planted both hands on the table and leaned forward. "But let me be absolutely clear about something. I'm not paying that money to support dead weight. Either you commit fully to making this bid succeed, or you pack your things and leave right now. I don't need people who spend their time complaining, dodging responsibility, and waiting for the company to collapse so they can jump to a new job."
Mara straightened. "I'll give you my full support, Miss Vance."
The marketing director nodded quickly. "I'll contact our suppliers immediately..."
The production manager hesitated, then dropped his gaze. "I'll prepare the production line expansion proposal..."
Only Eric remained silent. Then he started to clap, slow and mocking. "Inspiring speech. But you still haven't answered the question. Where exactly are you getting five million dollars? Since you're so confident, let's make this interesting. If you actually manage to secure the funding within a week, I'll acknowledge your leadership completely. I'll follow your decisions without question going forward. But if you fail, my Lunar Stabilizer patent licensing agreement terminates immediately. I'll be free to license the formula to any company I choose."
Ice flooded my veins. I understood exactly what Eric was threatening. He wanted to sell the patent to Montgomery Medical, and if he succeeded, Vance Botanicals would lose the only competitive advantage we had.
"If we're making a wager, the stakes should be equal," I said. "If I secure five million within one week, your patent licensing agreement doesn't just continue—it automatically renews for three years. And during those three years, you'll provide full research support for any project Vance Botanicals undertakes. No questions, no complaints, no conditions. Do you have the nerve to take that bet?"
Eric's face went rigid. He ground his teeth together. "Fine. I accept."
He grabbed his laptop and stormed toward the door, pausing only to shoot one last venomous glare at Owen. Owen just grinned and waved cheerfully. "Watch the step on your way out, Mr. Thorne!"
Eric's entire body went rigid with fury before he yanked the door open and slammed it behind him hard enough to rattle the frame.