Chapter112 Hearing the Truth
Miranda froze mid-step, her blood seeming to turn to ice.
Pissed off the wrong people?
"Harrison's being really generous. All I have to do is string this Miranda along and tank her project, and the Whitmore deal is mine."
Max's voice was full of greed and smugness. "On one side, a failing small company. On the other, the massive tree that is Whitmore Group. Even an idiot knows which to choose."
"But that woman seems pretty tough..."
"Tough? So what? Against capital, she's nothing!"
Boom.
It was like a thunderclap exploding in Miranda's mind.
Whitmore Group.
Harrison!
So it was him.
He'd been sabotaging her from behind the scenes!
To get back at her for Ariana? Or to punish her for yesterday's rejection?
Either way, this backstabbing, business-destroying tactic was absolutely despicable!
Miranda felt her stomach turn with disgust.
How had she been blind enough to love such a man?
"Bang!"
Miranda kicked open the break room door.
The two men inside jumped, nearly spilling their coffee.
Max turned around. Seeing Miranda standing in the doorway like an ice sculpture, his smile froze, panic flashing across his face.
But he was a seasoned corporate player. He quickly adjusted his expression, putting on a look of surprise.
"Oh, Miranda? How did you end up here? I was just about to come find you after the meeting..."
"Meeting?"
Miranda laughed coldly, her gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping across Max's fake face before landing on the assistant.
"So drinking coffee and gossiping in the break room is your company's 'emergency meeting'?"
Max's expression soured. He dropped the act, slamming his cup on the counter and crossing his arms with a shameless look.
"Miranda, since you heard everything, I won't beat around the bush."
He looked her up and down with contempt.
"Your project is decent, but it doesn't fit our company's strategic direction. The partnership's off."
Miranda's anger turned to bitter amusement.
"Doesn't fit your strategic direction? That's not what you said on the phone yesterday."
She stepped forward, staring Max down. "If you want to cozy up to Whitmore, just say it. Why hide behind fancy excuses? Though I never imagined that a COO of a publicly traded company would be nothing but someone's lapdog!"
"Who are you calling a dog?!"
Hitting a nerve, Max pointed at Miranda furiously. "Miranda, don't push your luck! This is my territory. I could have security throw you out right now!"
The commotion had drawn attention. Employees in the outer office were peeking their heads this way.
Feeling humiliated, Max roared at them. "What are you looking at?! Don't you have work to do? No one's getting bonuses this month!"
The employees ducked back but kept their ears perked.
Miranda looked at the man losing his composure in front of her, her anger gradually cooling into deep contempt.
This trash didn't deserve her anger.
"No need to throw me out."
Miranda straightened her clothes, recovering her usual elegance and pride.
"Even if you begged me to partner with this kind of company, I wouldn't want to dirty my hands."
She swept her cold gaze around the room, her voice clear and carrying through the entire office.
"Business is built on integrity. A company without basic time management and credibility won't last. Max, you think latching onto Whitmore will keep you secure?"
With that, Miranda turned sharply and walked out. When she stepped outside the building, the sunlight was blinding.
Miranda raised her hand to shade her eyes, the bitter feeling finally rising in her chest.
She wasn't upset about people like Max, but about herself.
She'd worked so hard preparing that proposal, come here in good faith, only to be played like a fool all day.
And all because of her ex-husband.
How ironic.
Miranda bit her lip, forcing back the moisture in her eyes.
She'd never been the type to cry when things got tough.
If this path was blocked, she'd find another!
Back at the hotel, Miranda kicked off her heels. Without even stopping for water, she opened her laptop and began frantically searching.
There had to be more than one company with this technology.
If Harrison could steal her deal, she'd find another partner.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, data streaming across the screen.
Two hours later.
Miranda's eyes locked onto another company in the same city.
This was an established enterprise with deep technical expertise, even stronger than Max's company.
But due to aging management and years of Max's aggressive poaching and suppression, their market share had been steadily shrinking, showing signs of decline.
These two companies were mortal enemies.
Miranda's eyes lit up, a determined smile playing at her lips.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
This established company desperately needed fresh blood and strong projects to make a comeback.
And she had exactly what they needed.
Miranda immediately worked through various channels and finally obtained the private contact information for the director, Jack.
Without hesitation, she compiled her materials and sent a sincere email with her core project data.
...
The next morning.
Miranda arrived at Jack's company building with printed contracts and proposals.
Compared to yesterday's luxury office tower, this building looked somewhat dated, even a bit shabby.
But Miranda didn't mind. As long as she could meet with him, there was hope.
Jack was a man in his fifties with graying hair and a somewhat weary face, but his eyes remained sharp.
His office was piled with documents and blueprints, looking rather cluttered.
"You're Miranda?"
Jack took the proposal Miranda handed him and casually flipped through a couple pages before closing it.
"I took a look at your proposal yesterday. It's actually quite interesting."
He removed his glasses, rubbing his temples, his tone somewhat helpless. "But I'm sorry. As you can see, our company's current situation... we probably don't have the spare capital and energy to launch such a large new project."
A direct rejection.
But Miranda had expected this.
She didn't panic. Instead, she calmly pulled another document from her bag.
"Mr. Jack, I understand your concerns."
Miranda's voice was steady and logical. "But I came here today with complete sincerity and confidence."
"Oh? How so?" Jack paused, looking up at her again.
"As I understand it, the new product Max's company is developing overlaps eighty percent with my project. If they get to market first, your company's market share will be squeezed even further."
Miranda looked Jack directly in the eye, speaking deliberately.
"My project has more mature technology and lower costs. If we work together, I'm confident we can launch in three months and catch them completely off guard."
"Furthermore, I'm willing to accept a slightly lower profit share upfront, and I can even bring some startup capital myself."
"I'm not betting on this project. I'm betting on the foundation and integrity of an established enterprise like yours."