Chapter 269

Chapter 269

Holden let out a scornful laugh, full of confidence.

"Business comes first, Mr. Anderson. There's no need to talk about personal favors. I'm sure you know that I'm the only one who can save Lantine Jewelry right now, and the choice is yours."

"Fine."

Andrew gave a slight nod, his answer clean and simple.

"Since Mr. Edwards doesn't want to do business, then I guess this deal ends here."

The moment those words landed, the smile on Holden's face froze. He could barely believe his ears.

He never expected Andrew to hold his ground like this, even at this point. Holden had been counting on Andrew to cave step by step, coming back to offer more money on his own — he'd already prepared to name an outrageous price. But Andrew wasn't playing by the script. He'd pulled a bluff and walked away.

Holden was just about to open his mouth and mock Andrew for trying to save face at a time like this, but before he could get a word out, Andrew had already turned and walked out, his steps calm and unhurried, without a single glance back.

Caspian, who had been waiting outside and getting a little bored, had quietly drifted over to the doorway of Holden's office and caught the whole conversation between the two men.

Now, watching Andrew stride out, he quickly fell into step beside him and leaned in, his voice low and urgent.

"Mr. Anderson, this isn't going to work. Lantine Jewelry's situation is not looking good right now. That batch of materials Holden has is the only thing that can get us out of this mess. If we don't bring those raw materials back soon, Lantine Jewelry's stock price could completely collapse!"

"The only option?"

Andrew glanced sideways, a cold smile flickering in his eyes.

"That's just what he thinks."

After all his years in business, Andrew had never bought into the idea that anything was the only option. Holden was giving himself way too much credit.

During their conversation just now, Andrew had already spotted a crack in Holden's position. Holden had covered it well, but sometimes the places that look the most solid are exactly where the biggest secrets are buried.

Holden was a self-made man who'd come up through unconventional means. Dealing with him couldn't rely entirely on past experience.

On the way over, Andrew had already received a report from the informant he'd sent out earlier, which confirmed what he'd been thinking.

The investigation revealed that Holden hadn't come across this batch of materials by chance. He'd paid full price upfront to acquire it, and he'd been in a rush to offload it from the start. He just wanted to squeeze out a little more profit before doing so, which was why he'd gone out of his way to pull Lantine Jewelry into the picture.

At first it might have been about driving up the price, but now it was clear he was desperate to move the goods. This batch had tied up a massive amount of his cash flow, and that was exactly his weak spot.

With all his cash locked up in these raw materials, the last thing he could afford was a broken cash flow.

And Holden had one fatal flaw — his company had invested in two projects in the first half of the year, both with long-term return timelines. In other words, Holden was seriously short on cash right now.

He'd felt free to jack up the price without hesitation because he was certain Lantine Jewelry had an urgent need, and that Andrew would have no choice but to take the deal.

What he forgot was that Andrew was never the kind of person anyone could push around.

Once in the car, Andrew immediately dialed a number.

The phone rang for a long time before someone picked up. The other end was quiet, as if the person was in a meeting. Andrew spoke without waiting.

"Erik, I need a small favor."

"You can't even handle one Holden on your own?"

The other person didn't bother sparing Andrew's feelings, cutting straight to the point.

As the head of the Anderson family, it wasn't surprising he'd already figured out why Andrew was calling. But Andrew wasn't out of options — he just needed this particular move.

"That's why I'm coming to you. I'll send you the full plan. Just follow it."

Erik Anderson looked at what Andrew had sent and smiled.

"I keep telling you — come back to Anderson Group. Help me keep those old men in line. With a plan like this, they wouldn't even dare think it."

"So you're finally admitting I'm better than you. But this isn't what I want. Count yourself lucky."

Whenever this topic came up, Andrew always brushed it off with that same line.

"Same as always then — Zara stays with you over summer break."

Every school holiday, Erik found a way to hand his kid off to Andrew.

"Got it."

With everything taken care of, Andrew headed straight back to Lantine Jewelry.

In the office, Olivia was bent over her desk with a slight frown, writing something, completely unaware that someone was already standing right in front of her.

"What are you thinking about? You're miles away."

Andrew had slipped in quietly, intending to see what she was working on — only to find a completely blank sheet of paper staring back at him.

A man's voice came from just above her head, but Olivia didn't flinch. She kept her eyes down, staring at the blank page in front of her.

"Still worrying about the materials?"

Andrew read her thoughts in an instant. He noticed her hand pause on the brush, which told him he was right. He settled into the seat across from her.

"I heard things didn't go so well with Holden."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Olivia's eyes. She debated whether to bring it up, but in the end she couldn't hold back, and asked him directly.

Andrew paused mid-pour, immediately realizing it must have been one of the loose-lipped people in the legal department.

"Don't worry. Everything is going according to plan."

He said it lightly, with complete composure.

Olivia knew what he was capable of, but she still couldn't help adding,

"If he really keeps making things difficult, we can always find another supplier."

Maybe it was the constant pressure of Lantine Jewelry's troubles wearing her down, but Olivia had grown quieter about everything lately. She'd come to accept that not every problem needed to be fought to the finish.

Andrew saw exactly what was going through her mind, and was the first to push back.

"Leave it to me. Whatever he swallowed, I'll make him spit back out."

Erik moved fast. Within just two hours, the whole situation had flipped.

As the news started spreading, Lily rushed in looking flustered.

"Ms. Smith — oh, Mr. Anderson is here too."

Lily quickly pulled herself back from the doorway, standing there properly until Olivia told her to come in. Then she stepped inside, arms full.

"Ms. Smith, something's happened with Holden."

At those words, Andrew's eyes flickered. He calmly took a sip of water, and when he set the glass down, the smile at the corner of his mouth was impossible to miss.