"I-I think I miss heard that," Chris said, letting out an awkward chuckle, "cause I could have sworn you said Ethan is the owner of this company."
"You heard right, Mr Bell," Irina said with a smile, "Ethan is the new owner of Solterra Developnt Groups."
Christopher Bell’s face imdiately turned pale as he stuttered out, "T-that’s impossible, t-there must be sothing wrong—maybe he’s lying to you or sothing... Yes, that’s it, he must be lying."
Irina was having fun watching Chris struggle to comprehend how soone he thought was beneath him... wasn’t actually beneath him at all.
Ethan, on the other hand, didn’t actually care. Just like with Chad, he didn’t care what Chris thought about him. After all, their opinions held no weight. He didn’t need validation from gnats.
"Lying? How so?" Irina asked, pretending as if she was surprised by the possibility that Ethan might be lying to her.
Hearing her tone, Christopher perked up as he said, "You might not know this, but this guy’s only source of inco was working as a part-ti teacher. And I even heard that he just quit."
"Is that so?" Irina was genuinely surprised at the fact that Ethan was a teacher, but did that change her opinion of him?
Not in the least bit.
But soone else mistook her surprised face as shock. So, of course, Chris doubled down.
"Maybe he just did it to impress you, but Ethan Carter is far from being able to afford a company such as this."
His confidence began to crawl back as he straightened his tie and leaned closer, lowering his voice like he was letting Irina in on so big secret. "In fact... if I were you, I’d call security right now. People like him, are always after sothing."
Irina blinked once, then twice, before covering her mouth with her hand. For a second, Chris thought she was gasping in realization but that’s when he heard it.
It started as a low chuckle before it turned into a full blown laugh, as Irina could hold it in no longer.
She continued laughing for a minute before she cald down, wiped off the tear that ford in her eyes before turning to the confused Chris.
"You said you were here concerning a contract right?" She asked, "what company are you here to represent?"
Still not understanding why she was suddenly laughing, he just dismissed it as a weird quirk of hers, after all, none of those with the Romanova last na was normal.
So he wouldn’t point it out, after all, he might lose the chance to curry so favor from one of the Romanovas.
"Bell & Partners," Chris said, his chest puffing with visible pride as if the na alone should command respect. "We’ve handled multiple real estate expansions across Atlanta. This contract—" he tapped the folder in his hand "—is practically in the bag. That’s why I find it laughable that so nobody like Carter thinks he belongs in this office."
Ethan could see exactly how much fun Irina was having by the glint in her eyes but Chris was none the wiser.
"Bell & Partners..." she repeated softly. Then her smile widened. "I see. So you ca here to secure Solterra’s expansion contract."
"Exactly," Chris said firmly, confidence returning back into his tone. "And if you’ll allow five minutes with the real owner, I’ll show him why we’re the best choice."
Irina glanced at Ethan, who hadn’t moved an inch, his expression unreadable. She then looked back at Chris, lips curling into a smile.
"Mr. Bell, I think you just lost the chance to do that." She said, her expression was that of pity as she looked at him.
"What do you an by that Ms Romanova?" Chris asked in confusion, he was pretty sure he hadn’t even talked to the owner yet, so how had he even lost the chance.
Unless...
"Are you also interested in the contract?" He asked, realizing that there might be a reason why she was also here, "if the Romanovas are also interested in the contract, I’ll be more than happy to back off."
There was a greedy glint in his eyes as he believed this was the fastest way to gain her favor.
"Not in the least bit Mr Bell," Irina answered, "rather Solterra Developnt Group was one of mine."
"Ah, sorry for the confusion then." He apologized, but before he could say anything else, she ccit him off.
"And as I told you this company is officially Ethan Carter’s from a few minutes ago," she continued, her voice losing its playful tone, turning colder.
Chris froze, his face turning paler than it previously was, "c-co on, Ms. Romanova. This... this has to be so kind of joke. A forr part-ti teacher buying this company? No, no. That’s completely absurd!"
Irina tilted her head, her amusent completely disappearing. "Absurd? Mr. Bell, you stand in the office of the new owner. In just a few minutes you’ve successfully looked down on and insulted the owner of the sa company you want a contract with, do you think you still stand a chance at getting the contract?"
Chris’s face turned red, then pale, then red again as he went through a turbulent of embarrassing emotions. "N-no, I— I didn’t an it like that. I-I was only—"
He couldn’t even form a complete sentence as he was still in disbelief.
"Only underestimating him," Irina interrupted coldly. "Like all small n do when they can’t comprehend power that doesn’t look the way they expect."
Chris then turned to Ethan now, truly rattled. "Ethan, listen. You—you know , right? We—we even attended the sa university right? I was only joking before. You wouldn’t actually—" He swallowed hard, he knew exactly how much he had just screwed up.
"You wouldn’t actually deny Bell & Partners over a misunderstanding, would you?"
Ethan slowly walked towards him, a relaxed smile on his face as he stopped at a small distance before Chris.
"Hm, I don’t know," he placed a hand on his chin as if genuinely thinking about it, "should I give a contract worth millions to soone who just called a liar... and then suggested I be thrown out of my own building?"
"Co on man, it’s not like you’ll deny this important deal just because of a mistake, right?" Chris let out, "you’re not that petty right?"
He knew he was screwed, after all, he was losing the chance to completely inherit his family’s company.
The deal with the head of the family, in other words, his grandpa, was to close an important deal with a branch of their company.
He had chosen Bell & Partners because he already had a way to close a deal with Solterra.
But now, all that chance was slipping away because of his stupidity.
"Of course I am," Ethan said with a smile, causing Irina to let out a chuckle. "So I’ll make this as easy as possible, Bell & Partners will never touch a Solterra project. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Consider this door shut for good."
Chris’s hands trembled around his folder, his pride completely leaving him as it was replaced by desperation. "Ethan, please—"
Irina’s smirk returned as she folded her arms. "Mr. Bell, I’d suggest you leave while you still have so dignity, getting kicked out won’t look good on you."
Chris’s breath hitched. He looked between the two of them, his desperation could now be heard in his voice. "P-please. You don’t understand. If I don’t close this deal, my grandfather—" He stopped himself, realizing too late how pathetic he sounded.
Ethan tilted his head, studying him with a clear sigh that he was looking down on Chris "your family’s problems aren’t mine," he said simply.
The silence that followed was suffocating. Chris looked like a drowning man reaching for air that would never co.
Finally, with trembling hands, he brought his folder to his chest, his pride lying shattered at his feet.
"You’ll regret this," he muttered, his voice tinged with bitterness.
Ethan’s smile widened just a mont, though his eyes remained cold. "The only thing I regret, Chris... is that I wasted even five minutes listening to you."
Irina’s laugh rang out again, it was clearly a mocking one. "Go on now, Mr. Bell. Don’t let the door hit your ego on the way out."
A few minutes after Chris left, the CEO ca rushing back, a couple of folder in his hands as he was breathing heavily, almost as if he had run up and down a couple of stairs...
Which he had.
He was completely unaware of the drama that had just went on as he stood before Ethan and Irina.
"I brought them all," He reported, completely breathless.
Honestly, he didn’t need to bring all these files since only the company’s own was needed but as stated before, he’d do as much as possible to avoid being thrown under the bus.
Even if he had an idea of what his employees were doing and he hadn’t done anything to stop them.
"Good job," Irina said, before adding, "now lead the way to Ethan’s office."
"Right away," not even being given the chance to take a rest, he continued forward with the files in hand.
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