Chapter 779 Double Compensation
“I just wanted to have a good talk with you, Ms. Sinclair,” Connor said, leaning back in his chair with his leg crossed, chin resting on his hand, completely smug and unbothered. “No need to be so defensive.
“What do you want?” I asked flatly, still refusing to look him in the eye.
“You’ve really come up, haven’t you? Never thought you had it in you to become Andrew’s final apprentice His gaze raked over me in a way that made my skin crawl.
I lowered my head slightly, my voice cold. “If you’ve got something to say, Mr. Horton, say it. There’s no need to pretend we’re friends.”
Connor chuckled, loud and amused. “No wonder Andrew picked you. You’re sharp.”
Then, out of nowhere, he turned serious, pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind his back, and placed it on the table. “Ms. Sinclair,” he said, all faux sincerity, “forgive the sudden gesture, but I think I’ve fallen for you.”
I glanced at the bouquet, then back at his insincere eyes. “Thanks, but no thanks. I wouldn’t dare be the object of your affection.”
“Oh, come on.” He pushed the flowers into my hands. “Let me drive you home tonight.”
“I’ll get myself home.” I glared and stood to leave.
But he grabbed my wrist. “I mean it. Just give me a chance.”
“Your fake sincerity is worse than an outright lie.” I yanked my hand free and walked off.
“I’ll buy you breakfast tomorrow! Don’t forget to eat!” he called after me.
Caden’s POV:
I’d just stepped into the company lobby when Béta Yale came rushing toward me with a file in hand, looking unusually tense.
“What’s going on?” I asked, frowning slightly.
Yale had been by my side for years–calm, steady, never one to panic. Seeing him like this meant something serious had gone down.
“Mr. Holbrook, several clients called this morning to terminate their contracts. These are major accounts we’ve been developing for months. Losing them now is a huge hit,” he said urgently
He handed me the documents.
“What happened?” I asked sharply.
These clients were walking away even if it meant paying heavy penalties. That kind of decision doesn’t come without outside pressure.
Yale continued, “We looked into it, and it seems they all got calls this morning–from Jack’s team.
I raised an eyebrow. Jack? The successortothe Rampage Packwasopenlypoachingmyclients?
Chapter 779 Double Compensation
“What did he offer them?”
“We’re still piccing that together. Should we confront him?”
Every deal at Eclipse Group had been carefully negotiated. Losing multiple clients in one day would be a financial blow, and I wasn’t about to let it slide.
We tried calling all the clients. Two couldn’t be reached, one hung up on us immediately. Clearly, they’d made up their minds. Luckily, two of them agreed to meet at the café across from our office.
“Mr. Lloyd,” I greeted one of them as we shook hands.
“Mr. Holbrook. Always a pleasure.” Lloyd was a slightly overweight, middle–aged werewolf with a good reputation. Reliable. That’s why I’d chosen to work with him in the first place.
“I heard you’re terminating your contract. Can I ask why?”
“I … Well…” He hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. “Your company’s been great. But you know how it is, business is business. We’ve got to go where the numbers make the most sense. I’m sure you understand.
“I do,” I said evenly. “So what exactly did the other party offer you?”
He winced slightly. “Honestly, your deal was already generous. But he came back again and again, and in the end, he offered double–double the compensation and even covered my penalty fees. I couldn’t say no.
Double. I clenched my jaw. So Jack wasbleedingmoneyjusttoblockmefromexpanding?
“Understood,” I said coolly.
Mr. Lloyd was good at what he did. I’d priced his deal accordingly. If Jack wanted to burn through his cash for bragging rights, so be it.
“I’m really sorry. I know this came out of nowhere,” Mr. Lloyd said sincerely. “It wasn’t personal.”
We wrapped up with polite small talk before parting ways.
The next client I met with gave me the same story–Jack had outbid me and padded the offer with sweeteners I couldn’t match.
So that was Jack’s strategy: throw obscene amounts of money at my deals just to cripple Eclipse Group’s momentum. He wasn’t just playing business. He was waging war.
