Saving the Villain

One week later...

The next day Cosette proposed to tag along with Conrad. She had to wake up early and wear smart casual. The real Cosette was no alien from the company matters and even handled minor projects in the past. So, aside from the other luxury items in her walk-in closet, there was no shortage of smart casual attires she could choose from.

She didn't see Maxen after that night as Conrad and Cosette disembarked immediately after a quick light breakfast. The second they left the Blac residence, Conrad never had rest as he would read documents on the road, answering an important call from time to time.

Cosette nearly threw a tantrum, as she felt bored. Her father took her words as they were and treated her like a shadow following his trail. The entire first day following Conrad around went by Cosette acting as his shadow. Although he would habitually ask about her well-being and she would answer them with a slight smile, she realized this would keep up if she didn't know anything.

Therefore, with this newfound challenge and fire engulfing her, Cosette barely rested on the first night they came home. Instead, she used her free time to read the current state of affairs of the BLK Corporation. She stayed away from it when she came into this world, so she had a ton of documents to review.

Thankfully, Cosette gained the real Cosette's quick learning ability, and she felt familiar with the words. She was able to absorb every bit of information like a sponge. Still, that wasn't enough and it would sometimes make her feel dizzy every once in a while whenever her brain was overloaded with complicated numbers and stats.

One good thing about getting familiar with the current of the company and how it moved was Cosette's mind drifted from anything else. No wonder the other leads in the novel she read were workaholics. Work was just enough to distract someone and forget the matters of the heart. Not easily, but it was effective.

Now, one week later, Cosette, although hadn't become a pro, she had a better understanding of the company situation. And thus, opened more opportunities for her and Conrad to converse, instead of being just his tail.

"So we're giving up the branch in Sharie?" she raised a question, breaking the prolonged silence in the car, on their way to a country club where Conrad would have a business meeting.

"Mhm." Conrad placed the document on his lap and set his eyes on her. But instead of meeting her eyes, his gaze landed on the documents in her hand, moving his gaze up to her pretty face. His lips curled up, seeing how she looked matured in just one week of tagging along with him.

Now, this was the Cosette he knew before she transferred schools. The only difference was that she wasn't aloof and kept her decisions to herself. Instead, she was cleverly using the information regarding their business to strike up a conversation with him.

"You don't think it's a wise decision?" he asked back, wanting to hear her opinion.

"Well, Sharie is struggling now, both politically and economically. So, it is smart to withdraw our investment and cut losses." She pondered for a moment, making him nod in satisfaction. "But would this new project generate more profit? Dropping the Sharie Branch is a big decision and also an enormous loss, so starting a bigger project is a little risky."

His lips stretched upon listening to the entirety of her sentiments. "It is a colossal risk, indeed. But we need to take our chances."

"Take our chances?" Cosette tilted her head to the side. The wording slightly alarmed her. Unfortunately, she barely had knowledge of this new project. The reason she brought up this topic despite already knowing the situation in Sharie was not going anywhere good.

"It's a joint project," Conrad explained casually. He didn't mind sharing information with her, but his daughter was too busy reviewing the past flow of the company to learn the present current. Therefore, he held back in informing her, since he was afraid she would overload.

But now that she seemed ready to know about the current monumental project of their company, he would happily fill her in. Throughout the journey, Conrad patiently told her about the pros of this project and how risky it was. Meanwhile, she listened attentively, raising questions from time to time, allowing Conrad to know they were on the same page.

As the father and daughter duo engaged in a professional conversation, Warren, Conrad's executive assistant, could not help but look over from the passenger seat. His lips were curled up to a proud smile, darting his eyes between Cosette and Conrad in the back seat.

Now that he was watching those two, he couldn't help but agree that Cosette took after Conrad. She had changed significantly over the past several months, but now that her mind was focused on business matters, she had regained the same tenacity before her change.

She might've retained her bubbly air somehow, but listening to her talk professionally like her father gave her a different, sophisticated aura of a grown woman.

'The BLK Corporation is in great hands. No doubt,' Warren thought, peeling his eyes away from the back seat to stare at the road. His smile grew broader at the thought of Cosette being mentored by her father. After all, in the past, Cosette preferred to figure things out on her own, and never once did she ask Conrad's opinion about the company affairs.

Not that Conrad treated his daughter's action as a threat, but it was still better if the family business would bring the father and daughter closer, and not separate them.

The journey was filled with Cosette's and Conrad's voices from the back seat. Once in a while, Warren would take a call, but most of them didn't require Conrad's attention and deal with it. Or rather, Warren did his best to give the two some time to talk more as some sort of bonding which the two seemed to have enjoyed.

When they were close to the meeting place, Cosette furrowed her brows.

"If that is the case, why do you sound like we have eighty percent of losing than gaining?" she asked, coming to a conclusion that this project would definitely succeed if they put more attention to it. Conrad had already prepared for any setback and prepared resolution if any of these dilemmas rose.

So, why was Conrad giving off this slight reluctance about this project as if he was slightly unhappy with it?

"Because..." Conrad pondered and leaned back. His head rocked back and forth slightly when the car halted in the entrance's driveway of the country club. He cocked his head in the direction where she was sitting, pointing his chin to her side of the window.

"Because of that," he said, making Cosette turn to her window

The second she met the person standing outside the premises of the elite county club, the corner of her lips twitched. No wonder Conrad felt a little gloomy despite the excellent project was that... the partner of this partnership was none other than the Quinn Holdings. And the man standing outside was Maynard Quinn on the flesh.

Cosette looked back at her father apologetically. "Papa, you're really working hard," she expressed, feeling sorry that Conrad had to put up with Maynard no matter how mischievous the latter was. Surely earning money was no easy feat.

"Recognition appreciated." Conrad let out a long-suffering sigh before the door of the backseat opened up from the outside.

Seeing the gloom Conrad would usually wear in the presence of Maynard Quinn, Warren smiled awkwardly. He stepped to the side as his boss stepped his foot outside, jogging to the other door of the back seat. But when Warren reached it, Cosette already opened it.

"Let me help, Young Miss." Warren courteously offered his hand, which Cosette clasped after giving him a warm smile. Just that smile from the young miss already felt like a reward. Conrad would never treat Warren with such warmth.

"Well, well, well!" Maynard's enthusiastic voice pierced their ears, spreading his arms wide open. "I heard my daughter-in-law has been tagging along, so I expected her presence at today's meeting!"

Conrad's eyes instantly harbored ill-intent in his eyes but kept a calm demure. Glancing at him, Cosette's throat bobbed. Her father looked like the calm before the storm.

"President Quinn." Conrad approached Maynard and grabbed the latter's hand, using a strength meant to crush his bones. "What an honor to be welcomed by you with such an entourage."

Maynard laughed awkwardly, noticing the tightening grip around his hand. "Hehe... sorry, sorry," he said quietly, enough for the two of them to hear to save himself some face from the people lined up behind him.

Seeing this, Cosette let out a long-suffering sigh. Maynard was surely like his son, Luke. He never learned his lesson. She could not help but recall how many times Conrad hung up on Maynard without letting the latter finish his sentence. If Maynard was an arrogant prick, this would be a problem for their company. But well, the two seemed to get along in a unique way. Conrad wouldn't exercise this much patience if he didn't see Maynard as his friend one way or another.

"Good to see you again, Miss Blac." Her brows rose when Asher's voice, which was as cool as a midday breeze in a scorching summer, caressed her ears.