Darcy took the remote back, signaling for Cade to sit. “Mr. Steele, your timing is perfect. We’re just getting to the core of it.”
It was true. The beginning had been all about the company, the industry, and high-level product features.
The next part was the real substance.
“Good, then please continue.”
With Eamon’s encouragement, Darcy’s calm, confident voice filled the room again.
Bex, meanwhile, was seething internally.
This Darcy, thinking she can take a shortcut just because she knows the CEO. Pfft!
Stratagem Tech might be a Blackwood subsidiary, but its R&D is weak and its products are mediocre. How can they possibly compete with an industry unicorn like SummitCore?
Even with Mr. Steele here, I’d bet my bottom dollar that Zora’s proposal is a hundred times better than hers!
With the boss present, he didn’t dare look at his phone anymore. Coupled with his desire to find fault, he started listening intently.
But the more he listened, the more uneasy he felt.
Why does Stratagem’s product align so perfectly with our tender requirements? It’s almost like it was custom-built for us!
Every feature matched their needs exactly.
Even more alarming, beyond these core functions, the product didn’t have a lot of unnecessary bloat, which meant its price was actually lower than the competitors’.
Bex swallowed hard.
Soon, the presentation ended.
Darcy’s gaze moved from the screen to the people at the table.
“Mr. Steele, Mr. Stone, do you have any questions based on what you’ve seen?”
The appreciation in Eamon’s eyes was unmistakable. He nodded at Darcy. “A very thoughtful proposal.”
The features addressed almost every key pain point Easemark was currently facing.
It was clear this product had been developed specifically for them, like a bespoke suit in the world of luxury goods.
It’s only been two months, and her skills have advanced yet again. He was genuinely impressed.
He also couldn’t understand how the CEO of SummitCore could let such a versatile talent leave.
If she were his, he’d treat her like a queen and give her anything she wanted.
But that was between her and SummitCore; it was none of his business.
She had also asked him privately to keep her move confidential, as she hadn’t formally left SummitCore yet.
He turned to Bex. “Bex, what are your thoughts?”
Bex had been squirming in his seat, his mind racing to find something, anything, wrong with the product.
But he couldn’t think of a single flaw!
Suddenly, he thought of a question.
He cleared his throat and looked down his nose at Darcy. “Can you guarantee your delivery timeline? I’ve heard your delivery team has fewer than twenty people.”
Darcy smiled faintly. “Absolutely. Once the contract is signed, we will immediately begin hiring.”
Bex had expected this answer. A sarcastic smile touched his lips. “Will hiring after signing the contract be fast enough? New hires take a long time to get up to speed.”
“Not necessarily. We have comprehensive internal training documentation. I will personally oversee the project to ensure every phase is delivered on time.”
It was a perfect answer.
Bex was stumped. Think, you idiot! What other weaknesses are there?
Suddenly, Eamon spoke up, “Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s call it a day for now.”
He then asked his assistant to see Darcy and Cade out.
Once the conference room door closed, Eamon looked at Bex.
He picked up the cup from the table, took a sip of coffee, and then fixed Bex with a penetrating gaze.
“So, Bex. What did you really think of Stratagem Tech’s proposal?”
Bex straightened up, feeling inexplicably guilty. “Stratagem Tech’s proposal is quite good. The product features are comprehensive and perfectly match our tender requirements. But…”
He was just about to say, “SummitCore Tech’s is superior,” when his boss stood up abruptly and said, “I think so too,” before walking out.
Bex stood frozen for a long moment, then wiped a hand over his face.
Did I just celebrate too early and mess this up?
Just then, a message came through on his phone, which was face down on the table.
Seeing Zora’s icon, Bex narrowed his eyes.
No. I can’t go back on my word to her!
I’ll find a way to convince the boss!
…
By the time they left the client’s office building, dusk was settling in. Darcy felt her stomach grumbling with hunger.
She turned to Cade. “Let’s go. I’m buying you dinner.”
Cade immediately perked up. “Yes! I want to go to that new trendy place, the one with the Black Pearl rating!”
“Which one?” Darcy asked, telling him to send her the address.
Cade forwarded her a link from a review app. When she saw the price per person was 200 dollars, her eyebrow twitched.
This man…
She smiled wryly but said nothing, putting her phone away as they walked to the parking lot.
She had just pulled out her keys to unlock the car when a familiar, deep voice sounded behind her.
“What a coincidence, running into you two here.”
Darcy turned around.
Not far away, Jethro stood in his impeccably tailored black suit, one hand in his pocket, a casual smile on his face as he looked their way.
“It is a coincidence,” Darcy said, surprised. “Are you here to see a client too, Mr. Blackwood?”
This office building housed more than just Easemark Ventures; perhaps he was visiting another company.
Still, the timing felt almost too convenient.
A smile touched Jethro’s eyes. Whether he didn’t hear her question or chose to ignore it, he instead asked, “Heading back?”
“We’re going to get dinner,” Darcy replied honestly.
She paused, then added as an afterthought, “Would you like to join us, Mr. Blackwood?”
She assumed the perpetually busy CEO wouldn’t have time, but as her boss, she felt obliged to ask out of courtesy.
To her surprise, Jethro nodded. “Sure, I’ll join you. But it’s my treat. Consider it an advance celebration for a successful contract.”
The restaurant wasn’t far, and they arrived in under half an hour.
Fortunately, it was a weeknight, so they didn’t need a reservation.
However, as a trendy spot, all the private rooms were already booked, so they had to sit in the main dining area.
They had just sat down and were about to order when Cade frowned and grabbed his phone. “Hello, baby? You’re sick? Oh no, I’ll come home and take care of you right away!”
He hung up and looked at his two superiors with an apologetic expression. “Mr. Blackwood, Ms. Gale, I’m so sorry. My girlfriend is sick and waiting for me at home. I have to go. Really sorry, let’s do dinner another time!”
With that, he grabbed his bag and hurried out.
Only Jethro and Darcy remained at the table.
Darcy felt the situation was a bit awkward, but they were already here, and they had to eat.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.