Chapter 400
Chapter 400:
Why push things this far? The crowd was completely baffled — was Maia holding a grudge against Aurora Apparel Company or maybe against MCN? Or was she actually targeting Pattie, setting a trap for her on purpose?
No matter the reason, the excitement in the room was now boiling over.
A flicker of nervousness crossed Mariana’s face, but she quickly pulled herself together.
She couldn’t afford to let Maia shake her nerves — that would be falling right into her trap.
Maybe Maia was playing mind games, trying to throw her off and mess up her performance.
Mariana took a deep breath and steadied her thoughts. She had full confidence in her skills — she was certain that she could crush Maia without a problem.
Wearing a self-assured grin, she replied, “Fine. A gambler’s way of thinking is all about putting up little for the chance to score big. If you want to dance this close to the fire, I’ll join you p>
“Mariana!” Claudius’s voice cut sharply through the air behind her. “This is way too dangerous. You need to slow down and think twice p>
Mariana clenched her jaw and faced Claudius. “Claudius, if she isn’t shaking in her boots, why should I be? Aurora Apparel Company is on the line, and I’m the one in charge now. What I say, sticks. Stay out of my way p>
Mariana was being unbearably proud and reckless! Claudius was fuming and felt utterly powerless, but seeing that his father, Kolton, kept his mouth shut, he had no choice but to swallow his words.
After giving Claudius a piece of her mind, Mariana spun back toward Maia with a frosty, mocking smile. “Just be sure you don’t bawl too much when you lose p>
A faint smile tugged at Maia’s lips, but her eyes flicked over to Kolton, who stood silently behind Mariana. She spoke in an unhurried tone. “I have nothing else to add. But I’ll need you to vouch for your daughter, Mr. Cooper p>
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Kolton arched an eyebrow. “What kind of promise are we talking about p>
Maia answered calmly, “You have to guarantee that if Miss Cooper ends up losing,
“Aurora Apparel Company will be absorbed by MCN just like the agreement says. Also, the Cooper Group must never strike back at anyone from MCN, not now, not ever — that includes Pattie and me p>
Kolton’s eyes grew cold and sharp, narrowing at her words.
The people standing around, catching on to Maia’s true motives, instantly understood why she had asked for such an assurance. Aurora Apparel Company was just a branch under the big umbrella of the Cooper Group, and Kolton was the one who truly pulled the strings. Without his go-ahead, there was no way this deal could move forward.
On top of that, even if Mariana ended up losing and MCN managed to swallow up Aurora Apparel Company, there was still a real risk. The Cooper Group could always find a sneaky way to claw it back.
Maia had already made the Cooper Group bleed heavily. Given Kolton’s grudge-holding nature, it was hard to believe that he would just let her walk away untouched, even if he had to work behind the scenes.
By forcing Kolton to make a public commitment in front of all these high-profile business figures, Maia was locking him in. If anything shady happened to MCN or anyone tied to it, everybody would immediately point fingers at the Cooper Group.
The blow to the Cooper Group’s image would be devastating, and the way the business world looked at them would change for good.
“A powerhouse like the Cooper Group would surely keep their word and swallow their loss with dignity. If they stooped to holding grudges and scheming in the shadows, it would wreck their good name. Surely, you wouldn’t want it to happen, right, Mr. Cooper?” Maia said coolly.
Hearing this, Rosanna, who was mingling in the crowd, bit her lip hard in annoyance. She hadn’t seen it coming that Maia would drag such a sensitive matter into the open. Even if Maia stepped on the Cooper Group’s toes, they’d have to tread carefully before making any move against her.