Chapter 146
Chapter 146
Luna pressed her lips together.
It was clear Ethan had no intention of acknowledging their proposal.
Even after she’d given such a pointed reminder, he remained completely unfazed.
She’d assumed that by dropping that hint, Ethan would agree to their offer.
But clearly, he intended to avoid the topic altogether.
She’d given him a chance-it wasn’t her fault he chose not to take it.
Once her paper passed the review, their company’s future would be limitless.
A small firm like Vanguard wasn’t even worth her time.
Besides, Ethan seemed close to Autumn. She figured Autumn must’ve spoken ill of her more than once.
If Ethan had a negative impression of them, it was understandable.
With Autumn in the picture, everything started to make sense.
With that thought, Luna glanced at Autumn, then shifted her gaze back to Ethan.
“I hope Mr. Sharp will seriously consider our proposal, rather than be swayed by negative rumors and end up missing such a valuable opportunity.
“After all, we’ve merged with the Carter Group. Our strength speaks for itself. I hope Mr. Sharp won’t let emotions cloud his judgment p>
There was a clear implication behind her words, even if she didn’t say it outright.
Everyone present could tell what she meant-she was suggesting that Autumn had spoken poorly of them, which was why
Ethan seemed biased.
Otherwise, she and Ethan had no real interaction.
She couldn’t imagine any other reason for his disapproval.
Everyone knew about the tension between Luna and Autumn.
From Julian’s side, Luna was treated coldly because she’d been the one who came between him and Autumn, so the animosity
was understandable.
And from the Lewis brothers’ side, they were well aware that Autumn had always been at odds with Luna.
What they hadn’t expected was for Autumn to have this much influence-to actually sway Ethan into standing against them.
That thought made Hector glare at Autumn, his eyes filled with hostility.
He stood abruptly, ready to speak.
But Simon quickly reached out and tugged him back down, leaning in to whisper, “Don’t lose your head. We’re here for business, not a family drama p>
The message was clear-this was a negotiation, not the Lewis household.
If they caused a scene here, everyone would lose face.
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It was obvious Ethan treated Autumn well.
The fact that he brought her to a meeting like this was enough to prove she held a significant place in his eyes.
Offending Autumn here would do them more harm than good, so they had no choice but to hold back.
Ethan simply smiled and said, “Miss Lewis, are you questioning my ability to make sound judgments?
“Has Mr. Lee already reviewed your paper? What makes you so confident that you’ll secure the medical Af contract p>
Of course he picked up on the undertone in Lima’s words. Maybe she thought she already knew the outcome.
But that deep-seated pride she carried-it was beginning to wear on him.
Lama pressed her lips together.
She clearly hadn’t expected Ethan to call her out like that.
For a moment, an awkward look crossed her face, but she quickly composed herself.
After a pause, she replied carefully, “You misunderstood, Mr. Sharp. We weren’t questioning your judgment.
“We just believe that in a partnership, both sides should benefit. Negotiations shouldn’t be derailed by interference from outsiders, don’t you agree p>
That “outsider” obviously referred to Autumn.
There was no need for her to spell it out-everyone here would understand.
She didn’t hide her disdain for Autumn’s presence. Their encounter earlier that afternoon at Vanguard had already been
unpleasant.
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