Chapter 214
214 Strategic Moves
214 Strategic Moves.
“But even now that I know,” Charlie said firmly, “I don’t need you begging anyone for favors.”
Linda broke down. “No, he already agreed to help!”
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She sniffled. “Look, how about this–you call him, just say I’ll meet him in person. I’ll handle the dinner.”
Linda shook her head.
“Charlie, you’ve always treated me so well all these years. Honestly, I’ve always wanted to do something to
repay you…
“But I’ve never had anything to give back with. Well, now I finally have a chance. I want to help the family.”
Charlie clenched his fists.
His heart twisted with pain.
Linda really was something else–too kind and far too selfless.
She really made people want to protect her.
“You’ve done enough. You didn’t have to put yourself through all this.”
Linda quickly wiped her tears and forced a smile. “As long as it helps you, it’s worth it.”
Charlie knew the wheels were already in motion, so there was no point being sentimental about it.
“So, what did your boyfriend say exactly?”
Linda hurriedly wiped away her tears and fixed her makeup.
“He said he’s already reached out to an investor. They’re willing to help Spencer Group.”
Charlie assumed that meant Byron had stepped in personally.
Honestly, he was a little disappointed.
But then again, it made sense.
Even if she was dating Byron’s son, they weren’t engaged or married yet–there was no real obligation to help.
Just introducing someone willing to invest was already a huge gesture..
“The company’s called Jaxon Group. They’re new to the domestic market. The CEO’s looking to break into the local market. They’re looking for a reputable partner to develop a product together.
“I heard they’re willing to fund the whole project. All we need to provide is manpower and a solid company structure. As for the profits, you’ll have to negotiate that directly.”
Charlie’s eyes lit up.
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This was exactly what they needed–a lifeline.
“Who’s the contact at Zelta?”
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“I brought their business card. You should reach out yourself. I… I don’t really know much about this stuff.”
Linda said, fishing it out of her purse.
“Just tell them you got the referral from my boyfriend.”
With that, she was ready to leave.
“I won’t take up any more of your time. I’ll head out now.”
Charlie wanted to follow up immediately as there was no time to waste on a deal like this.
“Alright. I’ll have my assistant drive you home.”
“Okay,” Linda agreed.
Linda finally smiled. “I’m cooking tonight. Do you want to come home for dinner?”
“Sure. I’ll invite the others too.”
Linda nodded thoughtfully. “Should we invite Alice? She’s been through a lot … maybe we should include her.”
Charlie paused in the middle of dialing. “Forget it. She clearly doesn’t care.”
Linda finally felt a wave of relief.
So , the Spencer brothers aren’t swayed by Alice . They still don’t think of her as family .
Great . That’s how it should be .
“Alright. I’ll head home first.”
She didn’t push it further and walked out.
Shane was waiting outside to escort her.
Charlie immediately made the call. The other end picked up almost instantly.
“Hi, I’m calling on behalf of my sister’s boyfriend, Clayton.”
There was a long pause on the other end, like the person was genuinely surprised.
When Alice arrived at the hospital, Jack was out in the lot helping the research team unload equipment.
“Dr. Murphy, this is … a bit much, no?” she asked, gesturing toward all the equipment inside.
Inside the lab, cutting–edge machines filled the space–some of the best tech in the world.
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Emma, who had just arrived, gasped out loud when she saw everything.
“Oh my God, I’ve only ever seen this stuff on TV!”
She’d been dropped off by Byron himself, and someone else was with her. Clayton had come, too.
At first, he hadn’t planned to tag along. But the second he saw Emma, he changed his mind.
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When Byron introduced him, he casually said Clayton was just a student. The fact that they shared the same last name was pure coincidence.
Emma didn’t care about titles. When she found out Clayton was studying the same field, she immediately dove into nerd talk.
What stunned Clayton was that she actually knew her stuff–better than him, even. Despite all his years abroad, he was still behind.
It turned out Emma’s research was already ahead of what was being done overseas.
At first, he thought she was just showing off.
But once he stepped into the lab and saw the equipment, he realized–she hadn’t exaggerated a thing.
And that earned his respect.
Not that he let it show. He kept up his usual aloof, icy front.
“Dr. Murphy,” Byron sighed dramatically. “You’re really playing favorites. Our university’s been asking to borrow gear like this for years, but you always had an excuse.”
Jack’s heart ached.
This top–of–the–line setup? He hadn’t pulled strings to get it.
These were courtesy of Julius.
Truthfully, even as hospital director, Jack couldn’t have secured these on his own.
He’d needed help–high–level, back–channel help.
And yeah, he was jealous too.
But what could he do?
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215 Wolves at the Door