Vacation(Part 5)

"You're really good with kids," Jasper remarked, his voice carrying a hint of admiration.

"Am I? I was just telling them stories," I replied modestly, trying to brush off the praise.

"It's really cute!" Jasper insisted, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"I don't know about cute," I muttered, feeling slightly self-conscious under his gaze.

"You're impossible, Alex. I think you're cute even if you don't," Jasper chuckled, his words infused with genuine affection.

"Um, thanks?" I stammered, caught off guard by his candid remark.

"There we go!" Jasper laughed, the sound of his laughter echoing in the hallway as we reached our room. Despite my lingering uncertainty, his lighthearted banter brought a smile to my lips, easing any lingering tension.

I opened up the laptop to keep an eye on the security cameras while Jasper took care of contacting Travis to set the plan in motion. With a quick text, Travis would initiate the next phase, allowing us to maintain control of the situation without Emily suspecting a thing.

Glancing at the screen, I watched as my sister remained seated in the private dining room, her expression a mix of frustration and impatience. Despite the recent facial reconstruction, which rendered her features slightly immobile, her eyes betrayed her true emotions. It was clear that Emily was growing increasingly irritated by the delay, unaware of the meticulous strategy unfolding behind the scenes.

Lollipop's entrance into the room was met with a sudden surge of tension, amplified by my sister's increasingly agitated demeanor.

""Sorry for making you wait!"" Lollipop's cheerful tone clashed with the palpable tension in the air. ""Our boss can't make it suddenly due to personal reasons.""

Emily's frustration bubbled to the surface, her voice laced with irritation. ""What do you mean? Didn't you say he was here? Why can't he come here?""

Lollipop maintained his composed facade, his smile unwavering despite the mounting pressure. ""Really sorry about this, our boss is having a bit of a family emergency. He didn't want you waiting too long, so he's waiting to speak on the phone.""

The exchange hung in the air, the weight of the deception palpable as we awaited Emily's response, hoping our makeshift plan would hold under scrutiny.

""Listen prat! You and your boss don't seem sincere in doing business at all! If your boss can't speak to me in person then forget it!"" Emily's voice dripped with disdain, her disdain palpable in the air. Emily's outburst sent a ripple of tension through the room, her words sharp and accusatory. As she rose from her seat with an air of superiority, I braced myself for the inevitable fallout of her departure. Yet, her abrupt decision to leave caught me off guard, defying my expectations of her typically tenacious nature.

Despite the confrontation, Lollipop remained unruffled, his demeanor composed and unaffected. ""If that's the case, take care Ms. Todd. I'll tell my boss you decided to leave!"" His smile remained fixed, a stark contrast to the tension that lingered in the room.

""Think about it carefully, you won't encounter another deal like the one I'm offering you! You can make the money in one swoop instead of working,"" Emily's voice crackled with an undercurrent of frustration, her tone laced with impatience. Her threat hung in the air like a dark cloud, her piercing glare fixed on Lollipop as if trying to intimidate him into compliance. The weight of her words carried a sense of urgency, as if she were offering an opportunity too good to pass up.

In contrast, Lollipop remained steadfast and composed, his response measured and unwavering. ""We've always been in short supply so it won't matter who we sell to. There's plenty of other places to buy from with the owners in right now,"" he countered, his demeanor exuding confidence born of experience.

The tension between them was palpable, each word exchanged like a verbal spar in a high-stakes negotiation. As Emily hesitated, caught between her desire for profit and the resolve of Lollipop's rebuttal, I watched with bated breath, uncertain of the outcome of their standoff.

My sister's sudden shift in demeanor caught me off guard, her initial aggression giving way to a calculated calmness that sent a shiver down my spine. It was as if she had switched gears, adopting a more diplomatic approach while still holding her ground. ""Todd Corporation has always enjoyed helping small businesses, that's why we came to talk to your boss. I won't hold a grudge. How do you want to do this?"" Her words carried a veneer of congeniality, masking the underlying determination in her tone.

Despite my disbelief at her brazen shamelessness, I couldn't help but marvel at the opportunity her slip-up presented. Here she was, ostensibly representing Todd Corporation without any official mandate, a fact I intended to exploit to my advantage. It was a stroke of luck to have this interaction captured on video, providing me with valuable leverage for future negotiations.

I knew she'd give in.

As Lollipop facilitated the exchange, handing Emily Travis's phone, I could sense the tension mounting in the room. Emily's impatience was evident in her tone as she pressed for answers, her frustration palpable even through the phone. ""Sir, you've been acting pretty mysterious, what's your surname? We can't discuss business if you hide away like this.""

Maintaining my calm demeanor, I responded smoothly, masking any hint of unease beneath a polite smile. "My surname is also Lombardi, no relation to the Lombardi family. It's a pleasure to meet you." Despite the gravity of the situation, I made a conscious effort to project confidence and authority, determined to navigate the conversation with poise and composure.

As Emily continued to berate me, her words laced with arrogance and disdain, I maintained my composed facade, refusing to let her provocations unsettle me. ""Meet me? I can't even see you, how is this meeting? I've never met someone so unprofessional before.""

"Emergencies are emergencies, Ms. Todd. We'll have plenty of chances to meet in the future."

"The Todd's are too busy to meet unimportant people! Let's get to the point."

Suppressing a smirk at her blatant arrogance, I subtly redirected the conversation, subtly asserting my control over the situation. "Okay, it's obvious that LaVeoux is overwhelmed and Mr. Todd is extremely busy."

With a calculated taunt, I baited Emily, watching as her frustration boiled over, her temper flaring as she slammed her fist on the table in a display of anger. Despite her attempts to intimidate, I remained steadfast, refusing to be cowed by her outburst. ""What?! Who do you think you are?!""

"Calm down, Ms. Todd, I'm just an unimportant poor man from Wyoming trying to make a living. What motives do I have to deceive you? But from what I hear, LaVeoux has never worked with high-quality medicinal herbs, so why are you suddenly buying so much of mine? Also with your current situation, who should I cry to if you can't pay?"

Her words carried a sense of urgency, a thinly veiled attempt to shift the focus away from her own precarious position. ""As long as you're willing to cooperate, you have nothing to worry about. The Todd's are going through a rough time but we can still pay you. We can even sign a contract.""

"What're you thinking?" With a hint of skepticism in my tone, I probed Emily for further insight, determined to uncover the truth behind her sudden interest in our products.

Emily elaborated, her voice carrying a hint of desperation masked by a veneer of false generosity. ""I can pay double for anything fresh. I will also buy everything you grow under the condition you don't sell it to anyone else.""

It was clear that her intention was to lure me into compliance, only to subtly orchestrate a hostile takeover. By monopolizing our greenhouse produce, she aimed to corner us into a position of dependency, ultimately compromising the quality of our ingredients and eroding our customer base.

Having witnessed my father employ similar tactics in the past, successfully coercing numerous restaurant owners into closure, I recognized the dangers inherent in Emily's offer.

"If this is the price you're offering then there is no deal," I stated firmly, refusing to yield to her pressure tactics.

""Are you not happy with double pay? Most people jump on this opportunity immediately!"" Emily retorted, her façade of composure started to crack under the weight of my resistance.

"It's for me to decide, isn't it? You probably think that because I'm from a poor family that I have no pride in my work. Beggars can be choosers given the right circumstance," I countered, my voice laced with determination.

""You're just one restaurant! It's your honor that we're even coming to you with an offer first!"" Emily snapped, her frustration palpable as she attempted to assert her dominance. ""Don't overvalue yourself!""

"Well since I'm of low value and you had to lower yourself to come to my establishment to ask for my product, please rise above and pridefully show yourself out. I still have things to handle," I replied with a sigh, masking my true intentions beneath a veneer of resignation.

""Are you fucking with me?"" Emily snapped, her patience wearing thin as she struggled to maintain control of the situation.

"A businesswoman should acknowledge that a deal is mutually beneficial. I disagree with the price, so I won't do business with you. This is called a negotiation," I explained calmly, asserting my stance without wavering.

""Then just tell me what the hell you want!"" Emily ordered, her frustration bubbling to the surface as she demanded clarity amidst the tension of our standoff.

"I'm assuming the most risk by accommodating your demands, such as not being prepared for services, compromising ingredient quality to meet your requirements, and risking the loss of core staff if I accept your deal. And what if you were to go bankrupt tomorrow? I'd be left in a precarious position, unable to sell to anyone else to salvage even my own business. While you may think the price is too steep, I'm offering premium quality products at a premium price." I explained. "I'm aware of my worth, Ms. Todd."

I observed my sister's desperate attempts to formulate a plan to ensnare me in a seemingly favorable contract. It was evident that she had arrived here with the assumption that she could effortlessly manipulate anyone and achieve her objectives. However, Emily lacked the strategic acumen of a savvy businesswoman, often relying on her charm to sway situations in her favor. With her usual tactic of leveraging her appearance rendered ineffective in our current interaction, she had no choice but to devise an alternative strategy to avoid conceding to my terms.

""If that's the case, then I suppose I'll invest in building some alliances. Have the order prepared and the contract signed within two days,"" my sister conceded begrudgingly, her tone laced with reluctance.

"I'm glad we could reach an agreement," I replied, observing as Emily slammed a stack of papers onto the table, accompanied by a hastily written check. With an irritated huff, she terminated the call, leaving behind the phone, contract, and check on the table before storming out of the private dining room in a fit of anger.

As Lollipop reentered the private dining room, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Closing the laptop, I knew that my task was finally complete. With Emily's departure, the tense atmosphere that had permeated the room began to dissipate, replaced by a sense of accomplishment and closure. It was a small victory, but one that brought a significant amount of satisfaction. Now, all that was left to do was wait for the next challenge to arise.

Jasper's admiration was clear as he commented on my swift and assertive handling of the situation with my sister. "Very impressive."

"It's all just part of the game. Family dynamics are at full play here," I replied nonchalantly, though internally I couldn't help but ponder his curiosity. The intricacies of our relationships were far from simple, and the layers of history and emotion ran deep. Yet, in that moment, I chose to keep those thoughts to myself, allowing only a cryptic smile to betray my inner contemplation.

Emily won't know what hit her.