Mischief

Emily left the hospital, worry etched on her face. She had been trying to reach Alex all day without success. As she walked towards her car, she decided to try calling him one more time. She picked up her phone and dialed his number, her heart pounding with each ring.

"Hello?" Alex's voice finally answered.

"Alex, thank goodness!" Emily exclaimed, relief flooding her voice. "I've been trying to reach you all day. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Alex replied. "I had some errands to run this morning. I'm sorry I couldn't get in touch with you."

"It's fine," Emily said, her concern easing slightly. "Where are you now?"

"I'm a little busy, Emily," Alex said, his tone hinting at something he wasn't saying.

"Oh, okay," she responded, trying to mask her disappointment. "I just wanted to let you know that Jacob is awake and I met with Mr. Thompson and left the contract with him."

"That's great news," Alex said. "I hope it all goes well."

"Me too," Emily said. "Alright, have a lovely day."

"You too," Alex replied before they ended the call.

Emily slipped her phone back into her bag and made her way to her car. As she drove back to the hotel, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with Alex. His voice had sounded distant, preoccupied.

Arriving at the hotel, Lauretta parked and Emily made her way up to her room. The day had been long and eventful, and all she wanted was a moment to relax and clear her head. She opened the door to her room, the familiarity of the space offering a small comfort.

Emily sank onto the bed, replaying the day's events in her mind. She was relieved that Jacob was awake and seemed to be recovering. She hoped Mr. Thompson would find the contract favorable and that their collaboration would benefit everyone involved.

As Emily sat down to take a much-needed rest, her phone rang. "Brick, brick, brick, brick." She glanced at the screen and saw Jane's name. With a sigh, she answered, "Hello, Jane."

"Hello, Miss Emily," Jane began, her tone formal and stiff. "I received an instruction from the Board of Directors at Watson Corporation. The contract you drafted and gave to Mr. Thompson has been deemed unfair to our company. We're not running a charity organization, and it must be equally beneficial to Watson Corporation as it is to Thompson's Oakheart Brewery."

"What are you talking about?" Emily asked, her voice rising in confusion and frustration.

"I sent a copy of the contract you took to Mr. Thompson to headquarters," Jane said. "And it was rejected."

"Rejected?" Emily stood up from her chair, her heart pounding. "What do you mean, rejected? It was a fair deal that would help us break into the beer-making industry and ensure high-quality, storied production. This is a key selling point for us! Do you know why we are here?" Emily's voice grew louder, her frustration boiling over.

"Yes, but this is out of my hands," Jane responded coolly. "The board unanimously agreed that the contract cannot be accepted in its current form. So, I took it upon myself to send a revised version to Mr. Thompson."

"You did what?" Emily's voice was a mix of disbelief and anger.

"I did my job," Jane replied, unflinching.

Emily's anger surged. "You overstepped, Jane!" she lashed out. "This was my negotiation, my work. How dare you undermine me?.

"I'm just following orders, Emily," Jane said, her tone icy. "The board's decision is final."

Emily ended the call abruptly, her hands shaking with anger. She couldn't believe the audacity of Jane and the board. Not only had they rejected her hard work, but they had also undermined her authority and trust. She paced the room, trying to calm her racing thoughts. The situation had just become significantly more complicated, and she needed to figure out her next steps.

She sat back down, her mind spinning with possibilities and counteractions. The peaceful evening she had hoped for was now shattered by this new conflict. Emily knew she had to address this swiftly and strategically. The stakes were high, and she couldn't afford to let this setback derail her efforts.

Emily wasted no time and called Lauretta immediately. "Lauretta, I need you in my hotel room right now," she said, her voice tense with urgency.

Lauretta arrived swiftly, sensing the gravity of the situation. Emily quickly narrated the entire ordeal. "Jane sent a revised contract to Mr. Thompson without my knowledge. The board rejected our original draft. What if Mr. Thompson starts to distrust us? Everyone already calls me the one who turned Silverwood upside down. What do we do now? How do we work with this nonsense Jane has done?"

"Calm down, Ms. Emily," Lauretta said, trying to soothe her. "First things first, let's look at the second contract that was sent. We need to know what changes were made."

"But how do we get that?" Emily asked, still fraught with worry.

"I'll contact someone at headquarters," Lauretta said reassuringly. "We need to see the document to understand the extent of the changes and how they might affect our position."

"Please do," Emily urged, pacing the room. "We need to fix this."

Lauretta pulled out her phone and made a quick call to her contact at the headquarters. She explained the urgency and requested a copy of the revised contract. After a few minutes of tense waiting, Lauretta received a confirmation that the document would be sent over immediately.

"Alright, it's on its way," Lauretta said. "In the meantime, let's try to stay calm and think this through. We need a plan for how to approach Mr. Thompson if the revised contract is significantly different from our original."

Emily nodded, trying to steady her nerves. "You're right. We need to stay composed and handle this strategically. Thank you, Lauretta."

A few minutes later, Lauretta's phone buzzed with an email notification. She opened the attachment and they both reviewed the revised contract. Emily's eyes scanned the document, her frustration growing as she noted the significant changes.

"This is unacceptable," Emily said, her voice firm. "We need to clarify our position and ensure Mr. Thompson understands what happened."

"I agree," Lauretta replied. "Let's draft a statement to explain the situation and propose a meeting with Mr. Thompson to discuss any concerns he might have with the revised contract."

Emily took a deep breath, feeling a bit more in control. "Thank you, Laurtta. Let's get to work on that statement. We need to handle this delicately but assertively."

Together, they sat down to craft a clear and professional explanation, hoping to mitigate any potential damage and restore trust with Mr. Thompson. The evening might have started with chaos, but Emily was determined to turn it around with Lauretta's steadfast support.