After breakfast, I turned to Seraphina with a smile. "Love, why don’t you head over to Grandview Villa and check on the interior decoration? See if everything is ready for us to move in tomorrow."
"Of course," she agreed warmly. Taking the keys to the new sports car I had bought her, she gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and headed out to the Grandview Villa estate.
Left alone, I relaxed on the sofa in the living room of our Presidential Suite, watching TV. A few minutes later, the suite’s landline phone rang.
I picked up the receiver. "Hello?"
"Good morning, Mr. Vance," the front desk receptionist said politely. "Miss Carter has arrived at the hotel. We have already escorted her to your private VIP elevator."
"Thank you," I replied, placing the phone back on its cradle.
Shortly after, a gentle knock sounded at the door. I walked over and opened it, finding Clara standing in the hallway looking composed yet slightly tense.
"Welcome, Miss Clara," I said with a welcoming smile. "Come in, I have something important to discuss with you."
She walked in and sat down on the plush sofa across from me. "Mr. Vance, my father mentioned that you wanted to speak with me about a major matter."
"Please, sit," I offered her a glass of water. "Would you like anything else to drink?"
"No, this is fine, thank you," she replied, taking a small sip.
Leaning back on the couch, I looked at her with an amused expression. "Clara, tell me... what do you think about Cosmos Group?"
Her eyes lit up instantly, her face flushing with professional excitement. "Cosmos Group? It’s easily the most prominent conglomerate in Metro City! If it’s managed with proper vision and aggressive skill, it has the potential to completely dominate the entire Dreamland market. But... why are you asking me about Cosmos Group?"
I smiled calmly, looking straight into her eyes. "Because I own 100% of Cosmos Group. And I want you to run the entire conglomerate for me as its CEO."
Clara froze, the glass in her hand almost slipping.
"Don’t worry about capital," I continued smoothly. "Whatever projects you execute, no matter how many billions you spend, I will back you with unlimited financial capital and absolute political backing. I will handle everything behind the scenes. I want you to take command of Cosmos Group, team up with Carter Holdings, develop Plots 1, 2, and 3, and lead both groups to absolute prosperity."
Clara sat stunned, staring at me in complete disbelief. "Y-You own Cosmos Group?! That’s shocking enough on its own... but are you seriously telling me you want to hand over a 100-billion-Stardollar empire to me?!"
I chuckled softly. "Of course I’m sure. A woman who was clever enough to try and trap me in a contract just to protect her family’s company isn’t someone who gives up easily. I can trust you with Cosmos Group with my eyes closed. So, what do you say, Miss Carter? Will you grant me the honor of hiring such a brilliant CEO?"
Clara looked at me with dazzling, sparkling eyes. "Yes!" she burst out so quickly and eagerly that it caught me completely off guard.
Realizing how enthusiastic she sounded, her cheeks flushed bright red. Before I could say a word, she jumped up from the sofa and threw her arms around me in a tight, impulsive hug.
"Thank you, Julian!" she whispered tightly. "Even my own father was convinced I wasn’t ready to lead Carter Holdings... yet you’re handing me a conglomerate ten times larger!"
I smiled, pulling out the prepared equity management contract and sliding it toward her. "Sign here, Miss CEO. Your official work begins tomorrow. Just remember one thing during the joint negotiations with Carter Holdings in two days: don’t favor your father’s company too much in the deal. From here on out, I won’t attend routine executive meetings. You handle everything. If you ever run into trouble you can’t solve, just call me, and I’ll be there to back you up."
The moment her pen signed the paper, a System chime echoed softly in my mind.
[System Notification: Target Clara Carter experienced deep trust and emotional connection!]
[Affection Increased: +20 | Loyalty Increased: +30!]
[Confidante Progress Status:]
[Name: Clara Carter]
[Beauty Score: 92/100]
[Affection: 40/100 | Loyalty: 40/100]
[Past Relationships: None]
Clara set the pen down and looked up at me. For a lingering moment, our eyes met, and an unmistakable spark of intimacy passed between us.
I already have Seraphina... getting Clara’s affection was supposed to be purely for System rewards and business convenience, I reasoned in my head. Yet, despite my rational thoughts, my heart couldn’t deny the warmth blossoming inside me whenever I looked at her.
Clara broke eye contact first, her face blushing as she cleared her throat softly. "I... I should probably leave now."
"Wait a moment," I said gently. "Tomorrow morning, the news will officially announce that Plot 1 is being re-zoned as the primary central hub for all municipal development in Metro City. Keep that in mind. Ensure that Cosmos Group secures 60% of the joint development rights and profits, while Carter Holdings takes 40%. Don’t back down just because you’re negotiating against your father. And whenever you have free time, come hang out with Seraphina and me."
"I will," Clara said with a bright smile before collecting her papers and leaving the suite.
A short while later, Seraphina returned to the suite. As she walked through the door, she asked curiously, "Julian, was Miss Clara just here?"
I blinked, looking up. "Is there a problem?"
"No, not at all," she smiled, setting her purse down. "I just thought I saw her car leaving the underground parking garage when I drove in."
"Yes, she was here to finalize a contract," I explained smoothly. "I have officially appointed her as the new CEO of Cosmos Group. From now on, she’ll be managing the group and overseeing the municipal land development project."
Standing up, I asked, "How did things go at the estate?"
"Everything is completely ready!" Seraphina said cheerfully. "We can move in tomorrow. Should I start packing our luggage?"
"Why do it yourself?" I chuckled, pulling her into a light embrace. "Tell the hotel staff to pack everything up carefully. I’ll give a generous reward to everyone who helps."
"Are you sure?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Of course," I smiled.
As I glanced over at the signed corporate copies sitting on the desk, a sudden thought crossed my mind, and I asked casually, "Seraphina... what do you honestly think about Clara?"
She blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Do you mind that I gave her the position of CEO instead of giving it to you?"
Seraphina laughed softly, resting her hand on my chest. "Julian, I’m doing what I’m best at—loving you as your girlfriend and taking care of you as your personal butler. Business management is Clara’s strength, and she’s completely trustworthy. Having her manage Cosmos Group is actually wonderful because it means you and I get to spend so much more time together!"
Hearing her sweet, selfless answer made my heart swell. Part of me wondered if I should tell Seraphina about the growing attraction between Clara and me, but I decided against it for now. Nothing was confirmed between Clara and me yet, and bringing it up prematurely might create unnecessary tension.
The friendship between the three of us was just starting to take root. If hostiles or misunderstandings developed, it could derail the upcoming multi-billion-Stardollar project, create corporate scandals, damage stock prices, and potentially lose us a brilliant CEO. It was far better to keep things natural and discreet until I understood where my feelings for Clara were truly heading.
By the time we returned to the master bedroom, the hotel staff had neatly packed all our belongings into designer luggage. I wrote out $50,000 Stardollar reward checks for each of the staff members, telling them to enjoy a fine dinner downstairs on my tab.
After everyone left, I lay down on the bed and pulled Seraphina closely into my arms. As she rested her head on my chest and we drifted off to sleep, one absolute truth remained clear in my mind: no matter what happened in the future, Seraphina’s place and importance in my life would never diminish.