Rise of the Rejected Luna - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: _Lacking Foresight
Kaene

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On my drive to work, I couldn’t help but think about this morning.

About the sex but also because I’d finally marked Phoebe.

Doing that gave me a sense of pride knowing that whenever she went out, people would know that she had a mate… Me.

“Sir?” Lyra, my assistant who sat beside me at the back of the car, called my attention. “I just wanted to inform you that Payne Technology will also be attending the meeting with your board. They’re aligned with Liam Enterprises.”

My brows furrowed into a frown.

Payne Technology?

“Who’s the CEO of Payne Technology?” I asked curiously, wondering why that name sounded so familiar.

Lyra responded after a few seconds’ pause. “Uhh… It’s Caleb Payne, sir.”

My heart dropped when I heard that name.

Oh, no.

“Caleb is the Alpha of Crescent Moon, Lyra,” I muttered, rubbing my forehead with frustration.

While my company was one of the biggest in the country, not a lot of people knew I was the CEO.

Heck, I was certain Caleb would instantly pull out if he was aware that I was the CEO.

“Oh…” Lyra placed her hand on her mouth, seeming like she was in thought before she remarked. “I– I could cancel the meeting if you want, sir. Or reschedule it for–”

“No.” I shook my head, waving my hand dismissively. “Caleb and I are both grown men. I doubt he’ll hold what happened in the Ball against me.”

The real word there was that I ‘hoped’.

.

.

We finally arrived at the company, where I walked through the lobby, followed by Lyra and a few guards in black suits.

Taking the elevator, I drew in a deep breath, readying my mind for whatever happened next.

“Ladies! Gentlemen.” I greeted as soon as I got to the meeting hall on the top floor of the building.

My gaze traveled around the hall, scanning the faces of the people sitting at the large rectangular table.

But the person who stood out to me the most was none other than a stern-looking man with a beard streaked with grey glaring at me.

“Ah, Mr. Maverick. You arrived just on time.” One of my board members stood up and walked over to me, shaking my hand.

He was one of the only werewolves on the board and also a noble of Blue Moon.

“It’s the Alpha of Crescent Moon, sir.” He whispered into my ears.

Yeah, no shit.

Forcing a cough, I looked away from Alpha Caleb who still had his gaze on me like he planned to stick a knife through my throat.

“Alright, people, I’d first like to personally welcome the CEO of Payne Technology to our company,” I stated when I sat at the head of the table, facing Caleb who was at the other head of the table with a few members of his board of directors.

He responded to my greeting with a grunt, looking away with disinterest.

I kept a smile on my face even though I was already getting pissed off.

If this man had even a shred of professionalism, he’d forget about our differences due to the incident at the Ball and focus on closing this deal once and for all.

It had been a two-week-long process, and I was already getting exhausted.

If he was so serious about mourning his dead wife, then why was he here on business matters barely a day after her death?

Just then, Alpha Caleb whispered to one of his directors. The other man nodded his understanding before standing up with a cough.

“Mr. Payne would like to know if his shares are in good hands in this company if he decides to bring Liam’s enterprises into the deal.” He announced.

I drummed my fingers on the armrest of my chair as I scanned the faces of everyone present.

Members of my board had already begun murmuring to themselves, seeming just as frustrated as me about the processes involved in closing the damn deal.

Clearing my throat, I decided to speak up. “Well, Mr Payne, if you go through our models for the coming years, you’ll realize that investing in this company will bring nothing but benefits.”

I stared directly at Alpha Caleb but his expression was stoic, his head tilted like he was bored and about to doze off.

Once again, I had to keep calm, ignoring his actions and proceeding. “If you manage to bring in Liam Enterprises to this deal, our combined collaboration will bring immense growth in the stock market.”

It seemed Caleb had enough as he placed his hand in front of his face, pausing me. “With all due respect… Mr. Maverick, but I believe you’re aware that my investing in your company already takes a lot of trust and effort. How do you expect me to endanger my interests by bringing Liam Enterprises into the mix?”

Payne Technology was actually under Liam Enterprises. It was a family, from what I knew, but striking a deal with Liam Enterprises was obviously the most beneficial option.

And then striking a deal with both companies? I was certain the benefits would be substantial.

However, I felt like Alpha Caleb’s words had a double meaning, especially his whole talk about ‘trust’.

Hoping to clear the air, I didn’t back down and continued. “The charts don’t lie, Mr. Payne. That’s why–”

“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong, Mr. Maverick.” Caleb shook his head with a soft chuckle. “These young CEOs and their lack of foresight. That’s how you end up endangering the lives of people all because they ‘trusted’ you.”

What the heck?

It was obvious now more than ever that he was referring to the incident at the Luna ball.

But that didn’t give him a right to talk down to me in front of my board of directors.

“Mr. Payne, with all due respect, I’ve done my research on this deal and highly recommend you look over them with us instead of letting personal bias cloud your judgment,” I remarked, the calm leaving my voice.

Every single person in the room, both werewolf and human, could probably feel the tension between us by now so there was no use hiding it.

Suddenly, Alpha Caleb got up, his eyes brimming with rage. “Personal bias?” He sniggered. “You have no clue, boy. No fucking clue!”

The hall was silent as he brought out a piece of paper and tore it into two.

A collective gasp escaped the mouths of everyone present, but all I could do was watch helplessly.

The paper he tore up was the final contract that would determine if the deal was on or not.

“The deal is off.” Alpha Caleb announced with a cold tone, his equally cold gaze fixed on me. “And you can forget about Payne Technology or Liam Enterprises ever investing a dime into this company.”

Without another word or so much as an explanation for his actions, he stormed out of the hall, his entourage of directors scurrying after him.

Well… That had been a complete waste of time.