Chapter 1447

Hearing that, the assistant felt strangely uncomfortable, but he forced himself to say, “The partners on these projects have already been reviewed by Madam Grace. They control significant resources; working with them would offer only benefits and no real downside.”

Tessa was speechless.

At those words, the hand holding the files began to tremble slightly.

She hadn’t expected that, in the end, these old foxes would land in her lap, and that she would have to pander to them. Who could she possibly complain to about this?

“Understood. You may go.”

Tessa waved him off, signaling the assistant that he didn’t need to stay.

Once the assistant left, she was alone in the office. Staring at the project files, worry gnawed at her; she didn’t know where to start.

There was no way she would negotiate with those seasoned sharks. She knew exactly how those meetings ended – like throwing herself to the wolves, with zero chance of walking away unscathed. If word got out, she could kiss her director position goodbye. Was everyone supposed to be willing to sell themselves just to land a deal? Those lower-level people might do it, but not someone in a director’s seat. If anything went wrong, she would be the first to be exposed, and then what would that have to do with her actual competence? Her mother would only be more disappointed.

Thinking of that, Tessa pressed her fingers to her temples, irritation mounting. She looked down at the contracts and suddenly thought of Aaron. This man had been unwaveringly good to her recently; she could feel, faintly, that her looks had drawn his attention. If that was the case, why not use it?

An idea formed in Tessa’s mind. Why did Aurora’s studio get to thrive while she had to deal with this mess? She was a director at a publicly listed company. How was she any worse than Aurora? Her mother had always used her health as an excuse to keep her from getting involved in the company. If she’d been allowed earlier, she definitely wouldn’t have fallen behind Aurora. Even if those seasoned veterans had been assigned to Aurora, she probably wouldn’t have managed them either.

In the end, Tessa was forced to pick the least terrible option among a pile of hopeless ones. If that man knew she was Grace’s daughter, he probably wouldn’t dare to cross the line.

Thinking that, Tessa told her assistant to set up a meeting with Mike Lee from the real estate development firm.

But when the assistant saw the name on the schedule, his expression turned uneasy, his tone hesitant.

Noticing his reaction, Tessa frowned slightly. “What is it? Don’t tell me he’s not one of the partners from the pending projects?”

“He is, yes,” the assistant admitted awkwardly, unsure how to continue. But since Tessa was the chairwoman’s daughter, he figured it wouldn’t be a problem. “Should I arrange a dinner meeting tonight?”

Tessa nodded. “Make it tonight.”

“Alright.”

The assistant left without saying more. He thought that since she was the chairwoman’s daughter, the man would probably restrain himself a little. After all, Mike’s reputation in the industry was well-known, and not in a good way.