Chapter 8

I sat back at my workstation. My stance was firm. If Luna didn't officially declare all the commissions as mine, then I had no intention of going with her. I was determined to get this commission money, no matter how much she looked down on me for it. Luna frowned subconsciously. "What do you want that much money for?" Her words made me angry, yet at the same time, I felt like laughing. She didn't care for the nitty-gritty details when it came to how much she earned or how much effort she invested into boosting Samuel's performance report. However, when it came to why I wanted the money, she would poke and prod. "Just tell me if you agree or not." Luna debated for a while before finally deciding to compromise. "But this commission is Sam's. How about the two of you split it evenly?" "That's not going to be possible. I want all of it," I replied, insisting on my terms. Luna's anger was instantly ignited. "Don't push your luck, Edward!" In the midst of our standoff, Ian stuck his head through the doorway after first knocking on the door. "Ms. Sherwood, if we don't begin soon, I'm afraid Mr. Hutton might run out of patience." He glanced meaningfully at me as he spoke. I knew that he was doing this to help put pressure on Luna. "Yes, please decide quickly, Ms. Sherwood. Mr. Hutton is a busy man, after all. If he gets pissed off, his business deal might quickly slip out of your hands. "At that point, forget my two-million-dollar commission—you'd be earning one hundred million dollars less yourself." Luna's eyes were burning with fury. I was willing to bet that she would've slapped me in the face if not for Ian's presence here. "Alright, Edward. The commission is yours," she said through gritted teeth. I finally stood up at that, straightening my clothes as I smiled at her. "Since you've given your word, I can be at ease. "Once I've secured this deal and gotten my commission, I won't ask questions no matter how much you decide to give Samuel under the table." Leaving her with those words, I hurried to the conference room with Samuel. Luna shattered the glass that was sitting on my desk. She seemed incredibly angry. As I pushed open the door to the conference room, Mr. Hutton was getting up from his seat, just about to leave. I quickly apologized to him. "Apologies for my tardiness, Mr. Hutton." He cast me a glance, looking highly dissatisfied. "I won't lie. I had a great time drinking with you the other night, Mr. Richardson. However, why have you made me wait this long today?" This was probably the first time he had had to wait for someone else. Usually, it was the opposite. Therefore, his displeasure was understandable. I smiled and said, "Mr. Hutton, they say that good things come to those who wait. Since we've made you wait this long, naturally, we have only the best deal to offer you." I gestured for Ian, who was behind me, to set the wine bottle in his hands in front of Mr. Hutton. The worker behind Mr. Hutton frowned. "What's the meaning of this? Even if you're trying to make amends, you can't possibly think a cheap bottle of wine is anywhere near enough." "This wine bottle may be a little old, Mr. Hutton, but its contents aren't cheap." I ignored that worker's protests and gazed quietly at him. He was a wine connoisseur. Judging by his sensitivity to alcohol, he had probably already noticed that this was no common wine. "Mr. Hutton, it's almost time for your next scheduled appointment. How about…" I didn't understand why this worker was so insistent on leaving. I stared at her name tag, silently memorizing the name on it—Lucy Summers. Mr. Hutton waved a hand. "All of you, leave. Edward, you stay." "But…" The people from both sides were at a loss. Luna, who was standing a distance away, frowned as well. She seemed to be worried that I'd mess things up. But nobody dared go against Mr. Hutton's orders, so everyone obediently filed out of the conference room. … 20 minutes had passed. As everyone waited anxiously, I opened the conference room's door and escorted Mr. Hutton out. Mr. Hutton was smiling as he said to Luna, "You certainly have many talents in your employ, Ms. Sherwood. Even your secretary is extraordinary." "You flatter me." Luna glanced curiously at me. Of course, the concern and displeasure in her eyes had lessened considerably. "Oh, right. I'd like for Mr. Richardson to be the project manager. I can rest assured with him in charge. "Please feel free to go on with your work. We'll be taking our leave." He made his exit after conveying his instructions, leaving a group of stunned workers behind. Among those he took with him was that one troublesome worker. I could still hear Mr. Hutton reprimanding her in the distance. "Hold on to that properly! If you break it, you're fired!" The remaining people murmured among themselves. They were all trying to guess what the wine bottle contained. Luna pinned me with her gaze, eyebrows furrowed. "Edward, why have you become the project manager, not Samuel?" I laughed lightly. "You'll have to ask Mr. Hutton, not me." "I already promised you the commission. Don't you think it's inappropriate now that even the project is in your hands?" Luna still seemed to want me to play support for Samuel. "I heard that the commission for this deal is two million dollars… Mr. Richardson is really asking a lot." "Mr. Hutton regards Mr. Richardson highly. If he's leading the project, I think he deserves the money." Just as everyone was busy discussing the situation, Samuel suddenly showed up among the crowd in a hospital gown. He approached Luna, his face pale and looking miserable. "Ms. Sherwood! If Edward hadn't come looking for me last night, how would I have come down with such a bad stomachache that I had to be hospitalized, thus missing out on such an important introductory meeting?" Samuel pointed a finger at me. Paired with his hospital gown, he looked sad and pitiful, which garnered the pity of the onlookers. Everyone's attention focused on me.