CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO - A Calculated Risk

Ava followed him, her heart heavy. She closed the door behind her, watching as Max poured himself a celebratory drink. "Well?" he said, raising an eyebrow at her. "Aren't you going to congratulate me?" Ava hesitated. "What exactly am I congratulating you on, Max?" His grin faltered slightly. "On closing the deal of the century, of course. Victor Langston is now officially our partner. Bennett Enterprises is about to enter a whole new league." Ava nodded slowly. "And the terms of this partnership?" Max waved a hand dismissively. "All very favorable. We get access to Langston's Asian markets, he gets a stake in our European ventures. It's a win-win." "And the discrepancies I found in the original proposal?" Ava pressed. Max's expression hardened. "Ironed out. Everything's above board, Ava. I made sure of it." Ava bit her lip, unconvinced. "Max, I really think we should have our legal team go over the final agreement before—" "Enough!" Max slammed his glass down on the desk, maki