Chapter 359 Such Talents
When Donald heard that the representatives of Rising Group had arrived, he sprang up from the couch and nudged Liam with his foot. “Go get someone to reserve a restaurant. The representatives of Rising Group are here.”
For the past six months, Donald and Liam had been at their wit’s end. The father and son could not come up with a solution no matter how hard they tried.
Rising Group was the biggest raw materials supplier in Coldbridge. They had attempted to contact the company a long time ago, but they kept getting rejected. Liam had even treated the executives of Rising Group to meal after meal, giving them both money and gifts, yet all his efforts proved to be futile.
Both Donald and Liam had thought that any attempts at going through to Rising Group had come to an end. Never did they expect such a turn of events.
The instant Liam heard that people from Rising Group had come to visit, he quickly perked up.
The Mill family had gained all their wealth and pride from their handbag manufacturing factory. If their company were to close down all of a sudden, pride would be the least of their concerns. The penalty of not being able to meet contract deadlines would drive them broke for life as they tried to compensate for the loss.
In other words, each contract that Donald and Liam had signed happily two months ago would determine the magnitude of their downfall.
Rising Group would be their lifesaver at a time like this. The fact that Rising Group had taken the initiative to send representatives to their doorstep moved Donald so much that his eyes began to redden the moment he walked out of the office.
Liam immediately ordered someone to make reservations at the best and most luxurious hotel in the area before asking the assistant to prepare some coffee for the guests.
Donald and his secretary walked as fast as their legs could carry them, worried that security would take their important guests lightly.
In reality, the security guards had, in fact, treated Sophia and the rest as common guests.
Donald was easily over one hundred and fifty pounds. As he rushed to greet the executives of Rising Group, he was quickly out of breath. By the time he reached the main entrance of the factory, the first person he saw was his daughter-in-law, whom he had not seen for over six months.
Despite his confusion, Donald was still an experienced businessman. Suppressing a puzzled look, he turned to Sophia. “Are you Ms. Leighton of Rising Group?”
Sophia smiled courteously in response. “No, she is.”
“Ms. Yarrow.”
Yvonne tossed Sophia a mildly exasperated look, much to Sophia’s amusement. Straightening herself, Sophia nodded at Donald. “Let’s talk inside, Mr. Mill.”
Seeing that all of his guests were women—one of them being his daughter-in-law—Donald could not help but furrow his brows.
However, how Sophia carried herself showed she was no ordinary person. After a brief moment of hesitation, Donald nodded respectfully and invited them inside. “Of course. Let’s take this inside.”
Nodding in response, Sophia turned to Tanya and arched an eyebrow, assuring the latter not to worry.
Donald exchanged glances with his secretary, signaling the latter to ask Rising Group about his guests.
As the four of them got into the elevator, the secretary hurried over and whispered in Donald’s ear, “Rising Group said that their new chairman has come to visit us today.”
Donald’s expression shifted as he began treating Sophia and the rest with more respect. “This way, please.”
Liam had already gotten the coffee ready for the guests from Rising Group. To his surprise, his wife Tanya showed up instead.
When he caught sight of Tanya, his expression darkened. “You’ve finally decided to come back, Tanya.”
As he spoke, he raised his hand to pull Tanya over. But before he could even touch her, Sophia had swatted his hand away.
Pulling Tanya behind her, Sophia gave Donald a half-smile. “Mr. Mill, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sophia Yarrow. This is Ms. Leighton, my secretary and the new chairman of Rising Group.”
Upon hearing that the new chairman of Rising Group was just Sophia’s secretary, Donald immediately knew who had the final say in terms of Rising Group’s decision.
“Dad, didn’t you say the representatives of Rising Group are here?”
Liam frowned, displeased. When he took another look at Sophia, he froze.
Tsk, when did Tanya find herself such a gorgeous friend? How come I’ve never seen her before?
Shooting Liam a warning glare, Donald quickly apologized, “Please excuse his impertinence, Ms. Yarrow.”
Sophia merely smiled in response. “It’s okay to offend me, but I will not tolerate any offense toward Ms. Gomez. Ms. Gomez here has been specially hired by our company as an artist. She is irreplaceable to me.”
As she was speaking, Sophia led Tanya to the couch and took a seat. Taking the contract that they had prepared earlier from Yvonne, Sophia tossed the documents onto the table in front of her. “Let’s cut to the chase, Mr. Mill. I’m here today to offer you help in these desperate times. I’m sure you’re fully aware of the situation that your company is facing.
“As of now, all the suppliers nearby—big or small—will not be supplying you with the materials that you need. Not long ago, you signed a few orders. The earliest order that you are to meet is roughly about a month from now, while the latest order will be four months from now. The sum of the three orders in your hands adds up to more than six hundred thousand. The total price of the materials that you need is not small either. Even if you manage to get a small supplier company to help you out, I believe it won’t be of much help.
“After a month, if your company cannot provide your customer with one hundred and fifty thousand’s worth of products as promised, the penalty will be five million. Surely, that won’t be a problem for you, Mr. Mill. In fact, I believe you have the ability to cover the penalty of thirteen million after the second month as well. The deal breaker lies with the thirty million that you will have to pay after four months.”
When Donald heard what Sophia had said, his expression stiffened. “What are you saying, Ms. Yarrow?”
“Take a look at the offer first, Mr. Mill. If you’re pleased with the terms, you can sign here.”
Donald picked the papers up from the table. The contract stated that Rising Group would supply the factory with all the materials they needed at the original price that Rising Group obtained the materials.
Donald could not believe what he was reading.
He had been in the business for over twenty years. Even though he was not outstanding, he had enough experience to know that they were being set up.
There were only two reasons he could think of for such an elaborate setup. Either someone was seeking revenge, or they had some toxic competition.
However, Donald still could not understand. He could not recall anyone whom he had offended in the past, not to mention someone powerful and rich enough to spend so much money and effort to back the Mill family to the wall.
Donald was even prepared to pay Rising Group a high price for helping their factory in times of need. When he saw the price being offered, he could not help but question his own eyesight.
“Liam, take a look at this.”
Liam took the contract from Donald. The shock on his face was evident when he finished reading the terms and conditions.
Even though Liam was neither a good husband nor a good man, he had his smarts. “You’ve put so much effort into backing us into a corner, and now you’re playing the hero and rescuing us from our problems? Tell me, Ms. Yarrow, what’s the deal?”
“You’re smart. I like it. It’s simple. As I have mentioned, Tanya is the artist that our company has specially hired. She’s a very important asset in my company. I cannot bear to see such talents being weighed down by unfortunate events. It breaks my heart to see her miserable every day.”
After a brief pause, Sophia continued, “So when I heard that Tanya was not allowed to get a divorce, naturally, I wanted to help her solve this issue.”
Liam was still in disbelief. “Just that?”
“Of course. I want the both of you to collect your divorce certificates this afternoon, and you, Mr. Mill, are to return all of Tanya’s income in these past two years to her.”
Liam tossed Tanya a glance. “Where do you find yourself such a powerful ally?”
Tanya stared at him with a frosty gaze. “It’s none of your business.”
“Mr. Mill?”
“Deal!”
Sophia smiled. “Brilliant. I admire your decisiveness.”
She paused before adding another request. “And another thing… I heard you cheated on her, Mr. Mill. I believe you should clarify the reason for your divorce to your neighbors. Of course, if you’re too embarrassed to do so, it’s no big deal. I’ll do it for you.”
Liam’s expression darkened instantly. Before he could react, a pair of heavy hands pressed him down by his shoulders. “Liam!” Donald hissed.
At the thought of the materials, Liam had no choice but to clench his teeth and bite his tongue.
Donald picked the papers up from the table. The contract stated that Rising Group would supply the factory with all the materials they needed at the original price that Rising Group obtained the materials.
