Female Novel
Chapter 106
Chapter 106
As she was lost in her thoughts, lan’s phone rang. It was Jeff on the line.
lan had originally left for an urgent overseas meeting, but now he was trapped in an elevator. Whiningabout it wouldn’t help any, so all he could do was tell Jeff to prepare to take his place at the meeting.novelbin
Jeff, his right–hand man, was used to filling in for him at meetings, so he quickly got ready.
lan was as cool as a cucumber, not even a hint of panic on his face, even in the confined space of theelevator. It was as if he was in his own backyard.
“I’ve passed on your message to Neil,” Jeff reported.
lan nodded, “The project with the Pennyfeathers, has our business department blocked it?
Maja, standing next to him, froze. She thought she had misheard.
She glanced at the reflective surface of the elevator and saw clear disgust in lan’s eyes. Her lips sealedshut. Now she understood why her father had suddenly acted this way. Probably something lan’sassistant said, plus the Pennyfeathers project being blocked, that must’ve pissed him off and landedhim in the ER.
As his daughter, naturally, she was worried for Neil.
But the Pennyfeathers‘ business had been going downhill these past few years, relying too much onthe Raymonds‘ connections. She had tried to warn Neil not to expand business at this crucial time; notto blindly seek financing. Once the company got too cozy with the banks, debt would pile up, andbankruptcy could hit at any moment. Business was like a battlefield, and big companies especiallyneeded to keep an eye on their cash flow.
Once the cash flow ran dry, the company would face a major crisis.
The Pennyfeathers were practically out of cash these past few years. If they could handle their ongoingprojects in time, cut unnecessary parts, and lay off staff, their situation wouldn’t be so dire..
But Neil had worked his way up from the bottom, he couldn’t bear to fire his old employees.
So now, most of the Pennyfeathers‘ top brass were basically getting paid to do nothing, and so werethe people they managed. How could a company like that possibly succeed?
Selena might’ve been harsh, but she was right about one thing. Neil wasn’t capable of managing acompany.
If it were just a few small stores, Neil could handle it.
But once the company went public, it needed more decisive decision–making, a more ruthless attitude.Clearly, Neil had none of that.
Now he was acting stubborn, couldn’t stand seeing the business he built with his own hands slowly fail,so he was adamant about a second round of financing. And he was too reliant on the Raymonds. Oncethe Raymonds pulled their support, the Pennyfeathers would be screwed.
Now, lan had simply taken a small project from them, and Neil’s health was already failing. If thePennyfeathers‘ company ran into trouble, what would happen?
Maja felt a wave of unease.
In Neil’s eyes, the company was obviously the most important thing. He was even willing to sacrificetheir marriage for it. She didn’t say a word, just heard lan moving on to other work matters. His mentionof the Pennyfeathers seemed like an offhand comment.
After hanging up, lan glanced at her. Her demeanor seemed even colder than before, full of distance.
The light in the elevator was dim, but it was enough to see the expressions on their faces. lan was alittle confused. He felt like he wasn’t exactly welcome, which gave him a sense of unease.
Neither of them spoke to the other.
Not until they heard voices outside. The rescuers had arrived, and Tyler’s voice was among them.
The elevator doors were pried open a crack, and light immediately streamed in.
For some reason, when the rescuers pried the elevator doors open, the chill inside almost numbedtheir hands and feet. It was the middle of summer, so why did it feel so cold inside?
They didn’t ask any questions, just continued directing the other rescuers.
Outside with Tyler was Samuel. They were the first to know about the elevator malfunction, and uponchecking the surveillance, they found out Maja and lan were inside.
Samuel looked a bit anxious.
“Maja, are you okay? We’ll have the door open soon. Don’t worry.”
His concern wasn’t about winning her favor. Even just out of gentlemanly consideration, he should askabout the wellbeing of his dining companion.
But when his gaze landed on lan, his brows furrowed slightly, his expression complex. Even standingtogether, this couple looked like complete strangers.
He was a bit puzzled. If their relationship was this bad, what were they like in private? Did lan treatMaja with the same cold indifference?