After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms Chapter 14

Even though Louisa was the only woman at the table and the youngest, surrounded by seasoned pros, she stayed cool and collected, not showing a hint of being intimidated.

Still, Teddy was a bit on edge.

He hesitated, glancing over at his boss.

Julian, with a calm demeanor, said, "If you've got something to say, just spit it out."

Teddy quickly replied, "I'm not questioning your choice, Mr. Tudor. I've heard Ms. Forbes is a business whiz who made waves at the summit seven years back. Without her, the Capulet Group wouldn't have shot up so fast.

"But she's human, with her own interests like anyone else. And this time, the Capulet Group's in the running too. It's hard to believe she wouldn't lean their way."

Julian's face didn't change as he watched the woman on the screen, noting her focus on the discussions and the bid documents.

His eyes, usually clear as glass, seemed to deepen. "Trust the people you hire."

When Louisa saw the Capulet Group was one of the bidders, she was genuinely surprised.

She hadn't been involved with the Capulet Group for a while, so she didn't know they were in on this project bid.

But her surprise was brief, without much emotion.

After the bidding meeting, she picked the company she thought was the best fit for the Tudor Group and took the bid documents to Julian's temporary office.

His desk was already stacked with thick piles of bid documents, all dropped off by the evaluation experts just minutes earlier.

He was going through them one by one.

She placed her document on his desk. "If there's nothing else, Mr. Tudor, I'll head out."

"Hang on."

Without looking up, he set down the file he was holding and picked up hers first.

Louisa casually explained, "This company, Launch Innovations, is a startup. Technically, they don't have the credentials to be in the Tudor Group's project.

"But compared to other companies that are all show, they're the real deal.

"In terms of BIM technology application and BIPV, they're top-notch, meeting Mr. Tudor's needs for this project. That's why I picked them."

Julian didn't say a word, just nodded slightly and kept reading.

Teddy couldn't help but ask, "Ms. Forbes, why didn't you go with the Capulet Group?"

Louisa replied, "The Capulet Group is strong and steady, but Mr. Tudor doesn't need more of that. What he needs are truly skilled pros. Launch Innovations is a startup formed by grads from specialized fields. They shouldn't be overlooked."

But as she finished, she noticed Julian watching her, his gaze holding something she couldn't quite figure out.

She quickly added, "Just throwing it out there, for what it's worth."

Julian nodded, set the proposal aside, and asked casually, "Ms. Forbes, your suggestion is spot-on. How about you take the reins on this project at the Tudor Group as the project manager?"

Louisa was floored.

She never thought today's bidding meeting would turn into a job offer.

Still in shock, she asked, "Didn't you say I wasn't the right fit?"

Julian replied, "I said you weren't right as my secretary, not as a project manager."

He paused, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Or are you more interested in my measurements?"

The unexpected comment threw her off, and Louisa almost choked.

He'd acted like nothing happened all day, and she thought he'd forgotten about that remark.

Teddy's eyes widened. What was going on? Since when did his boss and Louisa have this kind of banter?

Louisa quickly explained, "Mr. Tudor, don't get the wrong idea. That wasn't me; it was an auto-reply from my phone. I didn't mean to... you know..."

Her voice trailed off, tinged with embarrassment.

"So, what's your answer?" Julian asked again.

"I'm in!" Louisa agreed without a second thought. "The project manager!"

Such a golden opportunity wasn't something she'd pass up.

In fact, she was more interested in the project manager role; it was where she truly wanted to be.

After agreeing, she asked, "So, should I start at the Tudor Group tomorrow?"

"No rush."

Another cool response, with nothing more said.

As Louisa left Fortune Tower, she was still puzzled. What did Julian mean?

He wanted her to work at the Tudor Group but told her not to rush to report?

She thought she'd seen and experienced enough, but she couldn't figure out what Julian was thinking.

Sitting in her car, she took out her phone, ready to invite a couple of friends for dinner and get their opinions.

But before she could send the message, George's call came through.

She didn't want to answer, letting it ring for a while.

Yet he kept calling. On the third attempt, she picked up.

Before she could say anything, George's angry voice came through, "Louisa, what are you doing? Get back here right now!"

He hung up before she could respond.

Louisa knew that by not siding with the Capulet Group at the bidding, a confrontation was inevitable.

She didn't plan to avoid it and drove home.

As soon as she walked in, she saw George on the couch, shooting her an icy glare, barely containing his anger.

She remained unfazed, set down her keys, and changed her shoes.

She walked over, sat on the couch opposite him, and calmly asked, "What do you want to say? Go ahead."

He demanded, "Why did you help the Tudor Group with their bidding? Do you even know what you're doing?"