Audrey Perry, despite being a housewife, presented the project issues with clarity and assertiveness, questioning Kaison with a commanding presence that unsettled him.
Why did Audrey always enjoy the luxurious lifestyle just because they shared the Perry name? Why did the Perry Corporation need to spend a billion dollars on her dowry just to marry her off? Cohen Howell’s art couldn't possibly justify that kind of expense.
From Kaison's point of view, that billion dollars could have been invested in his own start-up. He was confident he could have turned that money into a thriving business. But no, their grandfather was tight-fisted when it came to him. Even inviting Kaison to work at the family company felt like handing scraps to a beggar, with projects only coming his way after Audrey had turned them down.
The project was in a small, undeveloped town, and it was so minor in scale that it was hard to squeeze any benefits out of it. Kaison had been toiling over this project for nearly a year, and he felt he deserved to make some profit from it.
Yet, Noah Perry, that old man, not only took back the project but also handed it over to the seemingly inexperienced Audrey. Wasn't that a public insult to him?
It’s no wonder that Kaison felt disgruntled.
Suppressing his frustration, Kaison forced a smile, attempting a brotherly charm with Audrey, feigning ignorance. "Audrey, which project are you talking about? I'm not quite sure I understand."
"The ‘Grand Manor Project.’ Grandpa mentioned last night that it was assigned to me. Maybe the company-wide announcement hasn't been made yet." Audrey replied with a warm smile, not letting her expression falter, matching Kaison's façade perfectly. "I figured someone in the company would inform you, so I decided to speak directly to you."
Kaison felt a surge of alarm. He couldn't afford to let his guard down. Who had coached this young woman? She was trying to catch him out.
Kaison chuckled, "I haven't seen any official announcement, and my team isn’t privy to such information, so who could have informed me?"
Audrey wasn’t referring to his immediate team but rather the higher-ups within the company who had access to such information. Even if Kaison denied it, Audrey knew exactly who his informers were.
In her past experience, after their grandfather’s death, her parents had incessant disputes about an alleged affair, leading to control of the Perry Corporation slipping into the hands of distant relatives with predatory ambitions.
Those who had never seen real wealth saw it and aimed to divide it instead of growing it. Each family grabbed what they could, and when the Perry Corporation faced a cash flow crisis, not one was willing to help save it. Instead, they dumped the problem onto Audrey.
Audrey had to intervene to save the Perry Corporation, but by then, it was too late. No matter how fast she learned, the Perry Corporation was already on the brink of collapse.
What she could do now was to put a stop to these opportunistic schemes before they fully developed.
"Kaison," Audrey said, tilting her head with a smile, "so, can you answer the three questions I asked now?"
Kaison’s smile wavered slightly. He attempted to assume an adult’s superiority, trying to overshadow Audrey's presence as an heiress, "Well, Audrey, you see, this project has always been under my care, so explaining all the complexities briefly is quite a challenge."
"Then just give me the short version."
Under his sleeves, Kaison’s hands clenched into fists, and his face cooled, dropping his smiling act.
"You haven’t been in the company much. I don’t want this project to lose money." He implied Audrey’s lack of capability, hoping she would recognize her limitations.
Audrey curled her lips, "But Grandpa trusts me with it."
If the company’s chairman was confident enough to entrust this project to her, what right did Kaison have to distrust her?
"Besides…" Audrey shifted her tone, adding a hint of threat to her words, "Financial reports already show signs of loss."
Kaison was taken aback. Could she really have discovered something? Impossible! He assured himself repeatedly that Audrey was merely putting on a brave front.
With this thought, Kaison regained his confidence, speaking again in a conciliatory tone, "Audrey, you’re too young to grasp the complexity of this project. The relocation issues are challenging. Without three to five years of experience in this area, you won’t manage this task."
Audrey remained unfazed by his words. Instead, she identified the flaw in his argument.
"It’s the project’s inherent difficulties with relocation, not because I’m taking over that makes it suddenly tough.
Speaking of experience, you’ve been with the company for less than a year. Do you have such experience, Kaison?"
Kaison frowned, deciding to resort to direct threats. "Audrey, even if I lack experience, there are people in the company guiding me. Why don’t you try it?
And the suppliers! The prices you see now are what I negotiated. If you become the project lead, the prices will change. I don’t believe Grandpa would prefer to adjust the budget for this project just to back you in the boardroom."
"Believe it or not, the company announcement is already out."
Audrey grinned brightly, vexing Kaison. He didn't have time to argue with her; he had to contact the suppliers urgently to make sure they were on his side.
Trying to compete with him? Audrey, with such a pretty face, was bound to falter.
In some ways, Audrey had to thank Kaison for his "justified indignation."
The old hands in the company might have been reluctant to share their expertise with her, but she could seek external assistance. As for the suppliers’ prices...
They were surprisingly low.
What leverage did Kaison have to secure such favorable terms for this small project?
Audrey arranged to meet her close friend, Reagan Howell, for lunch, intending to inquire about her family's dealings with suppliers.
As she sat down in the restaurant, a man placed himself in the seat opposite her.
"Why did you block my number?"
Audrey looked up to find Cohen Howell’s face so dark it seemed like it could drip ink.
