Contract Marriage starring Love and Revenge -
Chapter 74. What’s in it for us?
Chapter 74: 74. What’s in it for us?
"I see you are still as blunt as ever, Miss Scott." I say as the waiters finally bring in an array of hot, perfectly flavored food. Laying them out on the table in front of us.
"I see no reason to beat around the bush." She says and for a moment there I thought she would start digging into the food that was being served before her, because of how her eyes are twinkling at the sight of the food.
"I’m certain they are also curious to know." She gestures towards the rest of them with her head, finally taking her eyes off the food that was being laid out in front of her and putting on that expressionless face again.
"They were saying so before you arrived. I wonder why instead of asking straightforward questions, they are going round in circles." She can be so blunt.
"Hahah," They all laugh awkwardly at her words as the servers finally step out.
"Miss Scott, what are you talking about?" Camila says with sweat starting to run down the side of her face, "It was just normal curiosity within ourselves about why we had been called together like this." I understand they would have discussed between themselves before I arrived. Probably asking each other to see if anyone among them knew why they were gathered together in the same place at the same time.
It’s just common curiosity .
Rebecca shrugs, "Exactly, you were all dying to know why we were all called here, so why is nobody asking the question now that the person who can answer the question is here in front of us?" She asks again, causing the others to laugh awkwardly again.
"M_Miss Scott, I think it’s common courtesy that you greet madam CEO before going into such details. Especially when we haven’t seen her in months." Jessica stutters.
"How did a mere greeting concern her married life? I don’t understand people sometimes." Rebecca mutters with her eyes on the plates before her. I never knew this but it seems the woman is a foodie. She’s not even hiding her desire to devour everything on the table before her.
"And besides, you’re all talking as though you were once close acquaintances. She was your boss, not your best friend, so why the long talk?"
Now everyone is looking gloomy, except for her of course. Her eyes are twinkling just by staring at the food. But the others have sealed their lips with their heads dropped because in a way, her words are not entirely wrong. They are just worded bluntly with no filter and somehow a little bit rudely.
"Just why are we here, tell us. The food is getting cold." Rebecca finally says.
"Why don’t you help yourself to something first?" I mean I think it would be better than her just staring at the food like a child looking at candy, and then glaring at me as though I’m keeping her from attaining that candy.
"No," She shakes her head and shifts her focus from the food to my face. It’s fascinating how her expressions change the moment she takes her eyes off the plates of food in front of her.
"I prefer talking business first. So please, do not delay anymore and tell us why you have called us." Such a rude and impatient woman. I wonder what I like about her.
"Alright then, I want all five of you to come over to my side." She’s right though, there’s really no need to beat around the bush. Let’s just get down to business.
Andrea lifts her hand slightly like a student with a question in kindergarten, "When you say come over to your side, do you possibly mean—"
"Yes, I want you to quit Gold foods and join Harford."
I see their eyes widen with surprise and a little excitement too, except for Rebecca of course. She’s just staring at me as though she’s telling me to continue talking.
"Huh! Oh my gosh." Camila exclaims.
"Really?" Jessica asks.
"Harford? As in the Harford? Everybody’s dream company, that very Harford?" Anita inquires with big dreamy eyes.
I nod and say, "Yes. That same Harford."
"Why?" Rebecca asks.
"I’ll keep it plain and simple. I want to wipe Gold goods off the market."
"What?!" The four of them exclaim while Rebecca nods with a lazy expression.
"I don’t see any reason to hide anything from you. I need you to know what you will be walking out from and stepping into." If I’m going to work with them, they need to know my major goal so they will be able to work with me tk achieve it.
"B_ But Gold group is your family business madam CEO." Andrea says.
"Yes, I mean, you built Gold foods from scratch. Are you saying you want to ruin it yourself?" Camila adds.
"Yes. That is what I’m saying." I nod.
"But why? Why would you want to do that?" Anita inquires with her hands spread out dramatically.
"You said it yourselves. I was undeniably wronged. Do you think I should show mercy to a company or a family that betrayed me? Why should I do that? Why should I be the considerate one?" They have no idea how much those people have hurt me. They have no idea that I’ve lost to them.
Jessica opens her mouth to speak, "But still—"
"I put my entirety into Gold foods." I cut her off. "I spent long nights awake, sometimes alone and other times in long endless meetings with some of you seated in this room and what did I get in return? I was moved out of my position like wiping dust off a couch, my shares were stolen by the people I trusted and my husband was sleeping with my cousin."
"Huh!!" They all gasp in shock.
"For what reason exactly should I spare them?" I ask.
"Madam, but why do you need us specifically?" Camila asks.
"You are all brilliant in your own ways and all five of your ideas were chosen as projects for the next two years. I want to set that project into motion in Harford before Gold foods gets the chance."
"Isn’t that stealing?" Anita asks with a look of confusion on her face, only to slap a palm over her mouth and stare at me apologetically. I chuckle softly at her actions before answering her.
"It’s not stealing when we successfully gain the rights to them and launch the results first."
"Do you think Gold foods would just idly stand by and watch you steal her projects from her? Won’t they lay claim to them?" Rebecca asks.
"As for my ideas that were among those proposed as part of the projects for the next two years, it was just proposed and selected, I never sold my ideas to Gold foods. I only pitched it so I can easily propose it again in Harford instead." None of them signed any non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements yet either.
"And as for your proposals, they won’t be able to lay claim to anything if we add some minor changes to them. Even if we don’t add any changes at all and they do try to sue us for an intellectual property case they would lose bitterly because the rights to those ideas have not yet been obtained. The copyright and legal protection process for those projects were supposed to begin in April this year, so if I obtain all legal rights to the projects before April under Harford name, then it undoubtedly belongs to Harford. Gold food has no case." It would be a clean take.
"Since you have everything planned, you could easily do this without us, why do you need us on board to do this?" Andrea asks.
"Because I know what it feels like to have your hard work stolen from you without any recognition." I know what that feels like too well.
"The projects I would be working on were pitched by each and everyone of you in this room, I wouldn’t want you to see your projects coming to life without you receiving due credit for it. So, come work for me..."
"What’s in it for us?" Rebecca asks.
"Well, first you’d be receiving the due incentives for being the one who proposed the ideas. And the incentives will continue for as long as your idea is in use."
"That sounds like what we were going to receive from Gold foods anyway. There’s no difference." Rebecca shrugs.
"The more your ideas are used the more your incentives will be. You’ll be receiving twice what was promised in Gold group."
They are all nodding like students diligently listening to the principal talk.
"Your salaries will also be different." The eyes of Anita, Andrea, Camila and Jessica widen along with their mouths.
"How different?" Anita asks.
"I plan on creating a special team with you all in it and your salaries will be twice the amount you are currently receiving."
"T_T_Twice!" Anita is drooling, Camila’s eyes are twinkling and Andrea and Jessica can’t stop smiling.
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