Taming My Sugar Mommy -
Chapter 63: The Contract & A Hidden Clause
Chapter 63: The Contract & A Hidden Clause
Isabella paced the length of the conference room, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor as she waited for her legal team to finish their review. The contract from Davies Tech had arrived precisely at five o’clock—a comprehensive fifty-page document outlining the proposed partnership.
Jeremy sat at the head of the table, his reading glasses perched on his nose as he scrutinized the final pages. Victoria and two staff attorneys flanked him, sticky notes and highlighters scattered across the table. Liam leaned against the wall, his tie loosened and sleeves rolled up after hours of analysis.
"Well?" Isabella finally asked, pausing her pacing.
Jeremy looked up, his expression grave. "It’s... concerning."
"Concerning how?" Isabella moved to stand behind him, peering over his shoulder at the marked-up document.
"The terms are aggressive," Victoria said, pushing her own copy across the table. "Exclusivity clauses, proprietary technology restrictions, source commitments that would strain our operational capacity."
"But the financial terms a excellent," one of the attorneys added. "The upfront payment alone would solve our immediate liquidity issues."
Isabella nodded slowly. "It’s meant to be tempting. Davies knows our situation."
"There’s something else," Jeremy said quietly, flipping to a page near the end of the document. "Section 37.4, buried in the governance provisions."
Isabella leaned closer, reading the highlighted text. Her expression darkened as she processed the implications.
"It’s a control provision," she said flatly. "Disguised as a mutual governance clause."
Liam pushed off from the wall, coming to stand beside her. "What kind of control?"
Jeremy pointed to the relevant paragraph. "If certain performance metrics an’t met—metrics that are carefully worded to be nearly impossible to achieve—Davies Tech can trigger a conversion of their partnership stake into a controlling interest in Ashworth Events."
"They could take over the company," Victoria translated bluntly.
Isabella straightened, her jaw tight. "This isn’t a partnership offer. It’s a hostile takeover disguised as a lifeline."
The room fell silent as the implications sank in. Isabella’s mind raced, calculating options and risks.
"We need to counter," she finally said. "Strip out the control provisions, modify the performance metrics, maintain our independence while leveraging their technology."
"Davies won’t agree to that," Jeremy warned. "He clearly wants control."
"Then we walk away," Victoria suggested.
Isabella shook her head. "We can’t afford to walk away. The board will force the financial oversight committee on us by the end of the month if we don’t show progress."
"So we’re trapped," Liam said quietly.
Isabella’s eyes flashed with determination. "I’m never trapped. We counter aggssively, and we look for other options simultaneously." She turned to her team. "I need everyone working on this. Draft a counter-proposal that protects our interests. And start reaching out to other potential partners—quietly."
The team nodded, gathering their materials. As they filed out, Isabella remained standing at the head of the table, staring down at the contract with a mixture of frustration and calculation.
Liam stayed behind, watching her. When the door closed, leaving them alone, he spoke softly. "You knew, didn’t you? You suspected Davies had an ulterior motive."
Isabella sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I suspected he wanted more than just a partnership. But this..." She gestured to the contract. "This is beyond aggressive. It’s personal."
"Like he has a vendetta," Liam agreed.
Isabella gathered the contract pages, tapping them into a neat stack. "I need to figure out what his real angle is. People like Davies don’t make moves like this without reason."
"You need a break first," Liam said, stepping closer. "You’ve been going non-stop since dawn."
"I don’t have time for breaks," Isabella replied automatically, but there was less conviction in her voice.
Liam took the contract from her hands, placing it on the table. "Twenty minutes. That’s all I’m asking."
Their eyes met, and for a moment, the professional facade slipped. Isabella felt the weight of the day pressing down on her—the high-stakes lunch, the veiled threats, the trap hidden in the contract.
"Twenty minutes," she conceded quietly.
They retreated to her office, where Liam closed the door and dimmed the lights. The city sparkled outside her windows, a tapestry of lights against the darkening sky.
"Sit," he instructed, gesturing to the couch.
Isabella complied, slipping off her heels and tucking her feet beneath her. Liam disappeared into her private bathroom, returning with a small towel dampened with cool water. He sat beside her, gently pressing the cloth to the back of her neck.
"You’re carrying all your tension here," he murmured, his fingers working at the knots in her shoulders.
Isabella closed her eyes, allowing herself this moment of vulnerability. "Davies knew things about me, Liam. Personal things. The university reference wasn’t random."
"We’ll figure it out," he assured her, his touch gentle but firm as he worked out the tension in her muscles.
Isabella leaned into his touch, her defenses lowering. "What if there’s something I’m missing? Some connection I’ve forgotten?"
"Then we’ll discover it together," Liam replied. He set the towel aside, his hands continuing their soothing motion across her shoulders and back.
Isabella turned to face him, their proximity sudden and electric. In the dim light of her office, with the city glittering beyond the windows, the line between professional and personal blurred even further.
"This is dangerous," she whispered, even as she leaned slightly closer.
"We crossed that line a long time ago," Liam reminded her, his voice low.
Isabella’s hand came up to his face, tracing the line of his jaw. The intensity between them was familiar yet always new—a current that pulled them together despite all the reasons they should stay apart.
Liam caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. "We don’t have to figure everything out tonight."
Their lips met in a kiss that was both gentle and urgent, a stolen moment of connection amid the chaos. Isabella felt herself melting into him, the stresses of the day temporarily forgotten as his arms encircled her.
The buzzing of her phone broke the spell. Isabella pulled back reluctantly, reaching for the device on the coffee table.
An unknown number flashed on the screen. She opened the message, and her blood ran cold.
Be careful who you trust.
Isabella stared at the screen, her mind racing through possibilities. A warning? A threat? From whom?
"What is it?" Liam asked, noticing her sudden tension.
Isabella hesitated, then locked her phone screen. "Nothing important," she lied, forcing a smile. "Just Marcus checking in."
Liam studied her face, clearly not entirely convinced. "You’re sure?"
"Positive," she replied, setting the phone aside. "Now, where were we?"
But as Liam pulled her close again, Isabella couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that someone was watching them, orchestrating events from the shadows. The anonymous message echoed in her mind—Be careful who you trust—casting a subtle shadow over even this stolen moment of intimacy.
Who was behind it? And more importantly, who were they warning her about?
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