My Husband Is a Million Years Old Vampire-Chapter 104

Her expression remained unreadable, but there was an unmistakable authority in her voice as she said, "I am Valentina Raymond, the new director of Sterling Design."

However She didn’t extend her hand for a greeting, nor did she offer any unnecessary pleasantries. Instead, she gracefully took her seat, crossing one leg over the other, her sharp gaze never leaving the Crawford.

The room felt heavy with tension as Crawford stared at her, his expression unreadable at first, but his eyes held a flicker of something—dismissiveness, mild amusement, even disdain. The way he leaned back in his chair, arms lazily resting on the armrests, made it clear he saw himself as someone superior in this conversation.

’Who is this little girl acting all high and mighty?’ His eyes scrutinized her, sizing her up, as if trying to gauge whether she was worth his time or just another young woman playing boss.

But before he could say anything, Valentina cut straight to the point. "I’ve gone through the contract," she said smoothly, her voice was unwavering. "And after carefully analyzing the details, I found some things that don’t sit well with me." freewebnøvel.coɱ

Her eyes locked onto his, unflinching.

"So, let’s not waste time. I’ll say it to your face."

At that moment Valentina leaned forward slightly, her fingers tapping against the surface of the table as she maintained eye contact with the man. Her expression was composed, but there was an undeniable sharpness in her tone.

"I took the time to go through this contract thoroughly," she began, her voice firm.

"And I couldn’t help but notice a few concerning details."

Hearing what Valentina just said Crawford raised an eyebrow, but Valentina didn’t give him a chance to interrupt.

"For starters," she continued, "Sterling Design has never offered a five-year deal before. Our longest contract durations fall between one to two years, yet here we have an exception—an unusually long grace period for payments. That alone is questionable."

She paused, studying his reaction before pressing on.

"But what’s even more troubling is what I found when I looked into your company," she said, her tone cooling.

"A collapsed building that resulted in multiple deaths. Allegations of using substandard materials. And, let’s not forget the assault allegations against you personally."

At that moment in time the man’s jaw tightened, but Valentina wasn’t done.

"Now, let’s say the worst happens, and you are found guilty in court," she continued.

"Who’s going to ensure that the remainder of this deal is fulfilled? Because if you’re behind bars, that means Sterling Design will be throwing millions into a bottomless pit. And that is not a risk I am willing to take."

Her voice was calm, steady, but there was no room for negotiation in the way she spoke.

"With all of this in mind, I refuse to let Sterling Design be associated with a deal that could bring nothing but losses and damage to its reputation."

Then Crawford’s eyes darkened, his lips pressing into a thin line as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossing over his chest.

At that moment a slow, humorless chuckle left his mouth as he shook his head, clearly in disbelief at Valentina’s words.

"You must be new to this business," he finally spoke, his voice laced with arrogance. "Because if you weren’t, you’d know that people like me don’t get punished over trivial matters like this."

Valentina didn’t flinch. Her gaze remained unwavering, her expression unreadable.

The man leaned forward, his fingers drumming against the table as he continued,

"Let me make something clear to you, Miss Valentina. First of all, that so-called assault case? It’s nothing but an empty accusation. Up until now, no charges have been filed, no proof has been presented. In this country, a man is innocent until proven guilty, or did they not teach you that in school?"

His lips curved into a smirk, as if he was amused by her audacity.

"And as for the collapsed building?" He let out a dismissive scoff. "Mistakes happen. This is the real world, and construction isn’t a flawless industry. Do you expect me to be on-site, laying bricks with my own hands? I run a company. I delegate. And if some incompetent workers failed to do their jobs properly, why should that fall on me? The best they can actually do, is they will say I should pay compensation that all, I didn’t He kill anybody."

At that moment he spread his hands, his voice dripping with condescension.

"Sterling Design is a major company. You should understand how these things work. Or maybe..." He let out a low chuckle. "You don’t. And that’s why you’re making a rash decision that you will most definitely regret."

His confidence was unshaken, his arrogance filling the room like a thick fog. He truly believed that Valentina was nothing more than an inexperienced woman playing a game far above her level.

However Valentina remained seated, her back straight, her expression calm—too calm.

There was no flicker of irritation, no sign of distress at Crawford. Instead, she simply tilted her head slightly, her fingers gently tapping against the surface of the table.

Her silence stretched long enough to make Crawford shift in his seat. She was observing him. Studying. Calculating.

Finally, she exhaled softly and leaned forward slightly, her voice was measured.

"I understand your point," she said smoothly, her tone betraying not even a hint of agitation.

"You believe mistakes happen. That allegations without proof are meaningless. That financial compensation is the only real consequence in situations like these."

She let her words sink in, watching the flicker of smugness in his eyes.

Then, she smiled—small, polite, but unreadable.

"Let’s say I agree with you. Let’s say the assault case is just an accusation waiting to disappear. Let’s say the collapsed building was an unfortunate miscalculation, nothing more than bad luck."

She tapped the file in front of her, her fingers pausing over the number that had stood out to her before.

"But let me ask you something, Mr. Crawford," she continued, her tone still unnervingly composed. "If you were Sterling Design’s director, would you tie this company’s future to a business with so many ’unfortunate miscalculations’? Would you invest millions into a partnership that might become a financial sinkhole the moment another ’mistake’ happens? Would you—" she folded her hands together, tilting her head, "—stake your reputation on it?"

At that moment Crawford smirk faltered, just slightly.

"Because I wouldn’t," Valentina concluded, her voice quiet but unshakable.

"I don’t take risks that don’t guarantee returns. And right now, you, Mr.Crawford, are a risk."