Nathalie first met Mike Arthur from the Sharp family at this very banquet. He

barely acknowledged her, always talking with his chin raised like he was looking down on the world.

She couldn''t figure out why Arthur seemed to have it out for her, but before she could dwell on it, Dominick leaned in, voice low.

"That Arthur guy? The Sharp family''s grooming him to be the heir. Ever since Mr. Morris came back, Arthur''s been worried about getting sidelined-so now he''s making Morris''s life hell every chance he gets."

Dominick shot her a meaningful look. "Boss, Mr. Morris passed along a message: no matter what, we have to win this bid against Vincent Corporation."

That surprised Nathalie. Nathan had always left her to run things her way. For him to suddenly step in, it had to be about sending Vincent Corporation a message- otherwise, there''d be no stopping them from swallowing Stewart Group whole.

She rubbed her temples, feeling the tension build. Vincent Corporation wanted to take over Stewart Group? Jules really was a sly old fox-decades of family friendship tossed aside for business. Ruthless didn''t even begin to cover it.

With Morris''s illness weighing heavy on her mind, Nathalie was in no mood for drawn-out battles. She wanted the Sharp family handled, once and for all.

After a moment''s thought, she gave Dominick clear instructions. "Whatever it takes, Dominick. We need that contract. And after we win—"

A spark of strategy shed in her eyes. "Make sure everyone hears about our victory. y up Vincent Corporation''s loss-make it look like they''re out of their depth and slipping fast."

Dominick grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. "Boss, you really know how to work the crowd."

Nathalieposed herself and faced the client with a warm, professional smile. "Hello, I''m Vivian, CEO of Stewart Group. I''m sure you''ve already heard-our Al division is the undisputed leader here in the city. Honestly, even on the world stage, we''re right at the top. Mr. Moore, your decision to work with us shows real vision."

The room went quiet. For a second, everyone was caught off guard by her bold confidence.

Arthur snorted. "Vivian, you sure know how to brag. Stewart Group''s Al is number one in the world? That''s rich. What, are you saying Vincent Corporation doesn''t even count?"

Nathalie didn''t bat an eye. She answered smoothly, her tone patient and open, "Mr. Arthur, remember when the Qing Dynasty thought they were the center of the world? They closed their doors and

the

changing times. We all know bow aff that ended. Is Vincent Corporation hoping for a repeat of that history?"  s

Arthur bristled. "What''s that supposed to mean?"

She was unruffled. "Maybe Vincent Corporation used to be unbeatable. But this is the information age. Technology changes every day and whoever has the best people and moves fastest wille out on top.

It only takes a moment to leap ahead."  sfnc5b4 N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on ?ovelFind/fnc5b4

Arthur sneered, "For all your talk, I wonder if your products are half as good as your speeches."

Nathalie nced across the table at Mr. Ford, smiling. “That''s easy enough to

test. Why don''t we each bring out our best Al product and let Mr. Moore decide?" Arthur smirked. "Fine by me."

He nodded at his assistant. "Bring out our lineup."

In no time the Sharp family''s team was rolling in chips, gadgets, and smart tech. Mr. Moore looked them overhodding, clearly impressed. "Alt of this is state-of-the-art. Very impressive."  s

But Nathalie just smiled, shaking her head. "Mr. Moore, I have to disagree."