"Mr. James, we''ve reviewed the project proposal and find itparable to The Everhart Group''s, but yours seems a bit moreprehensive this time." Mr. Pierce''s words were pure ttery, and he knew it. James had simply taken a project proposal Patti had swiped from Hawthorne, made a few minor tweaks, and sent it over.


    He had no idea that Mr. Pierce had never even seen The Everhart Group''s real n because Hawthorne hadn''t bothered to submit one to them. It was all a trap to lure James in, though Hawthorne had still pulled an all-nighter to craft a solid proposal to help seal the deal.


    James had been nervous, but everything was going surprisingly smoothly. "I''m honored by your high praise, Mr. Pierce. How about we have dinner and sign the contract?" James wanted to lock it down quickly to prevent anyst-minute changes. If Mr. Pierce backed out, he''d lose a multi-billion dor project.


    Securing it would finally earn him some credit with his father, who would then trust him with more resources. With that kind of backing, he could have any woman, any life he wanted. On the other side, Mr. Pierce was just as eager to close the deal before James discovered the project''s underlying issues.


    He needed to offload it quickly, banking on James''s father''s connections to secure the funds. In the end, the government would be left footing the bill, while they just had toplete the project and collect the money. "Of course. You pick the ce." James thought for a moment, then, gritting his teeth, chose the most exclusive restaurant in Greenvale a ce owned by Hawthorne. He wanted to see the look on Hawthorne''s face when he realized James had snatched his project right out from under him. It was payback for the other day when Hawthorne had snubbed him while dining with Patti.


    He couldn''t stand the way Hawthorne acted like he owned Greenvale just because he was the top business mogul. James wasn''t a pushover; he could take whatever he wanted, including people. A smug satisfaction washed over him as he thought of that little tramp, Patti.


    The child growing in her belly was his. In a few months, Hawthorne would unknowingly wee James''s son as his own. It was the ultimate humiliation, Cuckolding him. on a grand scale games reveled ing the thought. If the time were right, he would broadcast to albof Greenvale that Hawthorne had been made a fool of.


    But he had to be patient. Once this project was his, Hawthorne''s downfall would follow. It infuriated him that at over forty, he was being crushed under the heel of a man not yet thirty. When Mr. Pierce heard the name of the restaurant, his heart sank, a strained smile on his face that James couldn''t see.


    “Isn''t that one of Mr. Everhart''s ces? Maybe we should choose somewhere else.” Being rejected by Hawthorne had been a blow to his pride, and the thought of dining at his establishment felt deeply ufortable.


    "What are you afraid of, Mr. Pierce?


    This is a legitimate partnership. The Everhart Group didn''t get the contract because they weren''tpetent enough, not because you gave me an unfair advantage We have nothing to be ashamed of. And if we happen to run into Mr. Everhart, it''s the perfect opportunity to knock him down a peg Let h know he''s not the only one who


    hin


    does business in this town. There are plenty of other excellent


    Listening to James''s blustering, Mr. Pierce silently cursed him. *What an idiot.* Blinded by a few impressive numbers, he was so obsessed with the billions that he couldn''t think straight. And now he wanted to unt his victory right in Hawthorne''s face. The sheer audacity was unbelievable.


    Mr. Pierce himself didn''t have the nerve to show his face to Hawthorne again. He worried Hawthorne might suddenly expose the ws in the project if James caught on the deal would be dead in the water. Looking around, the only yers with the background and resources to handle a project this massive were the Everhart family and James''s father''s side.


    If this deal fell through, the project would have to be broken up and outsourced into countless smaller parts, and his own profits would evaporate. But James had made up his mind, and Mr. Pierce had no good reason to object. He could only go along with it. “Whatever you say, Mr. James. You''re in charge."