?Chapter 398:


    With a subtle tilt of his head, he murmured instructions to the butler hovering behind him.


    The man nodded once and slipped away without a sound.


    Nearby, Chris’ expression froze, his gaze suddenly sharpening.


    Mariana lifted her chin defiantly, locking eyes with her rival. “Maia, I ept your bet. But you’re merely a designer at MCN. Do you truly possess the authority to make such monumental decisions for yourpany?”


    After all, Pattie was MCN’s rightful owner. If Maia lost, would this acquisition hold any legal weight?


    What if Maia had craftily built herself an escape hatch, a convenient loophole to deceive Mariana when the moment came?


    The longer Mariana contemted, the more calcting Maia’s strategy appeared.


    Should Maia emerge victorious, acquiring Aurora Apparel Company would catapult MCN to unprecedented heights in the country’s luxury fashion market.


    Yet if defeated, she could effortlessly evade the agreement without suffering consequences.


    Mariana quickly unraveled this potential deception, praising herself inwardly for having a sharp mind.


    Maia, however, merely offered a whisper of a smile. With unhurried grace, she retrieved her phone, dialed Pattie’s number, and activated the speaker function.


    “What? The loser must surrender theirpany to the winner? Maia, are you serious?” Pattie’s voice ricocheted across the room,den with disbelief.


    Unflinching, Maia maintained herposure, her tone cool as polished marble. “I’m serious.”


    And indeed, Maia harbored a deadly determination to witness Aurora Apparel Company crumble into dust.


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    After a chasm of stunned silence stretched between them, Pattie finally broke the tension. “Alright, I agree.”


    The crowd froze in collective astonishment.


    Pattie agreed just like that?


    Such casual agreement seemed preposterous! The question hung in the air — who truly held the reins of power at MCN?


    Witnessing Pattie’s boundless faith in Maia, the socialites exchanged nces steeped in suspicion. Could this woman truly be the enigmatic designer Eileen behind Blue Sea’s brilliance?


    Doubt still lingered in their minds. More evidence was necessary. Unless Maia could actually defeat Mariana with her design skills, they wouldn’t fully believe it.


    “Is this arrangement satisfactory now?” Maia inquired, pivoting toward Mariana.


    Cornered, Mariana could only offer a reluctant nod. “Fine. Let’s begin.”


    “Wait a moment.”


    Just as anticipation crested like a wave about to break, Maia’s unexpected interjection sliced through the silence.


    “What now?” Mariana snapped, irritation crackling through her voice.


    A serene smile yed across Maia’s lips. “Let’s draft the acquisition contract first. We wouldn’t want anyone fabricating excuses or slipping awayter, would we?”


    As the words left her mouth, her fingers danced across her phone screen. “Since I initiated this wager, I’ll prepare the acquisition agreement myself.”


    Mariana’s lips curled into a contemptuous sneer. At this point, she simply allowed Maia to indulge in her little performance.


    None of it mattered — victory was already hers, crystallized in her mind as an inevitability.


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