Chapter 1322:


    “Should you harbor any conditions or specific requests, don’t hesitate to contact me whenever the inclination strikes, and I’ll move heaven and earth to satisfy them.”


    Kiley held Maia’s gaze, suspended in anticipation of her response.


    “A partnership?” Maia released a softugh that danced through the air, her eyes lifting with feline amusement. Her voice carried with yful confidence edged in deliberate arrogance, as though she existed on some unreachable ne. “Well, I suppose I’ll give it some thought.”


    Maia neither embraced nor dismissed the proposition outright. She remained in the process of calcting her own strategy and certainly possessed too much sense to publicly antagonize Kiley in this charged atmosphere.


    In circumstances like these, whoever surrendered theirposure first would inevitably emerge as both the defeated party and the object of merciless ridicule.


    The spectators, blessed with wild imaginations, had already constructed an borate narrative of something extraordinary blooming between these two remarkable women. Now, they naturally decoded Maia’s measured response as nothing more than affectionate banter.


    They interpreted it as the kind of yful sparring that urred between potential lovers, or perhaps a dash of deliberate flirtation. Not a single soul questioned whether these two corporations would ultimately forge an alliance after tonight’s g concluded.


    The gathering erupted into a symphony of excited whispers.


    “My goodness! This transcends any ordinary business negotiation. We’re witnessing pure romantic chemistry in action.”


    “Maia is simply keeping Ms. Cooper dancing on her toes. How utterly charming!”


    “Have no doubt whatsoever. Radiant Jewels and Annie Crystal will absolutely unite their forces. Perhaps they’ll make the official announcement before this very evening concludes.”


    Nobody challenged this interpretation, viewing their exchange as the opening chapter of an intoxicating romance between amanding CEO and a brilliant designer whose talents seemed almost otherworldly.


    L?t?st ch?pt?rs in g?lnovels.c?m


    Only Kiley, with a vein throbbing relentlessly at her temple from the migraine building like a storm, struggled to sustain her peculiar smile despite the fury coursing through her veins like liquid fire.


    Concealed partially by the curtain of her hair, her expression became a jarring collision of rage barely contained and manufactured cheerfulness, utterly discordant and deeply unsettling.


    Maia and Kiley remained locked in silentbat for several heartbeats until Kiley became the first to surrender, breaking eye contact.


    She spun on her heel and departed with calcted swiftness. The stato rhythm of her high heels striking the polished floor cut through the ambient noise, sharp and violent, like fingernails dragged deliberately across a chalkboard.


    Nobody witnessed her teeth sinking mercilessly into her bottom lip or caught the venomous words she breathed to herself through clenched jaw. “Maia Watson, savor this fleeting moment of victory while you still possess the capacity to enjoy it. Before long, you won’t find a single reason left to smile.”


    Watching this drama unfold with keen attention, Raegan immediately rose from her seat and pursued Kiley’s retreating figure.


    She desperately needed to provide an exnation for the catastrophic failure that had just transpired before their eyes. Her defeat stemmed entirely from Shiloh’s treacherous betrayal, nothing more.


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