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"That's my girl," he murmurs proudly.
14
GRAYSON
The shrill ringtone shatters the peaceful quiet of my home office. I frown at the interruption, hitting the answer button with more force than necessary.
"Winthrop."
"Grayson, it's William from the Tokyo office." The voice on the other end is tinny but unmistakable - the CEO of our operations in Asia. "We have a situation that requires your immediate attention."
I lean back in my chair with a resigned sigh. "What's going on, William? This had better be good, disturbing me on my day off like this."
"Straight to business as always, my friend," William chuckles grimly. "You know I wouldn't call unless it was critical. We've got a potential crisis brewing with the Fujiwara conglomerate."
My blood runs cold at the mention of the prestigious multi-billion dollar megacorp. We've been pursuing an exclusive partnership with them for over two years now, one that could widen our access to the entire Asian market.
"Well? Spit it out then," I growl, my earlier irritation forgotten in the face of potential catastrophe. "What's the situation with Fujiwara?"
William exhales heavily. "There's been...a shake-up in their leadership, let's say. Murmurs of a hostile takeover from within the family ranks. The whole deal could collapse amid the power struggle unless we take drastic measures to solidify our position."
"Dammit," I hiss, pushing to my feet and beginning to pace the confines of my study. "You know how much the Fujiwara alliance means to us, William. To the future of Winthrop Industries. We can't allow this to slip through our fingers now, not after so much time and effort cultivating the relationship."
There's a pregnant pause on the other end of the line before William hesitantly speaks again.
"Which is why...I think it's critical you come to Tokyo and oversee negotiations in person, Grayson. Get a read on the dynamics firsthand. Your take-no-prisoners leadership style may be the only way to forcefully insert ourselves into their moment of weakness."
My heart plummets at the suggestion, even as my pragmatic mind knows he's right. The Tokyo office is in over their heads dealing with adversarial titans like Fujiwara. Nothing less than my direct intervention will ensure the deal goes through - and by extension, the job security and prosperity of my entire company.
"Alright," I grit out, scrubbing a hand down my face. "Looks like I'm booking a ticket to Tokyo then. But this had better be worth the upheaval in my personal life, William. You know how I feel about extended overseas trips disrupting the flow of operations."
"It will be worth it, my friend," William reassures quickly. "Fujiwara is the keystone that unlocks Asia for Winthrop Industries. The future of our legacy could well hinge on you being there in person to seize control of the situation."
I grunt an acknowledgment, already contemplating the massive shake ups this trip will cause. "Fine. I'll have Alice start making the arrangements. Just...try to keep a lid on this Fujiwara chaos until I arrive."
"You have my word," William vows solemnly. "Get here as soon as you can."
The line goes dead, leaving me alone with the weight of the daunting task ahead. There's no choice but to make this journey, to fight like hell for a partnership that could define my company's next decade of growth and prosperity.
But that means leaving...
"Amara," I call out, my voice strained. Within moments she appears in the doorway, eyes wide with concern at whatever she heard. My girl, always attuned to the slightest fluctuation in my emotions, has already picked up a change in the usual routine of the day.
I motion for her to enter, steadying my nerves as I prepare to drop a bombshell on our newly cemented relationship.
"Something's come up, something urgent that's going to take me away from the country for a while," I begin without preamble.
Amara stills, her expression clouding with apprehension. "Is everything okay? What's going on?"
Meeting her warm, caring gaze, I feel the first flickers of guilt lick at my insides. The idea of leaving her, of depriving us both of the closeness we've only just embraced, is almost physically painful.
But I forge on, detailing the precarious situation with Fujiwara, the need for me to travel to Tokyo and apply some strong-armed hand-holding to keep our most promising deal from derailing. Each word seems to pull her face into tighter lines of distress.
"I'm so sorry to spring this on you," I conclude remorsefully. "But you must know how critical this is, both for our future and that of the entire company. William expressly requested my presence, and if I'm honest with myself, nobody else has the clout or steel nerves to ram this through."
Amara worries her lower lip, struggling visibly to process my unexpected announcement. I feel like a heel, a bastard without a shred of chivalry for upending our blissful existence so soon.
But before I can offer the chance to unburden her emotions, she surprises me. Straightening her shoulders, my Amara regards me with a look of pure, steadfast conviction.
