Chapter 3
Jordan's gaze cut through the crowd like a sharp arrow, zeroing in on Rita.
His eyes burned with aggression and possessiveness.
It was as if he were staking his claim right then and there.
Rita clenched the remote in her hand, her knuckles going white from how hard she was holding it.
She made herself stay cool, locking eyes with him—her gaze completely calm, not a hint of emotion showing.
Jordan's lips curled into an amused smirk.
He strode over to the head of the table and sat down, completely ignoring everyone else.
Then he turned to Marvin, his tone cool and absolutely authoritative.
"Mr. Abbott, I forgot to properly introduce myself," Jordan said.
"Starting today, I'm the primary investor in this project.
"I have veto power over every decision regarding this project."
His words sent shockwaves through the room.
Marvin's face went through a whole spectrum of emotions in an instant.
Jordan's Lumina Group was the undisputed king of the industry.
Compared to Lumina, their company wasn't even in the same league.
'When did he ever take an interest in our little project?' Marvin wondered.
'And now he's the biggest investor?'
It was like an elephant suddenly crashing into a nest of ants.
Everyone was left completely dumbfounded.
But Rita saw right through it all.
He didn't care about the project.
He was here for her.
Some things never change—even after five years, he was still the same, bossy, overbearing, always thinking he could solve everything just by throwing his money and power around.
'Does he really think this is enough to make me surrender?' Rita thought with a cold sneer.
Marvin wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his voice shaky as he finally managed to speak, "M-Mr. Walters, it's truly an honor that you'd even consider our project...
"So... um, about the proposal we were just talking about—do you have any—"
Jordan lifted a hand, stopping him mid-sentence.
He leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, exuding a lazy yet dangerous vibe.
His gaze stayed locked on Rita the entire time.
"I've looked over the proposal; it's riddled with flaws," Jordan said.
"Especially the budget. It's pure fantasy."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to every corner of the conference room.
It was a public humiliation.
He crushed the professional pride Rita had always held dear, completely disregarding her expertise.
Her subordinates exchanged anxious looks, all clearly worried about Rita.
But Rita kept her face completely blank, not giving anything away.
She knew exactly what he was doing; this was his power play, his way of showing her who's boss right from the start.
She set down the remote, strode confidently to the seat directly across from Jordan, pulled out the chair, and sat facing him.
She met his gaze head-on, her voice steady and unwavering.
"Mr. Walters, you claim my proposal is riddled with flaws. Would you care to specify exactly which section, which data, you believe is problematic?" Rita challenged.
Her voice wasn't loud, but every word rang out with unmistakable authority.
Everyone in the room held their breath; the tension was so thick that one could practically slice it.
No one could believe that this gentle-looking woman would dare to go head-to-head with Jordan, right in front of everyone.
There was a glimmer of appreciation in Jordan's eyes.
He liked seeing her with that sharp edge.
She was so much more fun than the meek little lamb she used to be five years ago.
He picked up the proposal from the table and flipped through a couple of pages.
Then, with pinpoint accuracy, he zeroed in on the budget for market promotion.
"Here," he said, tapping the page.
"You've estimated the online promotion budget at 1.5 million.
"But from what I know, the ad rates for those top-tier platforms you mentioned are set to go up by at least thirty percent next year.
"Just this one item alone leaves your budget short by over 500 thousand dollars.
"How am I supposed to trust a project manager who can't even keep up with the latest market trends to handle this project?"
His words were razor-sharp, cutting straight to the point.
Rita's heart sank.
The news about the platform price hikes was only just starting to make the rounds in the industry—it hadn't been announced yet.
She had no clue.
It was her mistake.
Getting called out by him in front of everyone made her face burn hot.
Seeing Rita embarrassed for once, Jordan found himself oddly in a good mood.
He was determined to make her see that without him, she'd be nothing.
He wanted her to understand that only he could give her everything she ever dreamed of.
He leaned in, speaking just loud enough for only Rita to hear, "Well, Ms. Moody.
"Why not make it up to me in a different way for your little mistake?
"For example, tonight, bring our daughter and have dinner with me?"
The conference room was dead silent.
Everyone's eyes darted back and forth between Rita and Jordan, the air practically crackling with sparks.
Rita clenched her palm so tightly her fingers dug in, anger and humiliation crashing around inside her chest—but she forced herself to keep it together, letting reason smother the fury.
She stared at Jordan's face, all mocking confidence and dominance, and suddenly let a cold, professional smile curl at her lips.
"Mr. Walters, you really are always ahead of the curve. Even internal market shifts that haven't been announced yet are already on your radar; no wonder you're the industry's top dog," Rita said.
As she spoke, she opened up an alternate file on her laptop with effortless poise, every move calm and assured.
"Since you've raised concerns about potential cost overruns, why don't we take a look at my alternative proposal," Rita suggested.
The screen quickly switched, showing a low-cost promotion plan built around viral short-video campaigns and private social group marketing.
"Those traditional online platforms are just there to boost our brand image. The real driver for conversions? I've already shifted to new, high-value channels," Rita said confidently.
"With advanced algorithm modeling—even after accounting for higher channel costs—the total budget won't just stay within limits. It'll actually save us fifteen percent compared to the original plan."
Her slick counter left everyone in the room completely stunned.
Marvin slapped his thigh and couldn't stop raving about how sharp Rita was—she always had a backup plan, nothing ever slipped past her.