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Jasper had thought Aurelia would get all worked up or embarrassed.
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But instead, Jasper smiled and asked, “Hey, did you really cost your father 150 million dollars last year?”
“What’s it to you?” Jasper shot back, as if Aurelia had hit his nerve.
Everyone kept bringing it up lately, and it was giving Jasper serious PTSD.
Jasper could barely show his face around the Quinn family as it was, and now Aurelia was looking down on him, too?
“I could actually point you in the right direction,” Aurelia said, her smile bright and infectious.
Jasper was momentarily stunned by her smile, his mind going blank.
“What kind of direction?” Jasper blurted out before he could stop himself.
“You’d make a great screenwriter. You’re perfect for those cheesy soap operas,” Aurelia teased with a sly grin.
Meanwhile, Tessa shadowed Cassian throughout the whole event, networking nonstop and rubbing elbows with all sorts of people.
She got to witness again how much influence Cassian held in the business world, even though he was one of the younger ones in the group.
However, in gatherings like that, power and status were the only things that mattered.
Honestly, Tessa was more certain than ever that following Cassian back to the country was the smartest move she’d ever made.
Gideon was a great guy, and Tessa wouldn’t have followed him overseas if he wasn’t.
However, Gold Gauntlet’s current development and momentum couldn’t compete with the red–hot success of Honoria Capital.
Tessa might’ve had her doubts before, but her loyalties were firmly with Cassian now.
“I actually learned a ton today,” Tessa said, catching Cassian during a brief lull and sharing her thoughts.
“Artificial intelligence is totally going to be the game–changer for the next big tech wave. We need to seize this chance,” Tessa added enthusiastically.
Cassian looked genuinely impressed, praising her for her keen business sense.
Tessa felt even more fired up. “By the way, I’ve been hearing a ton of buzz about the AI software called InquireMind. I gave it a test drive myself, and it’s awesome. Even in beta, it crushes every other similar app out there. I can definitely see it exploding into more industries down the line. The market potential is off the charts.”
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Cassian arched an eyebrow at her, a hint of a smirk. “Thinking about getting involved with the project?”
Tessa nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, I want to give it a shot.”
“Go for it. I’ve always got your back,” Cassian replied.
Tessa couldn’t help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Ever since they’d returned, Cassian had practically spoiled her with how doting he was.
No matter what wild ideas she had for her career, Cassian never hesitated to support her, always having her back.
In her daily life, he always stepped up to handle things for her before she even had to ask.
Being with him gave her a sense of security she’d never felt before.
Tessa’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. She was about to say something sweet to Cassian.
But right then, Jasper barged in, cursing under his breath, “Damn, what bad luck!”
Tessa snapped back to reality, tucking away her tender feelings and asking with concern, “What happened?”
“Ran into Aurelia, of all people,” Jasper spat.
Tessa had seen Jasper come back from those run–ins looking totally deflated, so it was easy to guess why he was in such a foul mood now.
“Couldn’t you give her a wide berth whenever you see her?” Tessa asked.
Jasper shot back, “Why should I? Who does she think she is?”
Tessa said, “That’s not what I mean. I just think, rather than getting burned every single time, why not steer clear and save yourself the headache?
“Honestly, don’t stoop to her level. It’s not worth it.”
Jasper lapped up the praise, his bad mood easing up. “You have a broad mind, Tessa.”
Then he threw a wink at Cassian, “Cassian, you’d better treat Tessa, my Queen, right! Women like her don’t come around twice, you know?”
Cassian scoffed, “You think I need you to tell me that?”
Tessa smirked and handed Jasper a bottle of water. “Come on, chill out. It’s not like Aurelia hasn’t roasted you before. Just let it go.”
Tessa’s reminder made Jasper think of all the times Aurelia had humiliated him. His face darkened. annoyance rising all over again.
He clenched his jaw, practically seething. “I’m gonna settle the score with her someday!”
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Then, he squeezed the bottle until it was flat in his hand, like trying to crush all his frustration into it.
Tessa watched him, her lips curling into a silent, amused smile.
Once Jasper had finally cooled off, he suddenly remembered why he’d come looking for Tessa in the first place.
“Tessa, I dug up some inside scoop on that InquireMind!” Jasper blurted out.
Tessa immediately perked up, her interest in InquireMind obvious. “What kind of scoop?”
“The company making InquireMind is based out of Ashmont, and it’s tiny–barely 1.5 million dollars in starting capital. Looks like they haven’t attracted any big investors yet, so they’re still flying way under the radar in Ashmont,” Jasper said.
“Perfect. It’s a company in Ashmont, Tessa said, grinning with excitement.
Jasper nodded eagerly. “Isn’t there a product showcase coming up? Let’s find a way to snag it right at the event!”
“Absolutely!” Tessa replied, her confidence obvious.
With Honoria Capital, the Locke Group, and Cassian backing her every step of the way, she knew the odds were stacked in her favor.
Honestly, everyone would kill to get a shot at teaming up with Tessa.
There was no way Tessa wouldn’t land that. She was determined to clinch the deal.
“Well, you’ve gotta promise to let me in, too! If I don’t score soon, my dad might actually throw me out for good!” Jasper chimed in, half joking and half desperate.
Tessa couldn’t help but chuckle. “Alright, you’re in.”
Upon hearing her words, Jasper finally felt a wave of relief wash over him.
He was already buzzing with anticipation, picturing himself finally making a comeback and settling old scores for good.
After all, with Tessa leading the way, it was like having a VIP ticket straight to winning.
‘Seriously, there’s no way I could lose this time!‘ thought Jasper.
Jasper couldn’t get under Aurelia’s skin at all.
Ever since Aurelia made a clean break with Cassian, nothing about Cassian or his people could touch her
anymore.
Not even Cassian himself could make waves in her heart those days.
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Chapter 75
Just as Aurelia met up with Tyson, Russell showed up.
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He informed Aurelia and Tyson that after the product exchange session wraps up, there’s gonna be a main event where the hottest products get their moment in the spotlight
Aurelia’s heart skipped a beat. She jumped right in, “Mr. Garfield, did InquireMind cut the featured showcase?
Russell was taken aback by how quickly Aurelia caught on. Honestly, he found it pretty impressive.
“We’ve picked the featured products internally, but it’s all still confidential, so I can’t say anything Russell replied.
People who know how the game’s played never push too hard.
Aurelia got the hint and dropped it.
Russell stuck to the rules, just giving them the rundown on how the showcase worked and what kind of impact it could have.
Honestly, Aurelia didn’t need him to spell it out. She already knew it was a once–in–a–lifetime shot.
After all, it was a government–backed event, bringing together the top tech minds, major industry players, and their resources.
Getting to showcase their product on such a massive stage was something most people could only dream of.
There was no way they were letting this chance slip by. They had to seize it, no matter what.
So, once Russell was out of the picture, Aurelia turned to Tyson and said, “Get ready to hit the stage for our product demo.”
Tyson furrowed his brow, clearly curious. “How can you be sure we cut?”
Aurelia shrugged. “It was obvious from how your professor was acting.”
Tyson blinked, totally thrown. “How come I didn’t pick up on that?”
“It’s simple,” Aurelia teased, “You’re brilliant at what you do. The whole people drama thing? You don’t even need to bother with it.”
Aurelia was obviously giving him a sideways compliment.
Tyson scratched his head, a little embarrassed by all the praise.
Remembering there was more to this trip than just business, Tyson hesitated for a beat before finally calling out, “Aurelia.”
Aurelia responded with a distracted “Mm,” totally absorbed in scrolling through the summit schedule, so she didn’t notice that his tone and expression were different from usual.
Even so, Tyson was so worked up he could barely string a sentence together.
“Well… When this wraps up, maybe we could get dinner together? I… I booked a place already,” Tyson stuttered, his nerves getting the best of him.
