My expression darkened slightly at Benson’s words.
Nevertheless, I said, “I’ve decided to carve out my own path, Mr. Layton. Although I
appreciate your kindness, I must respectfully decline your offer.”
Benson smiled and said, “I understand you want to carve your path. In that case, how about a compromise?
“Layton Group shall invest in Maxophia Logistics You and Camille will hold 50% of the shares. How does that sound?”
That caught me completely off guard, and my heart skipped a beat.
It was true what they said–the older, the wiser. I hadn’t anticipated this at all. While Camille had been a loose cannon, wildly firing insults, Benson, the calm and collected “nice guy“, gently tried to coax me back.
Not only did he play the sentiment card, but he also invoked our shared past.
No one would dare say a thing if I’d mustered the guts to reject him flat–out. But now, he was taking a step back and proposing an investment partnership.
Everyone knew that he was once my boss. Now that he was backing off and showing his sincerity, I was at a loss for how to respond, especially given his identity.
We were in public, and many eyes were on us. It wasn’t just a private chat between the two of
- us.
As a prominent figure in Brinestone, Benson was using his influence to corner me. If I insisted on refusing, it would look like I was being arrogant and ungrateful.
People would say I was harsh and disrespectful to my former boss, now that I was capable of starting my business. No one would want to work with me after that.
The business world might have been all about profits, but relationships also mattered. If I came across as heartless, people would think twice about trusting me.
Just as Sophia and I were at a loss, a burst of laughter came from nearby. It was followed by a voice, saying, “I see you’ve arrived, Mr. Layton.‘
When we looked over, we saw a poised, elegant lady walking toward us. She was Sophia’s
mom, Lilian Lane.
“Long time no see, Mrs. Hartwell.” Benson’s expression shifted slightly, but he quickly forced
a smile and reached out to shake her hand.
Lilian did the same, and the two started exchanging polite, meaningless small talk.
Chapter 60
Sophia heaved a silent sigh and whispered to me, ‘Now that my mom’s here, whatever Mr. Layton has in mind won’t work anymore.”
I nodded. “Yeah… With Mrs. Hartwell stepping in Mr. Layton will have run out of moves.”
As expected, just as I said that, Lilian smiled and said, “I heard what you said earlier, Mr. Layton. My silly daughter wanted to try starting a business, and it so happens that she gets along well with Max. I figured that I’d let the young people give it a shot.
“This small sum of money is no problem for the Hartwells, so there’s no need for the trouble, Mr. Layton.”
Benson frowned slightly before smiling. “You’re too kind, Mrs. Hartwell. Max was once part of the Laytons, and frankly, I’ve always regarded him as one of my own.
“Now that he’s venturing out on his own, I do want to support him. You may not care about a bit of money, but wouldn’t an extra push be a good thing?”
Benson was still persisting.
I knew exactly what he was thinking. He just didn’t want me to break away from Camille. found his scheme honestly disgusting.
Lilian chuckled. After a pause, she nodded. “Well, that’s true. I don’t mind something so trivial, but shall we leave it up to the kids?
“They don’t lack the funds. If they want to work with Ms. Layton, I’m all for it.”
Lilian started passing the buck back to Sophia and me, but now, things were entirely different. “Mr. Layton, I sincerely thank you on behalf of Maxophia Logistics, but there’s no need for
that.
“We’re just doing something small. Layton Group is a massive enterprise, and Ms. Layton has numerous important matters to attend to. There’s no need to give her more trouble with a new partnership.”
L
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