CHAPTER 18: THE NEGOTIATION LINE

(Evelina’s POV — Hartgrave Corporation, VIP Elevator)

The elevator doors slid shut behind us with a soft metallic sigh.

Inside stood Reginald Hartgrave, the man whose presence made CEOs sweat. Lucien, pretending he wasn’t glaring daggers at Kael.

Kael Valtore, my charmingly infuriating ex-fiancé and the game’s golden boy. Me, desperately holding in the urge to strangle someone with my ID lanyard.

It was the most awkward elevator ride in recorded history. Kael stood on one side, arms folded, eyes fixed straight ahead like I didn’t exist.

Good. Stay in your lane, Mister "People Suffer Because of You."

Lucien kept glancing between us like, ’Do I punch him or not? Father is here. Damn.’

Father simply stood tall, dignified, an immovable mountain of authority.

As for me? I smiled politely on the outside. Inside, I was debating murder in fourteen different languages.

The elevator chimed.

DING.

"Floor 51 — Executive Level," the voice announced.

Great.

The battlefield.

The doors opened to reveal a polished hallway lined with black marble, glass walls, and employees bowing so fast their spines probably cracked.

"Good morning, Chairman!"

"Young Master Lucien!"

"Good morning, Miss Evelina."

"Good morning, Director Valtore!"

Kael walked forward calmly, hands in his pockets, looking like a walking ad for expensive cologne and poor life decisions. I followed alongside Father, my heels clicking in perfect rhythm.

Everything smelled like Money, Coffee, And stress

My new perfume.

Father placed a gentle but firm hand between my shoulder blades. A silent message: Stand tall. You’re a Hartgrave.

I inhaled slowly.

Right.

Today wasn’t about Kael. Or Sera. Or even affection points. Today... was my first move in surviving Hard Mode.

But before making any move, my brain—traitorous, dramatic, and traumatized—decided to play the Game Lore Recap.

Okay, let’s review the nightmare.

Kael Valtore.

In the game, when I played as Sera, he looked like a walking Pinterest board: Tall, cold, and brilliant. The perfect green flag wrapped in CEO packaging.

That’s what the story sells at first.

But the reality?

He was not a green flag. Not even yellow. He was chartreuse dipped in red, then rolled in toxicity.

Because Kael Valtore was: Notorious CEO of Valtore Group.

Work-obsessed. Ruthless when crossed. Possessive toward Sera to a borderline insane level. The kind of man who filed paperwork faster than he processed emotions.

The type to fire someone mid-meeting for breathing too loudly.

And the worst part?

He hated office romance.

Absolutely despised it. Which would be understandable... IF HE WASN’T THE ONE HAVING AN OFFICE ROMANCE WITH SERA.

Hypocrite. Menace. Walking HR violation.

And I—poor, unlucky, unfortunate villainess—was forced to remember my role in this corporate hell route.

Evelina Hartgrave, original version?

Worked here. Annoyed Kael by existing. Got fired by him in the mid-game route. Lost her remaining reputation, lost her political backing, and then—

Got into a "car accident."

And died alone.

So... in short, I’m dealing with a jerk + notorious boss.

I exhaled a dry laugh.

One plus one bonus combo... fantastic.

"Evelina." Father’s voice cut through my internal screaming.

I turned. "Yes, Father?"

But I nodded and stepped beside him as we walked toward the conference wing. Behind me, I felt Kael’s glare drilling a hole into my spine.

Not subtle. Not friendly. Very much "I will fire you for breathing too confidently."

Then—DING!

A blue flash appeared at the corner of my vision.

[System: You will soon receive a reward for gaining reputation.][Reward: "A Major Corporate Deal"—Will Raise Your Reputation in Hartgrave Corporation.]

I pushed the system window away and walked into the meeting room—

And froze.

W. T. F.

Sitting at the table, legs crossed, suit immaculate, silver hair catching the room’s soft lights like polished steel—Theo Vinter.

He lounged in his chair with the ease of a man who owned the building despite not owning the building. His golden eyes lifted, locking onto Sera like she was prey he had already chosen.

His stare was sharp enough to cut marble. Across from him—Arden. Arms crossed. Jaw tight.Looking one second away from flipping the table and declaring war.

"Today," Father began, taking his seat at the head of the table, "we are to be in partnership with Vinter Enterprises."

Lucein leaned toward me, whispering quickly, "It’s the new expansion project. We need Vinter’s territory connection and logistics."

I blinked. "But he’s a—"

"I know," Lucien cut me off, expression dead serious. "A mafia king. A criminal overlord. A walking felony."

"Then why—"

"Because," he sighed, "half the empire listens to him. If you want to build something big... you have to deal with the shadows too."

I stared.

"So you’re telling me we’re doing a collaboration deal with an underground mafia boss?"

Lucien shrugged helplessly. "Welcome to corporate life."

Meanwhile, across the table, Theo slowly turned his head toward me. Our eyes met. His lips curled in a faint, dangerous smirk.

Then he looked away as if I were no more than background detail.

Father cleared his throat, signaling the meeting’s start. "Mr. Vinter, as discussed previously, the Hartgrave Corporation would like to secure Vinter Logistics’ exclusive transport routes for our new international infrastructure project—Project Helios."

Sera slid a folder across the table toward Theo. "This includes land routes across the western border and maritime priority access for heavy cargo."

Theo didn’t touch the folder.

His fingers tapped once—slow, deliberate—against the polished glass.

"And why," he said calmly, "should Vinter Enterprises bind itself to a five-year exclusive contract with Hartgrave Corp.?"

His voice was quiet. Neutral. But the weight behind it was unmistakable. The executive straightened under the pressure. "Because the profit margins—"

"Are insufficient," Theo interrupted without raising his tone.

Silence snapped across the table. Arden stiffened. Lucien frowned. Father’s jaw tightened. Theo leaned back, eyes drifting over the documents with controlled boredom.

"This proposal assumes Vinter will handle all high-risk transportation obligations," he said. "Including cross-border inspections, security clearances, and trafficking checks."

Kael responded firmly. "Your organization is the most capable of managing cross-border security, Mr. Vinter."

Theo’s eyes lifted, calm but sharp.

"Capability equals leverage, Kael Valtore. Even you should know that."

Tension thickened—even the air felt still. Kael tried again. "We have already projected a thirty-percent profit increase for Vinter Ent—"

Theo’s gaze flicked to him, cold and precise.

"One mistake," he said softly, "and the entire line collapses. A profit projection means nothing without risk assessment."

Lucien inhaled sharply, ready to interject. But Theo wasn’t looking at him. He was looking at me.

Directly. Unwaveringly.

"Miss Hartgrave," he said, as if testing a new weapon, "you’ve been silent."

The entire room turned to me.

My pulse didn’t spike. My breath didn’t shake. I met his eyes steadily.

"I stayed silent," I said calmly, "because I was listening."

Theo raised a brow.

I continued, my voice level and precise. "Your concern isn’t profit. It’s liability. The current contract places disproportionate risk on Vinter Enterprises. If a single cargo unit is compromised, the burden falls entirely on your name. That’s not a fair deal."

Theo didn’t respond. But the faint shift in his posture told me he was listening. I turned a page in the folder.

"You want balanced risk distribution," I said. "Not profit projections that ignore operational realities."

Lucien blinked. Arden’s jaw tightened. Father watched me closely.

I slid another document forward.

"Our revised model proposes shared liability. Hartgrave Corporation will take on the financial penalty of any interruption in the cargo chain. Vinter Enterprises will maintain operational control, but responsibility is distributed."

Theo’s fingers stopped tapping.

I continued without hesitation.

"Additionally, Vinter’s maritime routes will be granted first-priority access for all Hartgrave imports for the next twelve months. No delays. No red tape."

For the first time since entering the room...Theo’s expression shifted.

Not greatly.But subtly.

Interest.

I leaned forward slightly.

"You don’t need higher profit percentages, Mr. Vinter," I said. "You need strategic leverage. And this contract offers exactly that."

Silence.

Sharp. Heavy. Expectant.

Theo finally spoke.

"And what," he said quietly, "assures me Hartgrave Corporation will uphold these terms?"

"Me," I said simply.

His eyes narrowed.

Father froze. Lucien inhaled sharply. Arden looked like he wanted to object.

But I didn’t look away.

"If you want, I will personally oversee this project," I said. "Every report. Every shipment. Every negotiation point. If something fails—I will be accountable."

Theo studied me. Long. Focused. Like dissecting a puzzle.

The room waited for the verdict.

Finally—

Theo closed the folder with a soft click. The sound echoed louder than a gunshot. He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, and let the silence drag like a blade across the room.

Then his gaze pinned me in place.

"And why," he said slowly, voice like velvet over steel, "should I trust Miss Hartgrave... who just joined the company?"

The question dropped like a bomb—cold, deliberate, and impossible to ignore.