9

The morning sun barely peeked through the curtains when Tyler's phone rang. Sonia's excited voice came through the speaker.

"Tyler! You won't believe it. My high school reunion - it worked! I think we might have a real shot at this partnership!"

Tyler smiled, genuinely pleased for her. "That's fantastic news, Sonia. Would you like me to come pick you up? We can head to the Emperor Group together."

"That would be wonderful. Thank you, Tyler."

A short while later, Gabriel was navigating the morning traffic as Tyler and Sonia sat in the back of the car.

Sonia's brow furrowed as she scrolled through her phone. "Oh no, did you hear about Don Gil? He passed away last night."

Tyler kept his expression neutral. "I hadn't heard. What happened?"

"The details are vague. Some kind of accident at a family gathering. It's terrible - the Gil family is so influential."

"Indeed they are," Tyler replied carefully. "But let's focus on your good news. Tell me more about this potential partnership."

Sonia's eyes lit up. "Well, my old classmate Lucia works there now. She thinks she can get us in front of the right people. It's not a done deal yet, but it's promising."

"That's a great start. You should be proud of yourself, Sonia."

She blushed slightly. "Thanks, Tyler. You know, sometimes I wonder... if things had been different, maybe I could have ended up in a powerful family like the Gils."

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "Is that something you'd want?"

Sonia laughed, a bit embarrassed. "Oh, I don't know. It's just a silly thought."

"Well," Tyler said with a hint of playfulness, "with your looks and charm, I'm sure you could win over anyone you set your mind to."

"Stop it," Sonia giggled, lightly swatting his arm. "You're the best man I know, Tyler. I'm just glad to have you in my life."

The car pulled up to the imposing Emperor Building. As they stepped out, Sonia took a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing," she murmured.

Inside, they were met by a smartly dressed woman who broke into a wide smile. "Sonia! I almost didn't recognize you. You look... amazing!"

Sonia returned the smile. "Lucia! It's so good to see you. This is my friend, Tyler."

Lucia's eyes darted between them, a flicker of something - envy? - crossing her face. "Pleasure to meet you, Tyler.

Sonia, can we talk privately for a moment?"

The two women stepped aside. Tyler couldn't hear their conversation, but he saw Sonia's expression change from hope to shock to anger. When she returned, her face was flushed.

"Everything alright?" Tyler asked gently.

Sonia shook her head. "I can't believe it. Lucia suggested... She wanted me to..." She took a steadying breath. "Let's just say her idea of 'networking' is completely unacceptable."

Tyler's eyes hardened. "I see. Perhaps we should reconsider this partnership."

"No, wait," Lucia interjected, hurrying back over. "I'm sorry, Sonia. That was out of line. Look, let me bring Richard down - he's the one you really need to talk to."

Sonia hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. One chance."

As Lucia hurried off, Tyler placed a comforting hand on Sonia's shoulder. "You handled that well. Remember, you have value beyond just your appearance or connections."

Sonia smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Tyler. I'm so glad you're here."

A few minutes later, Lucia returned with a distinguished-looking man in his fifties. "Sonia, Tyler, this is Richard Yale, our senior manager."

Richard's eyes widened slightly as he took in Sonia's appearance. "Ms. Arthur, it's a pleasure to meet you. Lucia tells me you have an interesting proposal for us."

Sonia straightened, all business now. "Indeed, Mr. Yale. We believe a partnership between our companies could be mutually beneficial."

For the next hour, Sonia laid out her pitch with confidence and clarity. Tyler watched proudly as she fielded questions and addressed concerns. By the end, Richard was nodding appreciatively.

"I must say, Ms. Arthur, I'm impressed. Your proposal is solid, and your presentation skills are excellent. I think we can definitely work something out."

Sonia's face lit up. "That's wonderful news, Mr. Yale!"

Richard smiled. "Let's start with an initial order of, say, fifty million for the Walters family. We can grow from there based on performance."

"That's more than generous," Sonia said, barely containing her excitement. "Thank you so much for this opportunity."

As they shook hands to seal the deal, Tyler noticed Lucia looking on with a mix of surprise and grudging respect.

Outside the building, Sonia could barely contain herself. "Tyler, can you believe it? Fifty million! This is going to change everything!"

Tyler smiled warmly. "You earned it, Sonia. Your hard work and integrity paid off."

As they got back into the car, Sonia's phone buzzed with a message from Lucia: "Drinks soon to celebrate? I owe you an apology."

Sonia showed the message to Tyler. "What do you think? Should I give her another chance?"

Tyler considered for a moment. "People can surprise us. Maybe this experience taught her something too. It's up to you, but sometimes second chances can lead to better understanding."

Sonia nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. I'll think about it." She leaned back in her seat, a contented smile on her face. "For now, though, I just want to enjoy this moment. We did it, Tyler. We really did it."