The Heir's Redemption

Chapter five

Chris lifted his gaze to hers and met the blank look in her eyes, her face seemingly devoid of any sincerity. 

His face remained outwardly calm, but inside, his emotions were like a storm. He had never expected them to end like this and he certainly hadn't anticipated the harshness in Anna's words.

For a moment, it made him want to smile.  He couldn’t exactly say that he completely hated this little spat between them. At least, it made him realize how much she had changed and that she had grown out of love with him.

It made his blood boil with anger.

“I didn’t do anything to hurt you when we were married,” he said. “At least not intentionally. You already made it clear that you don’t want to have anything to do with me. I don't know why we're still having this conversation."

"You're right Chris," she said with a resigned tone, "I think it's best if we part ways now. We don't belong to the same world anymore."

He nodded while smiling in his heart. She didn't know what and who he was. She was going to find out soon. He would take his time. He watched as Anna walked away.

He couldn't help but clench his fists, his fingers digging into his palms, as he realized that the woman he once loved had become such a utilitarian figure.

As Anna's figure receded into the distance, Chris's thoughts swirled. He had invested so much of himself in their past relationship, and he didn't think he would love another like he loved her.

His phone rang just then. He looked at the screen to see the name of the General Manager of his company flashing. He wasn't expecting the call.

"Hello."  

The General Manager's voice was serious as he spoke. "Sir, I heard that you've gone through a divorce recently. I wanted to speak with you about the cooperation with your ex's company."

Chris was caught off guard by the mention of his recent divorce. He hadn't expected that news of his personal life would make its way to the upper echelons of the company. 

The news did travel fast, especially among the elites. "Yes, that's correct," he replied. "We did get divorced."

The General Manager continued, "I know that your ex's company has been a significant partner for us, but I've decided to pause the collaboration until I hear from you. I want to know if you believe the partnership should continue."

Chris's mind raced. The collaboration with his ex's company had been a secret, he'd partnered with her company because he believed in her and his partnership with her company would create more opportunity for her. And Anna had no idea.

He had always kept his family, business, and net worth a secret, even from her. He wondered how the divorce would affect the partnership of both companies. 

He contemplated the situation for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. He knew he could call off the partnership and it would greatly affect her company. 

After a brief silence, he finally spoke, a wry smile on his face. "Go ahead," he said, "you can have a renegotiation with them, but let's make it clear that this partnership won't benefit them as much as they might think. Consider it my last gift to her."

The General Manager on the other end of the call seemed to sense the underlying emotions in Chris's words.

 "I understand, sir," he replied, his tone sympathetic. "We'll proceed with the collaboration, but we won't make any concessions that are beyond our best interests."

Chris nodded. 

                                                 *********************

Meanwhile, at the party, Anna was engaged in lively conversations with various businessmen. Word had gotten around that she had a significant cooperation with Chris's company, the businessmen surrounding her couldn't resist flattering her and vying for her attention. They wanted her to help them also secure partnerships with the company. 

Her sudden craving for some almond cake briefly took her away from the group. She headed off to a shadowed section of the room and began to dig in silently when she felt someone walk next to her.

It was Mr Anderson, an acquaintance she had met some months back at a conference. 

“You’re quite the loner, Mrs Robinson,” he said. “You always seem to somehow extricate yourself from group gatherings.”

"Just call me Anna." She said simply.

She didn’t know what to make of that observation, but deep down, she knew he was right. She was naturally an introvert.

"Oh well... I'm an introvert. It's nice to see you, Mr Anderson." 

"Just call me Daniel." He said. He leaned in with a suave grin. "Anna, I've heard about your collaboration with Swan company. I must say, it's a brilliant move. Your company is lucky to have such a dynamic partner."

Anna accepted the praise gracefully. "Thank you, Daniel."

"I'd love to explore collaborations with your company, Anna. If you ever consider diversifying your partnerships, please do keep us in mind."

Her eyes sparkled with pride as she said, "I definitely will."

He left her.

She watched as he went over to some other guests who stood in the corner with drinks in their hands.

Her smile wavered for a moment, and her eyes drifted to her glass. She recounted how she had worked hard and built her company from the ground up without help.

However, what she didn't know was that Chris had a hand in her company's success from the onset. He had used his influence to push investors into partnering with her. He even made the CMO of his company partner with her, even when he wasn't in charge of the company, that is, during the traditional trial period.

She had a helping hand, even if she didn't see it at the time. Yes, Chris had sold his house for her and it had been a catalyst for her success. She had tried to pay him off but he blatantly refused. He gave her the money she needed to start up, but her hard work got her this far. 

"Hey, Anna. I was looking for you." Carter said as we walked up to her.

"Oh, I was tired of socializing and decided to come have some of these tasty almond cakes." She said, smiling. 

Carter, who was from one of the most prestigious families in the city, had been initially drawn to her beauty when they first met, and their friendship had grown into a close working relationship and friendship.

Their chat was interrupted when Anna's phone rang. She glanced at the incoming call and her smile faded slightly. It was the manager of one of the companies partnering with hers.

She excused herself from her conversation with Carter and answered the call, "Hello?"

The manager on the other end of the line had a grave expression, "Mrs Robinson, I regret to inform you that the cooperation with our company has been paused."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Paused?" she repeated, trying to process the information. "But why?"

The manager explained, "The decision was made at the request of the CMO. He expressed concerns about the partnership, and the General Manager has decided to halt the collaboration until further notice."

Anna stood there, looking helpless. She suddenly felt cheated. 

Carter, who had been observing Anna's conversation, furrowed his brow in concern. He leaned in closer, trying to catch every word.

Anna's initial shock turned into frustration and confusion. "This is.... unexpected. Why the sudden change? I had assurances from the General Manager that our collaboration would continue."

The manager replied. "I understand your disappointment, Madam. But the decision has been made. We'll need to wait for further instructions from the CMO and the General Manager."

She ended the call with disappointment and a tinge of anger, not knowing what next to do....