Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

”President Blackwood, please, just give me one more chance! I know what I did wrong, I—”

”Get out!” Quentin Blackwood had little patience for anyone else.

Susan Sawyer genuinely never expected President Blackwood to fire her just like that, all over a woman. She practically ran out crying, shooting a vicious glare at Ivy Sherwood on her way out the door.

”Wait,” Ivy called out, stopping her.

Susan halted. ”What more do you want? Haven’t I lost my job because of you?”

”Although I don’t think your project proposal this time was up to par, I do believe you have real capability,” Ivy said. ”If you run into trouble finding another job later on, you can come find me.” She then handed Susan her business card.

She knew Susan’s professional skills weren’t top-tier, but the proposal showed the woman genuinely had her own ideas. Ivy always welcomed capable people, though she certainly wouldn’t offer her a position as high as her current one at DG.

”Who are you looking down on? How could I possibly not find a job!” Susan felt that with her work experience at DG, finding a new position would be an absolute breeze. Still, she thought it was incredibly humiliating to leave with her tail between her legs like this. She refused the business card, but Ivy couldn’t care less.

Soon, rumors that President Blackwood had fired an employee over a woman spread like wildfire throughout the company.

Back in the office, Ivy said, ”Wasn’t it a bit reckless to just fire her like that? We were only having a normal work discussion.”

”DG has always valued competence above all else. The company operates on a process of elimination; her skills simply weren’t up to standard, so firing her was only natural. It has nothing to do with you.”

Ivy wanted to say more, but Quentin interjected, ”You saw her project proposal just now, right? Even you could spot the problems in it.”

”Me spotting them just proves my own excellence! Why are you belittling me?” Ivy tilted her chin up, clearly dissatisfied.

However, Quentin simply leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. ”I wasn’t belittling you. In my heart, you’re the most excellent of all.”

Quentin then called the secretarial office, instructing them to notify all shareholders and senior executives to convene for a meeting within ten minutes. After hanging up, he pulled Ivy to her feet. ”Come with me.”

Ivy looked confused. ”Where to? Don’t you have a meeting in ten minutes?”

Quentin didn’t explain. He simply insisted she follow him.

At his command, every senior executive currently in the building quickly gathered in the conference room. DG was a massive corporation with a large workforce and no shortage of powerful figures.

Ivy didn’t expect Quentin to lead her right to the conference room doors, let alone attempt to bring her inside. She struggled briefly at the entrance. ”Aren’t you here for a meeting? Why did you bring me along?”

”You’ll see,” was all he said, forcefully ushering her inside.

The moment Quentin walked in, everyone in the room stood up. ”President Blackwood.”

Some of these executives had followed Quentin for years and watched DG grow, while others were newer additions. Some were fiercely loyal, whereas others harbored inflated egos and were dissatisfied with Quentin’s recent decisions. Ultimately, a company’s senior management wasn’t entirely composed of saints. However, relatively speaking, DG was a much better environment. Quentin had built the company from the ground up and held the vast majority of its shares. Compared to corporations plagued by internal strife, like the Hawthorne Group, it was a sanctuary.

Although Elijah Hawthorne was now at the helm of the Hawthorne Group, their internal power struggles were fierce. Uncles from collateral branches of the family were constantly watching him like hawks. The moment Elijah made even the slightest mistake, they would pounce on him like ravenous dogs spotting meat.

Even these top executives had heard the rumors about Quentin firing an employee over a woman. So, seeing him walk in with a woman in tow, they all froze in surprise.

Although Ivy was six months pregnant, her loose-fitting clothes completely concealed her belly. It wasn’t obvious at all, and none of the people present realized that the woman standing before them was expecting.

”This is Ivy Sherwood,” Quentin announced. ”I called you all here today to inform you that she is my future wife and the future Madam President of this company. From now on, she will also have a voice at DG. Furthermore, her words represent my words, and all her actions and decisions represent my decisions.”

Ivy stared at Quentin in disbelief. She wondered what on earth he was doing, granting her such absolute authority in front of all of DG’s senior executives. She wasn’t even an employee, nor did she plan to ever join the company. Besides, she had never even considered taking charge of any of DG’s operations.

”In the future, if there’s any situation where she gives you an order, you are to execute it without question. Am I understood?” Quentin’s tone brooked no argument. This was a command and a public declaration, not an invitation for them to object or nitpick.

”President Blackwood, this...”

”Is there a problem?” Quentin’s gaze shot toward the speaker.

”President Blackwood, I just feel this is a bit inappropriate. We always follow your lead because of your capabilities; we all believe in you. But her...”

The man trailed off, but his meaning was crystal clear. Others began nodding along, evidently agreeing with his sentiment.

Quentin was indeed formidable, but that was because his competence was obvious to everyone. But this young lady? How old did she look? Early twenties? Had she used her beauty to bewitch the usually rational President Blackwood, making him spout such nonsense here? She was pretty, certainly, but a pretty face meant nothing in corporate affairs. It was all about capability. Had she even graduated from college? Did she have what it took?

The entire room was filled with skepticism toward Ivy. Only Quentin believed in her unconditionally.

”She is the boss of Iris, as well as the owner of Y Ventures. I’m sure you’ve all heard of these two companies. You know full well how rapidly they’ve been expanding.”

The executives began whispering among themselves. Those two companies had indeed been brought up in their own discussions because of their phenomenal growth and excellent prospects. So this woman was their boss!

Quentin continued, ”You might not recognize her abilities yet, but I trust her. All you need to do is follow my orders.”

Now wasn’t the right time to prove Ivy’s competence in one fell swoop, but Quentin felt certain that such an opportunity would arise in the future. Her abilities were genuinely impressive, and she was a quick learner. She would undoubtedly become a formidable businesswoman in her own right.

Deep down, he had been harboring a sense of foreboding. If something were to happen to him one day, he wanted to leave everything in Ivy’s hands, including DG. Of course, Quentin hoped that day would never come. It was merely a nagging premonition that he couldn’t quite shake off.