He took out a contract. "President Grant said his condition is a 30 billion investment for a stake in the company."
"If you agree, he’ll be returned. If you don’t, he stays."
Sophia Shaw: "..."
Samuel Goldman was a sharp man; he could naturally see that Vincent Grant was intentionally trying to give Sophia Shaw money.
Vincent Grant’s intention was obvious, but they still had a menacing President Sawyer to deal with.
This was going to be difficult.
He finally said, "Elias Underwood knows you want him. The kid was so moved he cried on the spot. He said he’s willing to spend a lifetime repaying the Grant Group just to come back."
"He’s already packing his bags."
Sophia Shaw: "..."
In the end, she picked up the pen. "Whatever happens, you don’t turn down money."
Samuel Goldman stood beside her, watching her sign. His heart pounded, and his eyes began to turn red.
’She’s not worried about the money,’ he thought. ’She’s doing it for that kid, Elias Underwood.’
Lillian Forrest ate with her head down, but her ears were perked, listening to their conversation.
When she heard Sophia Shaw say, "you don’t turn down money," her eyes lit up. She lowered her head and sent a text to her brother: "Bro, emergency! Get money ready, quick!"
In just a few short days, Lead Aerospace secured over 100 billion in investments.
On the day of the project launch, Sophia Shaw was escorted by Jacobs into the signing ceremony venue.
When he saw the men sitting at the table, surrounded by countless flashing cameras, a huge ’Ha!’ popped into Jacobs’s mind.
Sophia Shaw looked over and also saw a table full of familiar, handsome faces, arranged as if they were part of a stamp collection.
Young Master Croft, Vincent Grant, Levin Sawyer, Jenson Forrest... When Sophia Shaw’s eyes landed on Shane Grant, a nerve in her head throbbed.
"Why is he... here too?"
Jacobs replied crisply, "Mr. Shane Grant is the one who helped us apply for the 50 billion in national funding."
Sophia Shaw: "..."
She had known about a national funding package in the tens of billions, but she never imagined Shane Grant was the one who had secured it for them.
Jacobs glanced over.
Except for Young Master Croft, the other four men at the table all looked like they were ready to draw swords.
They didn’t look like they were here to sign a contract. It was more like... they were here to fight over a person.
Even the reporters on the periphery could smell the gunpowder in the air and began to whisper among themselves.
"What’s going on with these presidents? Are they enemies?"
"It must be so hard for them, having to force a smile and sit together for money when they clearly don’t get along."
"Oh my!" Mrs. Sawyer, Sharon, arrived fashionably late. Seeing her son surrounded by so many people, she couldn’t help but gasp.
Having navigated the battles of high society for so many years, how could she not see it? These men weren’t here for some project—they were here for a person!
Mrs. Sawyer was escorted into the venue and sat down beside Levin Sawyer, worried. "Son, you have... quite a few formidable rivals."
"You’re telling me?"
Levin Sawyer was extremely frustrated.
They were all men. Without a single word, they could tell what the others were after.
Except for Young Master Croft, every single one of these men was here to steal Sophia Shaw away!
Mrs. Sawyer scanned each person at the scene.
Shane Grant looked lazy and unrestrained, but in reality, he had a spine of steel. The light in his eyes when he looked at Sophia Shaw was a gentleness that came from his very bones. He was the type who could conquer the world yet melt into putty for the woman he loved.
Jenson Forrest was gentle and refined, the very picture of the elegant, clean-cut young master that girls today adored. In their words, he was the "abstinent hottie" type.
As for Vincent Grant, it went without saying. He could vanquish enemies on the battlefield and tame dragons in the sea. No matter the field, he was the elite of the elite, a figure most people couldn’t surpass in a lifetime. Even if he was a detestable scumbag, he was still the man all the women in the city flocked to, their number one choice for a husband.
Her own son...
Though still outstanding, his rivals were simply too powerful.
Mrs. Sawyer sighed to herself again.
It seemed her son getting married was even less likely than her getting remarried.
Sophia Shaw braced herself and sat down at the head of the table.
The moment she sat down, the men’s gazes fell upon her in unison.
Those stares were so intense and powerful they nearly burned right through her. Even someone as emotionally dense as her could feel that something was out of the ordinary.
She lowered her eyes and quickly signed her name, wanting only to end this ordeal as soon as possible.
"A pleasure doing business with you."
Almost simultaneously, two voices spoke.
Vincent Grant and Jenson Forrest extended their hands at the same time. Two well-defined hands, representing endless power, hovered in front of her.
The air instantly froze.
The murmuring in the press area stopped abruptly, leaving only the frantic clicking of camera shutters.
Vincent Grant didn’t look at Jenson Forrest. He stared intently at Sophia Shaw, his voice low but filled with an undeniable pressure. "Ms. Shaw, I hope you can feel my sincerity."
Jenson Forrest remained gentle, a smile playing on his lips, but his words gave no ground. "President Grant, you jest. Sincerity is the foundation of any partnership. Faye, I trust in our chemistry."
He pushed his hand forward another half-inch.
Their gazes clashed in mid-air, hostile and charged, striking sparks like flint and steel.
At the side, Shane Grant let out a soft chuckle and leaned back quietly in his chair, but his sharp eyes scanned their two hands as if assessing the situation.
Levin Sawyer took it all in, gritting his teeth.
Suddenly, he stood up, took a wine glass from a waiter, and broke through the invisible smoke of battle. "Everyone, today is a great day for Lead Aerospace’s project launch. I propose we all raise a glass to celebrate!"
He smoothly handed a glass of wine to Sophia Shaw.
"Cheers!"
The staff immediately brought a glass of wine to everyone.
After the toast, it was time for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Mrs. Sawyer stood up and affectionately linked arms with Sophia Shaw, her smile motherly and warm. "Faye, I haven’t seen you in a while, and you’ve gotten even more beautiful. The more your godmother looks at you, the more I like what I see."
"Our Faye is so capable, it makes your godmother proud. No one is stealing the center spot from us at this ribbon-cutting today!"
With that, the two of them walked onto the ribbon-cutting stage together.
With Mrs. Sawyer occupying the spot on one side of Sophia Shaw, Young Master Croft quickly stepped up to her other side. "Master, Mrs. Sawyer is your godmother, and I’m your apprentice. It’s only right for me to stand by you, isn’t it?"
Though he was speaking to Sophia Shaw, his eyes were aimed challengingly at the other four men.
’They must think I’m blind,’ he thought. ’As if I don’t know what they’re up to. Master has to choose her own man. It’s not up to these guys to just snatch her away!’
Vincent Grant’s face darkened, but he said nothing and stood next to Mrs. Sawyer.
Levin Sawyer stood on the other side.
Jenson Forrest and Shane Grant took their places on either end.
At the announcement, "The ribbon-cutting begins!" everyone raised their scissors in unison.
The moment the scissors cut the ribbon, all four men’s gazes turned to Sophia Shaw.
Below the stage, the reporters’ cameras flashed wildly as they frantically captured the scene.
—
"Absolutely shameless!"
Joanna Sherman slammed her phone down. The screen lit up, showing that exact scene from the Lead Aerospace ribbon-cutting ceremony.
You didn’t have to look closely to feel the bone-deep affection the men had for Sophia Shaw in their gazes!
Joanna Sherman forced herself to look away from the photo, but her chest felt like it was stuffed with a raging fire.
Scalding and painful!
It burned so much she couldn’t sit still!
The more uncomfortable she felt, the harsher her words became. "Striking poses and seducing men at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Is she afraid people don’t know how manipulative she is?"
"You can’t really say that," said Chad Jennings, who was standing to the side.
He had been staying at her place for the past few days, using the excuse of helping her with the child.
Chad Jennings wore an apron and was stirring Stella Grant’s nutritional porridge, gesturing toward the photo with his chin.
"Every one of those men is top-tier. They’re not guys just any woman can seduce. If Sophia Shaw wasn’t so capable, they probably wouldn’t give her a second look, no matter how beautiful she is."