Motivated by Money
Anastasia got a call from Felicia at around 3.00PM informing her that Elliot had come into work. From
the looks of it, Felicia was more invested and concerned about this matter than the designer herself.
After regaining her composure, Anastasia grabbed the jewelry case from her desk and walked out of
her office.
Over at the presidential office, Rey handed over the report he was holding to the man in the white shirt
who had just shrugged off his suit jacket. “President Presgrave, according to the investigation,
Lawrence will be actively acquiring Tillman Constructions within a week. As of now, he has already
bought up a huge number of shares in Tillman Constructions, which is enough to enter into
negotiations with the board.”
Rey had yet to finish his report when a knock came from the door, and it was followed by a woman’s
voice. “President Presgrave, it’s me, Anastasia. May I come in?”
Upon hearing this, Elliot immediately loosened up and gave Rey a meaningful look. “Keep an eye on
Tillman Constructions and let me know if anything happens.”
“Yes, sir,” Rey replied. Then, he hurried over to open the door and flashed a smile at Anastasia as he
greeted, “Good afternoon, Miss Tillman.”
“And to you as well, Mr. Osbourne.”
“President Presgrave is in,” he said before stepping to the side. “This way, please.”
Anastasia walked through the door and immediately saw the man at the desk. He was wearing a
simple white satin shirt, but for some reason, he looked imposing all the same.
When she thought about what happened last night, her clear and determined gaze suddenly wavered,
and she felt flustered just from looking at him.
She lowered her gaze and headed straight for his desk, and she later heard Rey closing the door
behind her.
“What can I do for you?” Elliot asked with a smile.
She passed him the jewelry case and said casually, “Here you go. This is for you.”
A surprised look flashed across his face when he saw the box in her hand, for it looked like it contained
jewelry. He took the box and opened it, and his eyes lit up at the sight of the necklaces nestled within.
“This is quite the sudden gift.”
Anastasia could tell that he had mistaken this as a gift from her. She crossed her arms and explained
pointedly, “It’s a gift from a woman, but the woman isn’t me. It’s Hayley.” She ground out the name with
no small amount of hatred.
Elliot froze, and he let his hand drop as he asked, “Why are you giving it to me on her behalf?”
“I don’t want to either, but seeing as she specifically asked me to design the necklaces, I have no
choice but to deliver it for her as well,” she answered impassively and turned to leave.
She had only just spun on her heels when a low male voice called out after her, “Wait.”
She turned to look at him with narrowed eyes. “What? Do you want me to help you put on the necklace
as well, President Presgrave?”
Elliot glared at her incredulously. He couldn’t understand why she was not even the slightest bit
jealous. He raised a brow and said, “I have no intention of accepting this gift.”
“That’s not my problem. If you don’t want it, just give it back to Hayley yourself,” Anastasia countered
indifferently, though her heart gave a squeeze. Is he really not going to accept it?
“Well, Anastasia, I would like you to take my order for a necklace. You can come up with any design
you think best,” he said smoothly as he stood up. His towering height seemed to put pressure on her as
he took a few steps toward her. “Something close to around ten million, and you’ll get a handsome
commission out of it. What do you think?”
She narrowed her pretty eyes at him. Did he fall out of bed this morning and hit his head? She could
come up with no other reason as to why he was making such a random proposition all of a sudden. He
was the president of the company, and he could have all the jewelry he wanted. However, he chose to
spend ten million on something designed by her. Then again, the commission that could come from this
would be a handsome sum. All in all, she had nothing to lose.
It took only a few seconds for her to ponder on this, and a smile curled on her lips as she asked, “Are
you serious about this, President Presgrave?”
“Very serious,” he answered, and he didn’t look like he was joking as he eyed her steadily. “In fact, I
can pay up right now.”
“Take it easy, President Presgrave. I’m willing to take up any order as long as I get paid for it,” she
drawled breezily before turning to leave the office.
Elliot smirked. As expected, the woman was highly motivated by money.
Presently, Anastasia opened the door and left. The frustration she had been feeling earlier was gone.
She was amused at how the sentiment behind Hayley’s gesture was lost on the likes of Elliot, who had
not only been uninformed of the gift but also refused it without even giving it a second thought.
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