Chapter 3 : Deal

The ink was barely dry on the contract, but the tension between Laurene and Sebastian was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Back at the L&M headquarters, Laurene sat in her corner office, staring at the partnership agreement spread across her desk. The deal made sense on paper—a strategic alliance to create a groundbreaking product line that would dominate the market. But in practice? Working with Sebastian King was already testing her patience.

Her assistant, Chloe, poked her head in. “He’s here,” she said cautiously.

Lauren's eyes flicked up. “King?”

Chloe nodded. “He’s in the conference room, waiting to go over the launch plans.”

Laurene sighed, smoothing her blazer as she stood. “Let’s get this over with.”

When she entered the room, Sebastian was leaning back in one of the chairs, scrolling through his phone. His tie was slightly loosened, and he looked annoyingly at home in her office.

“Punctual as always,” he said without looking up.

“And unprofessional as always,” she shot back, taking a seat across from him. “Shall we begin?”

Sebastian grinned, finally setting his phone down. “By all means. Tell me how you’re planning to micromanage this project into oblivion.”

Laurene ignored the jab and pulled up the presentation on the screen. “The joint product line will feature cutting-edge performance gear with a focus on sustainability. L&M will handle the design and manufacturing. Kings will manage distribution and marketing. We’ll need bi-weekly progress meetings to ensure everything stays on track.”

“Bi-weekly? Do you think I don’t have anything better to do?”

“This is better than whatever else you’d be doing,” she replied crisply. “And unless you want to explain to AllStar why their golden partnership is falling apart, you’ll make time.”

Sebastian leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. For a moment, the teasing glint in his eyes faded, replaced by something sharper. “You know, Ashford, for someone who claims to hate me, you sure love telling me what to do.”

Laurene met his gaze head-on, refusing to flinch. “And for someone who claims to be a leader, you seem to enjoy avoiding responsibility.”

The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken challenges. Finally, Sebastian sat back with a smirk. “Fine. Bi-weekly meetings. But only if you agree to let me handle the creative direction for the marketing campaign.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Laurene.” His voice softened, almost coaxing. “This isn’t just about numbers and efficiency. You want this line to stand out? Let me do what I do best.”

She hesitated, the weight of his words sinking in. As much as she hated to admit it, Seb had a knack for creating buzz. The Kings could use that edge.

“Fine,” she said finally. “But if you go off-brand even once, I’m pulling the plug.”

“Deal.”

Sebastian extended a hand across the table, and after a brief pause, Laurene shook it. His grip was firm, warm, and annoyingly self-assured.

As their hands parted, Sebastian’s smirk returned. “This is going to be fun.”

Laurene wasn’t so sure.

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