Chapter 6

Damon.

Next day, Tuesday 2:30pm…

I stood at the front of the conference room beside the projector as Lisa my assistant tried to set it up, the wooden table stretched out in front of me, it could comfortably seat up to thirty people but it only contained two this time, My twin sister and Co- owner- Daphne and our potential investor Mr Cassano.

I turned to look at my sister and held her gaze for a while, she gave me a slight nod, if things go well for us today Mr Cassano would be our biggest client, and we really need his investment funds for an huge project we are embarking on, she was putting all her trust in me, I haven’t disappointed her before and I wasn’t going to start now, I replied her with a firm nod,

The projection screen behind me displayed the first slide of my presentation and I began,

“This is the result of the market survey of our product,” I said raising my hand to the screen,

“D&D’s is well known for its very unique taste across all of our products, it’s made from natural sources and freshly harvested grapes from our farm in California,”

“In the past five years, our customers have grown appreciably all over the nation,”

“Making us your permanent supplier just equals to you exposing your customers to the best and widest range and flavors of impeccable wine,” I said, I paused and turned to look at him, he had no expression on but he just stared at me nodding slowly.

“Also, our company has a proven track record of delivering high-quality products on time, every time. We prioritize quality control at every step of our production process to ensure you receive the best possible goods." Mr. Cassano nodded, he gently sat up in his chair and finally opened the proposal we gave to him,

“Quality is important, of course. But how do you handle unexpected challenges? Delays, supply chain disruptions—things that can hurt my business." He asked looking up at me.

“We’ve established contingency plans to address unforeseen issues promptly. Our diverse network of suppliers and agile logistics team enable us to pivot quickly and keep your operations running smoothly. We will also keep a buffer stock for emergencies, ensuring you’re never left short." I explained, he muttered an okay again before looking down into the booklet again, I slowly turned to look at Daphne where she was seated, I held her gaze for a while until I was interrupted by Mr Cassano again,

"Your prices?, how do they compare to others in the market? I want to make sure I'm getting the best value for my money." He asked leaning forward slightly, his voice steady.

"Our prices are competitive, Mr. Cassano, but we offer more than just cost savings. Our team provides exceptional customer service and dedicated account management, ensuring your needs are always a priority”

Mr. Cassano's eyes narrowed at me, he slowly took off his glasses placed it on the table, folded his arms across his chest and leaned onto the chair.

“Why should I trust you?! What makes you different?!” He asked, I exhaled deeply gently adjusting my tuxedo jacket as I turned fully to face him, I met his gaze staring into his eyes confidently.

"Trust is earned through consistent performance, and that's exactly what we offer. Our long-standing relationships with our clients speak for themselves. We are committed to open communication, transparency, and excellence in all aspects of our work. You can rely on us to go above and beyond to meet and exceed your expectations." I replied, he simply just stared at me his lips pressed together, he gently raised his left brows and turned to Daphne,

“He’s a smart one,” he whispered.

“You won’t regret this one Mr Cassano,” she simply replied with a small smile, he gently pushed his chair backwards and got up to his feet, he picked up his glasses and put them on again,

“Let’s meet later this week to sign the necessary documents,” he said, a pleasant smile appeared at the corner of my lips, I covered the distance between the both of us and stretched out my hands to his,

“You won’t regret this,”

“I better not,” he replied taking my hands firmly in his, he slowly let go of me, his assistant picked up his bag immediately and they walked out of his room, I slowly turned to look at Daphne and our gaze looked in on each other, she raised her brows at me with a small smile at the corner of her lips.

*

The Elevator door slowly slid open, Daphne and I stood side by side, Our posture was upright and poised, we didn’t need to try too much we had an air of authority and professionalism around us, moving at the same pace we stepped out of the elevator together and made our way towards the exit.

Daphne, strode beside me, her long auburn hair bouncing with each confident step, her heels clicked the tiles loudly,

I was dressed in a well tailored dark gray suit, My crisp white shirt and polished leather shoes added a touch of professionalism, Daphne’s Outfit matched my own in style, a body hugging Dark grey suit gown, talk about twin telepathy.

Over the years she had learnt to walk at my pace and now we just walked in sync, the moment we stepped into the main building, everyone stopped their movement and turned to greet us with a bow, Daphne had a more commanding presence than I do and is a little more strict than I am.

Sometimes when we argue it was her berating me for being too nice and making people think she wasn’t nice at all.

My lips stretched into a tiny smile as all the staff we came in contact with bowed in greeting until we walked past them.

Our personal assistants, Mark and Lisa, followed closely behind us, each carrying their respective tablets and notepads, Without breaking our strides, we stepped out of the main building, just as we got outside, our car parked in front of us,

Daphne gently raised her bag to the crook of her hands and turned to Lisa,

“Make sure you get Mr Cassano agreement documents ready as soon as possible,” she said, Lisa nodded with a small bow, I gently reach for the door and pulled it open, I helped her in and got in after her,

“There’s no stopping us again,” Daphne whispered as we began our journey home, I slowly turned to look her, just as I made to reply my tablet beeped, I gently turned to my side and picked it up,

“DMW Construction Hosts Community Day, Donates Building Materials to Local Schools” The headline writing boldly above the article read.

Springfield, April 14, 2024 – DMW Construction, known for its transformative projects across the city, has demonstrated its commitment to the local community by hosting a Community Day event and donating building materials to several local schools,- my eyes skimmed through the article as I tried to read it, Daphne suddenly stretched forward and grabbed the tablet from my hands, I could see her facial expression change immediately she took it from me, lines of frown appearing in her forehead, she slammed her hands on the screen and swiped up,

"We believe in giving back to the community that has supported us for so many years," Geraldine Walter the CEO of DMW construction said, her video coming up next.

"Providing local schools with these materials aligns with our mission to help build a better future, and we're thrilled to contribute to the educational infrastructure of Springfield." Her hands thightened into a fist her knuckles turning white as she clenched and unclenched her jaws, her frown deepened, I placed my left hands on her hands and slowly took my tablet from with my right hands,

“Build a better future my foot!” She hissed angrily, I squeezed her hands comfortingly and she looked up to me, I gazed into her eyes intently,

“Don’t hate your enemies, emotions cloud your judgment!” I muttered, just as she wanted to reply, our driver beat her to it,

“We’re being followed,” he said, his voice calm and firm, I gently looked up to the rear mirror, catching a sight of a dark SUV, I exchanged glances with Daphne, she slowly took her eyes off me and looked at the rear mirror again,

“Hold on tight, I can loose them,” the driver whispered and with that, he increased the speed of the car, smoothly weaving through the almost empty highway.

The hum of the engine grew louder as he increased his acceleration more, I kept my eyes fixed on the rearview mirror, watching as the dark SUV struggled to keep up.

After a few tense minutes, the SUV was nowhere to be seen.

“We lost them,” he confirmed, slowing down to a more relaxing speed,

I sighed, Daphne exchanging a knowing glance with me,

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a car suddenly burst out in front of us, swerving wildly into our lane. the driver slammed on the brakes, our car screeching to a halt just inches from colliding with the vehicle.

“What the—” I began, but my words were cut off by the adrenaline coursing through me.

Daphne brows furrowed as she turned to look at me, her eyes wide in concern, she didn’t seem scared until now, the door to the SUV slowly went open,

A figure stepped out of the driver’s side. It was a woman, her frame confident and commanding, the granite crunched beneath her stilettos as she stepped out of her car and slammed the door shut. She wore black leather pants that hugged her long legs and a matching cropped leather jacket that revealed a hint of a dark top beneath. She walked with an air of confidence and great poise, her gaze locked on our car as she moved toward us, she stood with her legs slightly apart in front of our car and folded her hands across her chest.

Only a few things made me express emotions on my face but this time around the shock on my face was evident,

“She’s definitely smarter than she looks!” Daphne whispered her eyes also glued on the frame in front of us and I couldn’t agree less.