Chapter 031

31.

Aiden was seated in the conference room, his face glued to the door as he waited for Samantha to come. He had tried calling her, but her number was not reachable. He didn't have Linda's number else he would have called her as well.

He wondered what could be keeping her, and if she was okay.

“What is keeping her so long? Has she no idea that the meeting can't start without her?” Mr. Will snorted, his expression stern as he turned to look at the other directors to be sure they agreed with him.

“You're right, Director Will. One thing I hate is tardiness. I thought she wasn't someone of this sort, but I'm beginning to take my words back.” Another one spoke up, and the rest nodded their heads in agreement.

Aiden didn't answer them or say a word to them. He simply sat down with a plain expression on his face. Director Will, happy that the other directors weren't pleased, turned to look at Aiden. Since he saw that Aiden didn't look happy or sad, he decided to speak up, maybe Aiden wasn't pleased with what was going on as well.

“Mr. Callymore, sure you are very close with Mrs. Salvador. I guess you are more displeased than we are about this. I would advise you give her a stern warning if she comes in here.” he proposed, and Aiden turned to look at him. A smile spread across Aiden's lips, causing Will to smile as well as he anticipated what Aiden was going to say.

“I'd advise you keep your mouth shut, Mr. Will. I hate talkative people.” he sneered and looked away from the older man.

Will cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed by Aiden's actions. He looked at the Directors, but they acted like they heard and saw nothing.

Aiden sighed and was about to stand up when Samantha burst in through the door. Her hair which she usually parked into a ponytail was let down in waves, sparking a feeling in Aiden. Samantha's eyes met with their angry ones, and she quickly composed herself as she walked to take a seat.

“I apologize for coming late to today's meeting.” she gave them a slight bow. She was truly sorry, knowing that they had other things to do today, and she kept them waiting.

“A simple apology can't bring back the time you wasted, you know!” Will snapped.

Samantha tucked a strand of hair behind her ears and looked at Will, her expression still apologetic. She knew who the man was, and was aware that he was bent on challenging her and making it look like she wasn't good enough, but she had no strength to argue with him this morning. It was a waste of her precious time.

“I know my apologies can't bring back the time we lost, but I am only late by ten minutes, and I am not justifying my actions or saying I did the right thing, that's why I'm apologizing to you all. Once again, I'm sorry.” she bowed again.

Will was about to talk when Aiden spoke up. “Apology accepted. Let's get to work immediately. We're running out of time.”

Samantha looked at him and when his eyes were about to meet with hers, she looked away immediately. Will tightened his fists. He wondered why Aiden was bent on sticking his nose in Samantha's business. He would have to find other ways to find fault.

Samantha opened the file in front of her and gestured for Linda to turn on the projector. Linda did as she asked, and she stood to her feet with a remote control and began her address.

“We all know that the car show in Detroit is held every year, and at that show, different brands and models of cars are being brought forth for displays, and some even get auctioned for huge amounts of money. I went through the company's past projects and files, and realized that our models weren't considered as a result of one thing or the other. I noticed the problem with it.”

“What are you trying to say, Miss? Our models have no problems. We've been giving our best for the past years.” One of the directors spoke up immediately, feeling insulted.

“Calm down and listen to me, please,” Samantha said and pressed a button, showing a car model they had been using. “There is one thing we need to know in business, and it's that trends change. We work according to what the market demands, and not our personal feelings. We've been using the same model, and I think that's why we haven't been able to have a shot at even being selected for auction.”

Aiden nodded his head, finding what she was saying interesting. She was a woman with brains — he'd give her that. “So, are you trying to say that the only way the company can have a shot is to redesign the model?” he asked, knowing where she was headed but wanting her to say it by herself.

“No, sir,” she answered and showed another slide. “I want us to change the model completely. With the Callymore Group's latest designs, and our group's significant effort, I believe we can bring something new; something that'll shake the market; something no one has ever seen before.”

Aiden nodded alongside some directors but Will and his cohorts were not pleased. “What do you mean change the model completely? We can't do that!” Will snapped.

Samantha internally rolled her eyes. This man was becoming a pain in her ass, and she was trying her best to control her temper around him. He'd better be careful not to let her burst one day, because she would go all out with him if that happens. She took a deep breath to calm herself down and looked at him with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. “I believe it's an era for us to try something new, Director Will. We can't keep shoving the same thing down their throats. They don't want this. They want fresh ideas.”

“And how are you sure this is going to work?” Director Fred, one of Will's supporters, spoke up.

“I have done research and studied about this. I give you my word, it's going to be a masterpiece.” she smirked.

Will frowned. “You can't just come and change everything overnight. You have no right!”

Samantha glared at him, her expression turning sour. “I have all the rights, Director Will. I am the CEO!”