Fooling you

Chapter 2 : The President arranged the 'engagement'

The room was thick with tension as the President, seated behind his commanding desk, confronted the audacious demand from the poised woman standing before him. It was beyond his wildest dreams that a young woman would dare to make such an outrageous request. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the polished wood, a sign of his growing frustration, as he struggled to grasp the sheer audacity of her demand. This meeting was supposed to be a diplomatic formality, an opportunity for the President to extend a warm welcome to the visiting Princess—not a stage for such outlandish requests.

"Princess," he began, his voice heavy with disbelief, "Could you please repeat your demand?" The President's shock was evident—who wouldn't be stunned by such an absurd request?

"I require you to order Evan Louise, the head of Louise Enterprises in your country, to marry me,"Violetta declared with unsettling calmness. "Otherwise, I will seriously reconsider our country's willingness to share our technology for the challenges ahead." Her words sent a chill through the President and froze her bodyguard, Asher, in his place. Violetta was nothing if not confident—perhaps too much so, having been coddled by her doting brother, the crown prince, and forgetting the potential wrath she might incur from her own father.

Trying to process her demand, the President struggled to find words that wouldn't offend Violette. "Are you suggesting we're on the brink of war?" His voice cracked with astonishment as he tried to process the gravity of her words. Asher's sweat-drenched forehead was a clear sign of his frustration; it was one of the rare moments when even he couldn't restrain Violette's whims.

"No, certainly not," Violetta responded, a trace of irritation in her voice. "Just a cessation of future agreements." Asher bit his tongue, knowing that any attempt to stop her now would be futile. He could only hope the President would see through the Princess's blunt approach and recognize the underlying diplomatic intent. Thankfully, the President was wise enough not to jump to conclusions, and Asher breathed a sigh of relief.

The President's bewilderment was palpable, "So, this man has to be... Evan Louise?" Violetta confirmed, "Yes," her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

The President sighed and tapping his fingertips impatiently on the desk. "Evan Louise is a billionaire. I could try to pressure him, but there's no guarantee he'll comply."

Violetta's confidence didn't waver "He will," She said with a knowing smirk, "Despite his flaws, Evan is a man of rules and order. He's alive today only because of his grandfather's will."

"Fine, I'll make the arrangement," The President conceded. "But I'll need a 30% discount on the previous agreement if this works out." Violetta nodded, pleased.

You are screwed, Evan Louise.

I win.

It was far less than she had been prepared to offer. Violette had intended to negotiate a 70% discount using her own savings. As they exited, Asher couldn't help but notice a soft sigh of relief from the petite woman trailing behind him.

***

Evan entered the boardroom to find the shareholders of Louis's in a heated discussion. The topic was the exorbitant cost of the microchips supplied by Hilletta—a product essential for their new line, yet priced outrageously high by notoriously stubborn chairman of Hilletta, who was known for his arrogance. The debate raged on until a knock at the door interrupted the proceedings.

"Apologies for the interruption, but this is urgent," The secretary's nervous tone cut through the tension in the room. Peterson, one of Evan's harshest critics, sneered, "There isn't a problem with the company, is there? What could be so critical that it necessitates an interruption of this important meeting, after the delay we had gone through?"