I believe in Tristan.
I have known him since college days and had been married to him for years. He is a loyal man.
Moreover, both of us had been awfully busy with projects lately and it wasn't uncommon for us to not meet too often.
We already survived this kind of setup for years because we believed and trusted each other. We supported each other's career.
Thus, I shouldn't doubt him just because of a remark from someone else.
I know he's also busy with work in another country so he couldn't be here.
Mr. Xanders must have seen someone who looked like him at a certain angle.
I pushed the thoughts away and focused on work for the sake of our future.
What was important right now is that Mr. Xanders agreed to speak with me again tomorrow.
Today, I will reread this proposal for the nth time and find what he didn't like about it.
The revised proposal must be sent to his email before we meet; so I must go back to my accommodation first, sleep for a bit, and work on this again with a fresher mind.
I tried contacting Tristan but his phone was still out of reach. It means his scheduled work must have pushed through.
He must be busy and his phone is out of coverage area so I decided to rest instead.
My head is aching from lack of sleep and my eyelids feel heavy from sleepiness.
I knew I needed sleep first and foremost.
Tired from my trip, I collapsed on the bed after a warm bath.
I was able to sleep for several hours.
When I woke up in the morning, I ordered room service and had a warm meal before working on the project proposal again.
There was nothing that needed revision.
Perhaps, it was why Mr. Xanders did not point anything out specifically.
Maybe, he simply did not have much time yesterday but had promised to meet me so he did.
If only he simply signed it since there were no issues anyway, then we wouldn't have to meet again today.
Ping!
I glance at my phone as its screen brightenned with a notification.
It was Mr. Xanders' secretary.
"Has an update finally arrived?"
I quickly opened the message.
My apologies for yesterday.
Mr. Xanders had another important appointment so we had to leave immediately since it was urgent.
He is fully booked this morning so only his evening is available.
You will have a much longer time to speak tonight though since all his appointments would be over by then.
We have asked the hotel's best chef to prepare dinner.
This way, you'll have ample time to discuss the project in detail.>
This was exactly what I needed!
I don't love working overtime but if it's to get Mr. Xanders' signature, it's worth it.
I need to speak with Mr. Xanders as long as possible so I'll know what it is that he doesn't like about this project.
If we can talk about it in detail, maybe, he would finally stop delaying the approval.
Delighted by the news, I called my husband to share the good news. However, his phone was still out of reach.
Reception must be hard where he was so I sent him messages instead to update him about this development.
With renewed focus, I did all the work my secretary sent me and reviewed the project proposal once again.
By the time I was back at Mr. Xander's suite, I was fully prepared.
"Mrs. Brooks, you're on time as usual," Mr. Xanders greeted me first as I was ushered to my seat.
He looked as moody as yesterday but considering that he spoke with me first, he must be in a better mood.
We didn't waste any time and discussed the project while waiting for dinner to be served.
I'm sure his firm is doing well despite the earthquake last time. But I heard he suffered some losses when some of the properties he recently purchased were heavily damaged.
It may be one of the reasons he was hesitating to finalize this project.
Thus, I knew exactly what to mention.
"Mr. Xanders, we have already worked on several projects together.
I believe you can see that the buildings and roads built by our firm remained strong despite the earthquake.
Only those located where it was strongest was damaged.
I am proud to say this is because we always prioritize quality over quantity and we do not resort to substandard materials to lessen building costs just to get more gains.
We always prioritize safety, durability, and the satisfaction of our clients.
We have hired capable and reliable people as well so none of our projects had any problems…"
I talked for a while and pointed out to Mr. Xanders why he didn't need to doubt us.
After all, he had no problems with the buildings and roads he had us build the past few years.
Thankfully, Mr. Xanders did not try to find fault in me, our firm, or the project proposal.
All the preparations I did so I can rebut him in case he would be troublesome were unnecessary since this time, Mr. Xanders signed the papers without a problem.
I thought I would have to explain to him repeatedly but I didn't have to.
He was skeptical with the huge budget which was why he made the comment yesterday, but he was interested in the project since the profits were worth it.
Dinner with him was surprisingly alright since all we talked about was the project so what I expected to be a silent and awkward meal turned out better than I thought.
However, what I did not expect was his question when I was about to leave.
"Mrs. Brooks, I was not mistaken after all. It was you and your husband next door.
I saw him again this morning.
Shouldn't you have come with him since he's here anyway?" Mr. Xanders asked and my brows furrowed.
My stomach churned for some reason.
I didn't like this conversation at all.
There was this strange nagging feeling in my gut again when I heard him say those words.
"Mr. Xanders, I said yesterday, I'm not with my husband. He's in another country. And I'm not staying in this hotel."
"Are you saying I'm a liar, Mrs. Brooks?" Mr. Xanders frowned at me.
His mood seems to have gotten dark after my reply.
I can feel his irritation even from my distant seat across from him.