The Queen Returns—And She's Unforgiving

Jacob couldn't help but remark from the side, "Back then, you'd never see even a shadow of a woman around Mr. Grant. The man didn't have an ounce of softness in him. But ever since Ms. Moore came along, he's made quite a few exceptions. Look-he even launched Arrowpoint Solutions for her."

He paused, his tone laced with complicated speculation. "Wouldn't be surprised if, someday, TechNova Group threw their full support behind Arrowpoint Solutions too. If Ms. Moore really becomes the lady of the house... Maybe TechNova Group will end up in her hands."

Of course, that was just his guess.

Sebastian looked up with a half-smile. "Talk about thinking with the wrong head."

Jacob immediately shut his mouth and gave a tight laugh, wisely choosing not to follow up.

After finishing their work at TechNova Group, the rain outside had picked up. Fortunately, they could exit through the underground garage and avoid getting

wet.

Back at Flying Seal Group, Sebastian was rubbing the back of his neck as he flopped down into a chair. His tone was both amused and slightly exasperated. "See? No one believes the truth anymore. Asking you to help with her thesis was a privilege. Not everyone gets that kind of opportunity. And they still brushed it off."

Not to mention, Evelyn was preparing to publish her third Tier 1 SCI paper. That alone would be enough to leave some people completely red-faced.

But Evelyn didn't dwell on it. Instead, she brought up Lucas' proposal from earlier. Sebastian's expression shifted, growing serious. "Setting personal feelings aside, what he said is true. The military is casting a wide net this round, and even though Flying Seal Group has the edge in innovation, it's still a high-stakes competition." Evelyn nodded. "Different companies bring different strengths. We have to weigh this carefully."

Especially when it came to military projects, it wasn't about one person's brilliance. It was about the entire team's capability and cohesion.

Sebastian thought for a long moment. "If we're thinking long-term, then yeah-this might actually be the best move. A win-win outcome beats both sides going down swinging. Once we land the bid, we can compete with them fair and square after that."

Losing out now would be costly in every possible way. Letting personal grudges tank a major opportunity would only show poor judgment.

Evelyn agreed. "If we go forward with the joint bid, the contract needs to spell everything out clearly. Arrowpoint Solutions may have solid infrastructure, but they're still a new player. Flying Seal Group needs to retain full control."

Sebastian saw that Evelyn was focused purely on business, not personal emotion. "Exactly. If you're on board, I'll set up the meeting."

Just like Evelyn had said, the lead role had to be in their hands.

While Flying Seal Group didn't have time to vet new partners, Arrowpoint Solutions was in the same boat. Lucas proposed the alliance because he trusted Flying Seal Group's track record and technical consistency.

And to be honest, Arrowpoint Solutions needed this project even more than Flying Seal Group did. Hence, demanding leadership in the bid wouldn't be an issue.

Evelyn glanced at the time, picked up her laptop, and stood. "I'll write the proposal draft. You handle the negotiation with Arrowpoint Solutions."noveldrama

As for the eventual profit split, Flying Seal Group was clearly going to take the lion's share.

She was just about to leave when Sebastian's phone buzzed. He looked down, then raised an eyebrow. "Brian, remember him?"

Evelyn paused mid-step, turning back to glance at him. They had only spoken briefly that night, but he had left an impression.

Sebastian waved his phone slightly. "He just messaged me, inviting us to the 8th Annual Tech Summit on the 18th. He said I can bring one or two people along. Do you want to go?"

Evelyn blinked. "Since when were you two so chummy?"

Wasn't this kind of summit usually invite-only through official channels?