Chapter 217
Mitchell couldn’t shake the image of Lyman carrying Effie away. A surge of inexplicable anger bubbled up inside him. Turning to Suzan, he said through gritted teeth, “I won’t let them get away with this! I don’t care how much power Lyman thinks he has this isn’t some lawless backwater.”
Suzan’s eyes flashed, and a sly smile flickered across her face, the satisfaction of a scheme falling neatly into place.
The next morning, Effie walked into Irving Butler’s office, contract in hand.
Irving took the contract with a heavy sigh. “I know you did your best, Effie, but a failed deal is still a loss for the company.”
“I’ll report the situation honestly to upper management, don’t worry.” He set the contract aside with a careless wave.
Effie hesitated. “Mr. Butler, aren’t you going to take a look?”
Irving shot her a puzzled glance. The deal hadn’t gone through-what was the point? What was there to see?
“No need…”
“How can we move forward if you won’t read it?” Effie pressed.
“Move forward? What are you talking about?” Irving stopped short, a flicker of realization crossing his face. His hand trembled as he snatched up the contract and flipped through the pages.
His eyes widened at the signature on the last page. Effie had closed the deal. “This can’t be real!” he blurted, his face a mask of disbelief.
Effie gave him an innocent look. “Mr. Butler, why do you look so surprised? Didn’t you trust me with the contract because you believed I could succeed? I thought you had faith in me.”
Irving was momentarily at a loss for words.
He forced a smile. “Right. You did an excellent job.”
“Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Butler. If there’s nothing else, I’ll get back to work.”
As she left, Irving thought to himself that Effie certainly wasn’t humble.
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder how she’d managed to get Randell’s signature.
Irving followed Effie back out to the main office and called out, “Everyone, I have good news-Effie has secured the partnership with The Hoffman Group. Let’s give her a round of applause! I hope you’ll all take a page from Effie’s book.”
“}
As his announcement hung in the air, shock rippled through the team-everyone except Shirley, who had already known about the deal.
Nelly, in particular, looked thunderstruck, her face so dark it seemed she might wring water from it. Impossible. If she herself hadn’t been able to land the deal, how could Effie have done it?
Her gaze swept over Effie’s delicate features and poised posture. Then she noticed the silk scarf Effie had suddenly started wearing, as if to cover something. Nelly’s anger faded, replaced by a spark of excitement—like a hunter catching a glimpse of prey. So Effie wasn’t as pure as she liked to pretend, after all.
As Irving disappeared back into his office, the team scattered, but the whispers began almost immediately. Effie was still a newcomer-if she could and the contract so easily, what did that say about Nelly’s abilities? Doubt began to shadow Nelly’s reputation.
Nelly could hear the quiet gossip behind her, her expression growing even stormier.
“Effie!” Shirley’s head popped up beside her, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
Effie eyed her, half-joking. “What’s got you grinning like that? Did you find a pot of gold?”
Shirley’s eyes lit up at the mention. “If I really found gold, I’d be set for life!”
Effie shook her head, laughing. “You’ve got money on the brain, huh?”
Shirley pulled a dramatic face. “Money isn’t everything, but without it, I can’t do anything. It’s the end of the month and I’m already broke.”