The following day.

Zaria kept her office since it was a waste of time to move to a different office when it was only a temporary arrangement. Besides, Lucy's new office was near Desmond's so it was still easy for her to move about.

In the morning when Lucy arrived, she stood before her nervously. She had worked for her father before. Why was she so tense working for her mother?

"I believe you have something to tell me." Lucy looked up and asked, totally in her official mode. She seemed to be treating her like she would treat any other assistant which made things easier and less awkward.

Zaria nodded. "Mum, there's someone who needs your audience. Natalie Sparks."

Lucy raised an eyebrow at Zaria's way of reporting it. "And there is a reason why you hope for me to reject her?"

She was embarrassed after being exposed but kept her stance. "I have no right to decide whether or not you should meet anyone. Shall I let her in?"

Lucy nodded. "Let me see why people call her the third smartest businesswoman in Imperium. Honestly, I wouldn't rank her in the top ten."

Zaria was taken aback by the sudden outburst. Did Lucy have something against Natalie?

Maybe not. Perhaps it was merely her opinion? "Who would be the smartest businesswomen in your opinion?" She asked curiously.

"Avery Vaillant." Lucy seemed to have the list ready. "Shera Qin, if one were to ignore her treachery. Tiana Su, the daughter of Nathaniel Su, and Ximena Morel. These are the only smart women I know of."

"Ximena?" Zaria was surprised that her mother had such a high evaluation of Ximena. She had never doubted her friend but the fact that a tycoon thought she was smart meant her potential was limitless. Ximena would be overjoyed to hear of it!

"She tore away from her major source of discouragement and picked herself up piece by piece. Each of her steps is carefully calculated with such exact details that she thought far into the future. Although she did not explode into fame as soon as she hoped, her brand will soon take over the beauty products market." Lucy briefly analyzed some of the reasons why she thought Ximena was smart. She then looked at Zaria. "You, on the other hand, have a long way to go. You still have too many weaknesses."

Zaria had not asked to be analyzed but she was flabbergasted.

"I believe Miss Sparks is still waiting?" Lucy called her back from her trance.

"Yes." She hurried to call Natalie in.

…

Natalie was dressed in a cream business dress and had a bright smile on her face as she walked in. "Hello, Miss Roatta."

Lucy nodded in greeting, not as enthusiastic as the latter. "Have a seat."

"May I know why you decided to waste your time?" She asked as soon as the latter sat, and she observed the younger woman's expressions closely.

Natalie was taken aback. Was she implying that no matter why she was here, she would not get what she wanted? She didn't reveal her thoughts as she smiled. "A single second spent with you is precious, Miss Roatta. None of it is a waste of my time."

"The Sparks sure have their way with words." Lucy laughed, making the latter wonder whether she was pleased or displeased. Was she happy or not? Would it hurt to show a little emotion?

Nonetheless, Natalie had interacted with many people of Lucy's type—whose every word was sarcastic and who did not show an ounce of emotion on their poker faces—so she cut the chase. "I have heard a lot about your upcoming project. It is wonderful that you are planning to venture into the hotel and resort business, so I hope we can be partners." She stated.

"Is this your way of eliminating threats and possible competitors? By turning them into your partners?" Lucy laughed.

"Yes." Natalie was honest. "However, we are not the only ones who need you. You need us just as much."

Lucy smiled, a confusing smile. "Why do I need you?"

"For a successful project, you need the right resources and they should be of the best quality. In this case, it's essential for you to collaborate with the best hotel chains in Europe, which is Sparks.

Our profit has been constantly on the rise in the past five years and we are always making improvements to ensure that we maintain our position as the most popular hotel chain owners." She explained and provided documents for proof, which Lucy spared a glance.

" I know."

Natalie didn't know whether to be happy or sad about the response. What did she mean she knew? Had she looked up the Sparks? Why would she? Did she want to collaborate with them already? However, if she wanted a collaboration, how come she never spoke of it? Perhaps she had changed her mind for some reason, which made Natalie doubt the probability of her success.

"Miss Roatta, we can discuss how to share our profit when you are ready." She politely probed, pushing for an answer.

Lucy looked amused and from her angle, Natalie blinked to try and see it clearly. Were her eyes failing her or did this woman look a little like Zaria?

"I have not decided whether or not I want to collaborate with the Sparks family yet." Lucy stated in all honesty. To be fair, the Sparks had done quite well in the past few years. However, who was to say that the trend would remain unchanged? Besides, although there was nothing wrong with Natalie, there was a high possibility that the young woman would tear away from her family and ditch the business. It would definitely cause a huge fluctuation in share value and the last thing she wanted was to incur losses due to domestic conflicts.

Natalie wasn't sure whether or not to be hopeful as she left Lucy's office. She would do her best to win Lucy over. While she made her way down the corridor, she ran into Zaria again.

"How is your dad? I'm so sorry that I did not visit him." She apologized after pulling the latter aside for a small chat.

"Please don't worry about the trivial matters. He is doing great, he will be discharged in a few days." Her voice was full of cheer as she announced.

"That's the best news! I will bring him fruits later." Natalie promised.

"Thank you. Nat, I need to get back to work or I risk getting fired." She joked exaggeratedly, and Natalie teased her about the impossibility of her being fired before they parted ways.

"Ma'am, when would you like your coffee?" She asked when she arrived at Lucy's office.

"Right away. How many minutes do I have before the board meeting?" She asked as she sat back down from the window outside which she was facing.

"Fifty minutes." Zaria reported and went to get her a cup of coffee, which she brewed in Desmond's office.

"Is Natalie Sparks your friend?" She asked out of the blue.

"She is. She is a kind woman." Zaria answered truthfully.

"If you think so, then I guess it all depends on commercial potential." Lucy rolled a pen, and Zaria couldn't make head or tail of what she was saying.

"Get me another cup of coffee." Lucy ordered when she finished the current one, rendering Zaria speechless. Why did these CEOs like dumping tons of caffeine into their systems?

Lucy looked up with a raised eyebrow to probe why the latter was still standing before her.

"It's unhealthy." Zaria spoke.

Lucy heard her and burst into laughter, making the latter wonder what was so funny.

"Theodore always had something to say about my coffee intake. He said I drank too much coffee—he was so cute." She smiled.

Zaria blinked and observed her closely. Did she really find it funny? For some strange reason, Zaria found Lucy's voice pained as though speaking of it brought back a painful memory.

"Do you…do you miss him?" She asked hesitantly.

Lucy snapped out of her thoughts. "Does it matter, Zaria? The only thing that matters right now is the pros and cons of collaborating with Sparks Hotel chains on my project. Help me compile them." She changed the topic in a flash, and Zaria had to adapt to it and follow the instructions that she had been given.

"By the way, I still need my coffee." Lucy added as Zaria left the office.

Looking up the Sparks was not a piece of cake and by the time she was done, she yawned in hunger.

She went to get some snacks and ran into Desmond on her way back. He seemed to be having trouble with his temporary assistant—who he was scolding mercilessly as they walked down the corridor.

When he saw her, he instantly looked happier and waved the assistant away before pulling his girlfriend into a hug. "Work is a hundred times harder without you."