Kelvin leaned back in his chair, considering York’s suggestion. “Why don’t you try talking to Stewart? You two have a bit of a rapport, right?”

York shrugged, uncertain. “I could, but I doubt Stewart would listen.”

From the moment Charlene agreed to swap dance partners at the gala, York had sensed that her relationship with Stewart was more complicated than it seemed. They weren’t dating, that much was clear, but Stewart definitely had a soft spot for her. York doubted that even if he managed to smooth things over between Dalton and Stewart, it would lead to Stewart agreeing to collaborate with Dalton.

Kelvin sighed, “So, I guess we need to approach Ms. Ross instead? We barely know anything about her. Should we dig up some info?”

Dalton shook his head. “Nah, it’s not worth the effort. I’ll just reach out to my father later.”

York immediately caught on. “You mean Mr. Wagner?”

“Exactly.”

Stewart was one of Kenton’s mentees, and Dalton was sure that if Kenton had a word with him, Stewart would come around.

Determined to act on his plan, after a hearty meal of burgers and fries, Dalton was on his way home when he decided to call Abelard. But to his surprise, Abelard beat him to it with a call, getting straight to the point, “How’s the deal with PrimeStar going?” Dalton hesitated, then admitted, “Not great. I was actually hoping to get your help.”

“Why’s that?”

Dalton explained, “I managed to annoy one of PrimeStar’s techies, and Stewart’s got a thing for her-”

Abelard interrupted, “What’s the techie’s name?”

Caught off guard, Dalton replied instinctively, “Charlene.”

There was a pause, followed by a chuckle from Abelard. “You’ve really outdone yourself, Dalton. Messing with a key player before the deal is even inked.”

Dalton was about to argue that Charlene wasn’t as crucial as Abelard seemed to think, just someone with a special connection to Stewart. But Abelard didn’t give him the chance.

“I’ll handle this for you,” Abelard said.

Dalton couldn’t help but grin, “Thanks, Pops!”

“… You shameless brat.”

Dalton didn’t feel bad about pulling his dad into the situation. He believed he could land the PrimeStar project on his own merits. To him, personal grudges were just small irritations. If he could get past them quickly, why wouldn’t he?

“I was planning on taking a vacation soon, but now I think I’ll pass. Seeing you might just shorten my lifespan,” Abelard quipped before abruptly ending the call.

The matter of Charlene was something he chose to leave unspoken. After all, having everything too easy in life wasn’t always a blessing.

After hanging up, Abelard dialed Charlene’s number. She glanced away from her computer screen at the ringing phone, recognizing his caller ID. Her eyes flickered with curiosity as she answered, “Mr. Ramirez.” Abelard chuckled warmly and said, “You’re always on the ball, Charlene. I’m guessing you know why I’m Спарт calling.”

Charlene nodded and replied, “Yeah, I’ve got a pretty good idea.”

Despite her intuition, Abelard went ahead and asked, “Would you consider proceeding with the collaboration with Dalton? Just think of it as doing your uncle a favor, okay?”

In business, practicality often overruled personal grievances. As long as both parties were sincere about the partnership, even rivals could find a way to work together.