Chapter 365
Around noon, Charlene found a moment to talk to Stewart. She said, “We need to shift the focus of this conflict a bit.”
Stewart paused for a moment, then quickly caught on to what she was suggesting. He chuckled, “Got it, I know just what to do.”
Not long after, Stewart received a call from Vesta.
He answered casually.
Vesta started, “I was wondering if Mr. Ferguson is aware of what happened this morning?”
Stewart replied with a smile, “Are you referring to the incident where your family ignored the facts and accused my company of incompetence, claiming that we haven’t been diligent in fulfilling our contractual obligations?”
Vesta apologized, “I’m sorry, Mr. Ferguson. It was my cousin’s mistake, and I—”
Stewart interrupted her, “Furthermore, I heard that after learning the details, Mr. Hawkins accused my employees of overreacting when they defended our company. Is that true? Mr. Hawkins, how do you intend to address this?”
Vesta responded, “Mr. Ferguson, it was indeed our fault. I assure you, I’ll make sure my cousin doesn’t let something like this happen again—”
Stewart listened but then chuckled, “Mr. Hawkins, you must be joking. This issue isn’t just about your cousin.”
“After knowing the details, if Mr. Hawkins believes that my employees were overreacting in defending our company, it suggests that he also thinks our company is incompetent and neglectful in our duties.”
“Mr. Hawkins, your actions have slandered our company and infringed on our reputation. In a partnership, basic respect for the facts is essential, and if that’s lacking, I can’t continue working with someone like you. I expect compensation for the damage to our reputation and a swift termination of our partnership.”
Vesta’s expression shifted.
She had always thought of this as a minor issue, assuming that even if Stewart decided to stand up for Charlene, it wouldn’t amount to much.
She hadn’t anticipated Stewart would bypass Leah and bring the matter directly to her.
She started to speak, “Mr. Ferguson, this matter—”
“I have other matters to attend to. I hope Mr. Hawkins can provide me with a satisfactory response soon.” With that, Stewart ended the call, not giving her a chance to reply.
Then, he called Charlene. “It’s done, and I’ve got the recording.”
Charlene laughed, saying, “Thanks for the effort.”
She had guessed that when Vesta faced Stewart, she’d likely try to resolve the issue quickly by softening her stance. Moreover, she suspected that Vesta would think the issue was mainly Leah’s fault.
With Stewart recounting the facts, if Vesta admitted her mistake and apologized, it would indirectly confirm her disregard for the facts and malicious defamation of their partners.
Having the recording gave Charlene and Stewart more leverage in handling the situation.
Stewart remarked, “It wasn’t any trouble at all.”
Then, with a hint of frustration, he
added, “Ultimately, this mess is Thorne’s doing. Even knowing we have a partnership with Neural Nexus Tech, he had to give Vesta that company? Out of all his businesses, couldn’t he have picked another one? Why Neural Nexus Tech?”
Thorne’s actions showed no consideration for how this would affect Charlene’s position and feelings when she worked at Neural Nexus Tech in the future.
Charlene understood what he meant, but she remained calm and said nothing.