Echoes of Unrequited Love (Xaviera and Hogan) novel Chapter 172

Chapter 172 

Under Cecilia’s suggestion, Hogan finally gave in and agreed to head over with me. 

But just before we entered, he gave me another heads–up. 

I knew he had made a concession, so I geared myself up to be on my A–game. 

What took us all by surprise was that Timothy was also there. 

Upon seeing us, both Timothy and Sean were visibly taken aback. 

Sean, a seasoned player in the business world, paused for a brief two seconds before extending a courteous hand towards Hogan, buttering him up with, “Mr. Zade, what an honor! A VIP visit and not a peep beforehand – I would’ve rolled out the red carpet for you.” 

Hogan, cool as a cucumber as always, cut straight to the chase, “Mr. Abbott, you’re too kind. We came especially to see Mr. FreeMan.” 

At the mention of FreeMan, Sean’s face stiffened, and he started to stumble over his words, “Mr. Zade, what are you talking about? It’s just me and Timothy here, not FreeMan in sight.” 

Hogan didn’t beat around the bush with Sean, simply stating. “Mr. Abbott, this morning Rainbow Capital just inked a deal with Lucky Star.” 

The subtext was clear – Hogan had dug up Sean’s lodging records at Lucky Star like an open book. 

Sean, no fool himself, let out a weary sigh and said with a flattering tone. “You’re on the ball, Mr. Zade. Come, come, let’s sit and talk.” 

He bowed ever so slightly, showing a decent dose of humility: 

We were then ushered into the living room. 

Once we all sat down, Sean seemed a bit out of his element, his hand trembling slightly as he passed Hogan a glass of water, quite unexpected. 

Hogan remained aloof and composed, but his brow furrowed ever so slightly when his gaze swept past Timothy. 

“I’d like to get down to brass tacks with you, Mr. Abbott, about a potential collaboration. Or I should call you FreeMan,” he said, exuding an air of authority. “I believe it’s best for unrelated parties to step out for a moment.” 

Chapter 172 

His message wasn’t sugar–coated, and anyone with half a brain could tell he was hinting at Timothy. 

Sean got the hint and, after scratching his nose, said, “Don’t take offense, Mr. Zade. Timothy and I go way back – thick as thieves since we were kids. Plus, we’re 

intertwined professionally, he’s not an outsider.” 

Hogan didn’t respond but shot Cecilia a look. 

She instantly got the hint and handed over a document to Sean with a sweet, cooing voice, “Mr. Abbott, please take a moment to review the partnership proposal we’ve 

drafted.” 

Sean glanced at it without much interest and sighed, “I won’t lie to you, Mr. Zade. It’s been a busy year, and I’m afraid I might let you down.” 

An outright rejection. 

Hogan didn’t get riled up, but Cecilia seemed a bit flustered as she quickly said, “Hold your horses, Mr. Abbott. Take a gander at the contract. I’m sure you’ll be pleased once you see what’s on the table.” 

Sean raised an eyebrow, intrigued, “Oh? Care to enlighten me, Ms. Irwin?” 

Caught off guard, Cecilia froze for a good few seconds before stuttering out, “In a nutshell, the two conditions we’ve proposed are something no other company can 

match.” 

No other company, 

I I mulled over that bold statement, a shadow of unease creeping into my thoughts. 

Such absolutes rarely hold water in the world of collaboration. 

Sean’s lips curled into a smirk, “Which are?” 

Cecilia, sensing interest, confidently beamed, “First, in terms of compensation, Mr. Zade recognizes your talent and ability and is willing to offer you a salary that’s 40% above the market rate.” 

40% – an enticing figure indeed. 

Sure, it was a big draw for us mere mortals, including Cecilia, but for someone like FreeMan, as far as I knew Sean, that kind of money was small fry. 

“And the second?” 

“Mr. Abbott, if you collaborate with us, you’ll have complete creative control over the 

Chapter 172