The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 204

The girl didn't give a hoot about Brandon's chilly vibe. She just cocked her head slightly, sizing up Brandon with a gaze that was bold and frank, yet tinged with a dash of bashfulness.

Gavin couldn't stand seeing his daughter eye a guy so blatantly and gave a soft cough.

Tia immediately turned to him and said, "Dad, I wanna hit up that meeting too."

Gavin replied, "It's not like it's some secret pow-wow. What are you gonna do, stir up trouble?"

"I'm not there to mess things up. Hey, I did graduate with a law degree, remember? I can watch your back, make sure you don't sign away the company without even realizing it."

While saying this, Tia looked at Brandon, her fondness for his vibe growing with each look.

Brandon wasn't keen on wasting time on trivial stuff.

He turned to Gavin, "Mr. Temple, where's the conference room at?"

Gavin got the hint quick and hustled everyone toward the meeting room.

Tia tagged along into the conference room too.

The meeting also included other members of the Horizon Property board of directors, forming the merger and acquisition negotiation team.

Gavin had initially thought that with the sentimental value of the family mall and Brandon's youth, they could haggle for better terms. But as soon as the meeting kicked off, Brandon took the reins firmly in his hands.

Gavin didn't manage to snag the benefits he'd hoped for and was instead forced to backpedal step by step.

Brandon clearly came prepared.

While Gavin's side waxed lyrical about the value of Horizon Mall, he didn't interrupt, just sat there calmly, arms crossed, silently observing Gavin's pitch.

It wasn't until Gavin asked for Brandon's thoughts that he finally uncrossed his arms, deftly twirled a pen between his fingers, and with a measured look from his eyes, said to Gavin,

"Mr. Temple, you seem to be out of touch with Horizon Property's current plight."

All eyes suddenly fixed on Brandon, their expressions heavy, except for Tia's.

Tia was looking at him with pure admiration.

From the moment she entered the conference room, her gaze had been locked on Brandon, watching his every move.

His effortless control of the situation totally hit the spot for her aesthetic taste.

Brandon, however, hadn't noticed her, just calmly told Gavin,

"Mr. Temple, the nostalgia of Horizon Mall is for a bygone generation. Today's main consumers are the younger crowd. To them, the mall's outdated, shabby state has no connection to fashion and has been left behind."

"In terms of competition, it's way behind the mall next door, the Starry Group. Choosing between the Starry Group and the Horizon Group is like picking between two options for all our competitors."

"Moreover, your company's current financial situation can't support the Horizon Group's operations anymore. The drastic drop in foot traffic leading to shop closures will mean, in a couple of years, the Horizon Group's only option will be to shut down. By then, it'll be even tougher to find a buyer."

"Besides, as far as I know, only the Starlight Group has shown interest in the Horizon Group. Personally, I'm interested out of sentiment, but I'm not married to the idea. Mr. Temple, are you sure you can wait for another buyer?"

Gavin was caught in a tangle of indecision and silence.

Without further ado, Brandon signaled Kent with a glance.

Kent, all smiles, passed over the acquisition proposal. "Mr. Temple, here's our offer. Take a look."

Gavin glanced at it—the price and terms were reasonable, not a total lowball, fair market value. But it was below what Gavin had mentally bumped up his expectations to, especially after seeing how young Brandon was.

The other board members were in the same boat, hesitant over the acquisition proposal.