I had a great feeling of success the next week. The partnership paperwork was ultimately concluded after the hard talks with Neil Crestmont; all clauses were precise and considerate of our concept. In order to be sure that this agreement would promote our company's environmental aims without sacrificing our autonomy, I had spent days going over every provision. I felt as like everything was coming together for the first time in a long time, and I was prepared to go on with this next step.
However, there was an odd sensation that persisted in the back of my mind despite the happiness. I couldn't get rid of the impression that Neil wasn't telling me everything, even if he had accepted my terms. Given how intensely competitive they were, Crestmont's enthusiasm to collaborate with us appeared too good to be true. However, I ignored the worries, assuring myself that I had established clear guidelines and made sure the interests of our business were safeguarded.
