Olivia
The soft hum of the city filled the air as I pulled into the parking lot of Carter Wave Solutions, my fingers tapping against the steering wheel. Monday mornings always carried a certain energy with them—a fresh start, another week to make things happen. But today felt different, like something was lingering in the air, just out of reach.
I stepped out of my car, heels clicking against the pavement as I walked toward the glass-front entrance of the office. My assistant, Callie, was already there waiting for me, coffee in hand, like the angel she was.
"Good morning, Callie. What's on the agenda today?" I asked, taking the steaming cup from her.
"Morning! We've got a full plate. There's the follow-up meeting with the sustainability team at ten, the strategy session with the board at noon, and a potential partnership proposal that came through overnight. I forwarded it to your email—looks interesting."
I took a sip of coffee, savoring the warmth. "Partnership, huh? Who's it from?"
"No name yet, just some conglomerate," Callie shrugged as we made our way to my office. "But the numbers are... eye-catching."
I frowned a little. Big, flashy proposals always set off alarm bells for me. Especially when they came from unknown entities. It wasn't that I was opposed to partnerships—far from it—but Carter Wave had built its empire on doing things the right way, even if that meant walking away from lucrative deals.
By the time I sat down at my desk, my inbox had already filled with emails and meeting requests. The partnership proposal was flagged at the top. I opened the attachment, scanning the overview, and my eyes widened at the sheer size of the offer. The money involved was staggering.
But something didn't sit right. Callie had been right about the lack of a name. Whoever had sent this deal was keeping themselves in the shadows, and the details were vague—too vague. And then there was the kicker: the project they wanted to partner on involved practices that went against our core principles of sustainability and environmental responsibility. Cutting corners in production, unsustainable materials—things Carter Wave Solutions would never stand for.
I leaned back in my chair, chewing the inside of my cheek. This deal would bring in more money than some of our top contracts, but it came with a price—a price I wasn't willing to pay.
At ten sharp, I headed to the sustainability team's meeting, but my mind kept drifting back to the proposal. What kind of company thought they could throw money at us and expect us to compromise our values?
By noon, I was sitting at the head of the table in the boardroom, watching the faces of my executives as I laid out the details of the proposal.
"This could set us up for years," my CFO, Dave, pointed out. "It's risky, but the potential profit is... enormous."
I shook my head. "Enormous profit at the cost of everything we stand for? I'm not willing to do that. If we start compromising now, where does it stop?"
There were a few murmurs of agreement, but I could see the temptation in their eyes. Money talks, and in this case, it was practically screaming. But I had a line, and I wasn't about to cross it.
"We've always been about sustainable growth," I continued. "And that's not just a PR line—it's our identity. We don't cut corners. We don't sacrifice quality or ethics for a quick payday."
"But Olivia," Dave pressed, "do you know how much influence a company like this has? Refusing a deal of this magnitude might create some serious enemies. You sure we want to go down that road?"
I met his gaze, unflinching. "Yes. We don't need their money that badly."
By the time the meeting was over, I'd made my decision. We were turning down the proposal. I sent a response back to the unknown conglomerate, declining their offer and making it clear that Carter Wave Solutions wouldn't compromise its principles. Whatever backlash came from this, we'd deal with it.
As I was wrapping up for the day, Callie knocked on my office door.
"You're not going to believe this," she said, stepping inside. "I had the research team dig into the conglomerate behind that proposal. Turns out, it's Stavros Conglomerate."
I raised an eyebrow. The Stavros Conglomerate? That name carried weight. They were giants in the business world, operating in industries I didn't even care to follow, known for their aggressive takeovers and deep pockets.
"Well, I guess that explains the huge numbers," I muttered. "But it doesn't change anything. If they thought they could buy us off, they've got another thing coming."
Callie grinned. "That's what I love about you, Olivia. You never back down."
"Nope,"
I said, leaning back in my chair. "Not for anyone."