The Wife You Buried Is Back from Hell novel Chapter 173

He'd made his point abundantly clear—this partnership was obviously crucial.

Danielle glanced at Gian. "Which company is it?"

"Vanguard Technologies."

She paused, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. "Vanguard Technologies? They've been around forever; they're already at the top of the industry. Why would they want to partner with us?"

Gian leaned casually against the edge of the table, his tone mild. "Vanguard's been a leader for years, and there's a reason for that. They don't cling to old ways. Even though they're industry veterans, they're still eager for fresh ideas. Any time they hear about a company making waves, they reach out about working together."

The tech world moves fast—everyone knows that.

To be honest, it was really just our own tech sector that had gotten a slower start. There was still so much room to grow.

"They're here because of the patent you filed last month."

Danielle's brows knit together. "That patent? The team at Vanguard could have whipped that up themselves."

It was just a quick solution aimed at helping smaller companies—a way to turn a fast profit.

"It's not the same. Sure, they could do it, but it would take them time," Gian said, smiling at her. "You're different. You get things done fast."

Actually, Vanguard had already called during the ISSDS competition last time. Clearly, they'd already decided on their target.

"I'll be back this afternoon," she said.

Gian nodded. "No need to stress too much."

A small smile played on Danielle's lips. "How can you expect a breakthrough without a little pressure?"

Sometimes, pressure wasn't such a bad thing.

She left Ninesky and headed straight to SoarCorp.

There, standing in for her mother, she chaired a board meeting with the company's top executives.

Danielle's voice was icy. "If we don't bring in fresh blood, we might as well declare bankruptcy."

HR was getting paid to follow her orders, not question them.

After hanging up, she checked the time—just past eleven. No time for lunch. She started her car and brought a meal to her mother at the hospital.

When she stepped out of the hospital room, she ran into Leanne.

"Miss Crawford, I heard you're out recruiting for SoarCorp?" Leanne's smile was polite, but didn't reach her eyes. "Honestly, it's pointless. SoarCorp is a sinking ship—no one's going to save it. But since you and Millie are close, I'm willing to offer you an alternative."

Danielle met her gaze, eyes cold and unreadable.

Leanne continued, her tone patronizing. "Let SoarCorp partner with Intellectech to get through this rough patch. The catch is, you'll need to share your tech."

"If we work together, we can win the government contract. It's a win-win."

She looked down at Danielle as if she were doing her a favor. "Think about it. If Millie hadn't come to me, I wouldn't have bothered to help."