Elara

I hung up the phone and went straight to Mark’s office.

Mark welcomed me with a big smile. "Elara! Thank God you’re here. Cairo has specifically asked for you."

I walked into the office, my heels clicking confidently on the floor. I looked at the unfamiliar middle-aged man sitting in the office and nodded at him.

Cairo immediately stood up and extended his hand professionally. "Elara, I’m the administrative director of Wolfe Enterprises. I’ve come hoping to discuss potential cooperation between our companies."

Specifically hoping to meet me...

It was obvious whose influence had brought him here. But since Cairo wasn’t mentioning Dominic, I wouldn’t either. Two could play this professional game.

"Cairo, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you," I said smoothly, giving him a firm handshake.

Cairo smiled. "Our subsidiaries have been using Seaside Harbor Hotels for years now. For corporate training, important conferences, and such. This year, we’re looking to try a new hotel partnership. You know how it is. Employees get bored with the same old routine."

The excuse was weak, but who cares?

Mark clearly understood that if this deal went through, it would be entirely due to my connection with the Wolfe Enterprises.

Being smart enough to recognize a golden opportunity, he stepped back and let me take the lead. I could see the respect in his eyes already changing.

I had done my homework during onboarding. I studied the company’s client agreements and pricing structures. Time to put that knowledge to work and show them I wasn’t just here because of my last name.

I gave Cairo my most professional smile. "Thank you for considering Park Hotel Group, Cairo. We may not have seven-star luxury, but our five-star standards are excellent. With our hotels across the country, we can offer great rates. I promise we’ll give you pricing that shows how much we want your business."

I leaned forward slightly, getting into negotiation mode. "What kind of capacity are we talking about? We have a lot of corporate events throughout the year."

Cairo’s eyebrows raised slightly, clearly impressed by my directness. "We can handle everything from small executive meetings to conferences with 500+ attendees," I replied. "Each location has different strengths."

"And the contract length?" I added, cutting straight to the chase. No point dancing around it.

"How about five years to start?" Cairo suggested casually. "Price isn’t really the main concern. We’re more interested in your service quality and facilities."

Five years? I tried to keep my expression neutral, but inside I was doing victory laps. That was way more than I’d hoped for.

"What about staff training? Our executives can be pretty demanding," Cairo said with a slight smile.

I laughed. "Trust me, we’ll train our staff at every location. Any Wolfe Enterprises reservation gets priority service with zero mistakes. We’ll always give your people our best rooms."

"And if there are any issues, they’ll have my direct number to resolve them immediately," I added confidently.

"Sounds perfect," Cairo nodded. "Let’s get this contract signed."

Mark shot me a look that was part amazement, part confusion. He clearly thought there had to be more to my relationship with Cairo than I was letting on.

Working together, the three of us hammered out the details in under thirty minutes. I answered every question Cairo threw at me about amenities, locations, and service standards. Done. Wolfe Enterprises was officially our new major client.

As we walked Cairo to his car, he pulled out his phone. "Elara, would you mind exchanging contact information? It would make future communication easier."

I was happy to exchange numbers with him. Professional networking at its finest.

"I have a feeling this is going to be a very successful partnership," Cairo said as he got into his car.

"I’m sure it will be," I replied, watching him drive away with a sense of satisfaction.

After Cairo left, I noticed Mark standing there lost in thought. "Mark? Should we head back upstairs?"

Mark snapped back to reality. "Of course. Elara, I have to say, I’m impressed that you’ve brought such major business to the company so quickly. Since you negotiated this deal, I’ll talk to Jack about making sure the commission goes to you when accounting calculates bonuses."

I tilted my head, considering his offer. The commission would be nice, but I had bigger plans than short-term gains.

I gave him a measured smile. "The commission should stay with Business Development where it belongs. I’m just in HR, after all. But I appreciate it, Mark."

What I didn’t say was that I wanted Mark to owe me a favor.

That would be worth way more than any commission in the long run.