The next day, the pressure mounted. A critical merger deal in the Asian market hit a snag when the partner company's CEO abruptly changed the terms, demanding an impossible increase in equity. This was exactly the kind of high-stakes fire Liam would usually manage. Abby knew she couldn't wait three days for his return. The deal would collapse.
She sat at Liam's expansive desk—finally allowing herself to occupy the CEO's chair—and stared at the complex legal documents. She needed external counsel, someone who understood the Asian market dynamics intimately. She needed a contact Liam used but wouldn't know she was using.
She opened Liam's secure contacts list on his private terminal. She found a name nestled under "Legal: Personal" rather than "Legal: Corporate": Evelyn Hope. A family lawyer, but one with an international reputation for high-stakes, discreet negotiations. The name resonated with the picture of the grandmother.
Abby knew this was a massive risk, but the alternative was a multi-million dollar failure on her watch. She dialed the number, using Liam's private line.
Evelyn Hope's voice was warm, with a smooth, powerful cadence that immediately put Abby at ease. "Liam's assistant? Tell him his grandmother sends her love, but that he shouldn't be calling me from the office line when he's supposed to be focused on his break."
Abby took a steadying breath. "Ms. Hope, this isn't Liam. This is Abby Brooks, the Director of Strategic Integration. Liam is out of the country on a family emergency, and I am acting in his stead. I apologize for using this line, but I have a critical and discreet problem I need your insight on."
Abby laid out the merger details, carefully explaining the last-minute equity demand and her fear of the deal collapsing. She spoke with precision, her confidence returning as she dealt with the corporate facts.
Evelyn listened patiently, the silence on the line stretching across continents. When Abby finished, Evelyn didn't talk down to her; she spoke to her as an equal.
"Abby, you are correct. This isn't a business maneuver; it's a personal power play by their CEO, Mr. Han. He knows Liam is gone and is testing the chain of command. He wants to see if the second-in-command has the spine to walk away from a deal worth this much."
Evelyn then gave Abby the precise, surgical advice she needed: an aggressive counter-offer that didn't increase cash but leveraged a non-liquid future asset, something Han wanted for prestige. "You have to show him you are not afraid to use the weight of Sterling Holdings," Evelyn concluded. "And you have to do it by 9 AM tomorrow, New York time. Before the market opens."
"Thank you, Ms. Hope. I won't forget this," Abby said, feeling a rush of gratitude.
"Don't thank me, dear," Evelyn said warmly. "Liam needs people who can handle the fire, not run from it. He chose you for a reason. And call me Evelyn. Now, go save his company. And perhaps get some sleep."
Abby hung up, the weight of the moment settling on her. She had been tested by a ruthless CEO and advised by Liam's family matriarch. She had just used her growing relationship with Liam professional and now familial to protect his company. The line between their worlds was dissolving fast, and she was the one erasing it. She settled back into Liam's chair, the complex, thrilling challenge driving the last vestiges of her morning sickness away.