Capítulo 59: How We Met
"Okay, good idea," Chibuzor agreed, setting down his pen. "But which business collaboration? We've had multiple projects over the years."
Olaedo shrugged. "Just pick one. Maybe the one from four years ago? Like when your company..." She paused. "....partnered with Anozie Holdings on that large scale project. You know, the one that touched almost every sector."
Chibuzor's expression cleared. "Ah, the Infinity Expansion Initiative. That was a big one. Anozie Holdings handled the financing, while Arinze Group managed the execution across multiple industries. Perfect."
Olaedo nodded. "Yes. That works. It's believable, high profile enough to make sense, and far enough in the past to fit the timeline we're crafting."
Chibuzor tapped his notebook. "Alright, let's reconstruct the details. We'll use it as the foundation of our 'how we met' story."
Four years ago, Anozie Holdings, led by Olaedo Anozie, a trailblazing finance company known for funding ambitious projects, partnered with Arinze Group, a conglomerate with diverse interests spanning technology, healthcare, real estate, and energy.
Their joint venture, the Infinity Expansion Initiative, aimed to transform rural areas into urban hubs by providing infrastructure, green energy solutions, and advanced healthcare facilities.
Anozie Holdings provided strategic financial frameworks and secured investments, while Arinze Group executed the on ground operations across sectors.
The project's initial meeting took place at Arinze Group's sprawling headquarters, where Olaedo and Chibuzor officially met for the first time.
Chibuzor was in the middle of briefing his senior team when Olaedo entered the boardroom, her assistant trailing behind her with files. She scanned the room with a confident gaze before settling on Chibuzor.
"Mr. Arinze," she greeted, extending her hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. Anozie Holdings has been looking forward to this partnership."
"The pleasure's all mine, Ms. Anozie," he replied smoothly, shaking her hand. "I've heard nothing but impressive things about your firm. It's about time we collaborated."
As they delved into discussions, the room buzzed with energy. The terms of the project were ambitious, requiring close coordination between both companies. Despite the formal setting, their dynamic quickly became evident.
During a coffee break, Chibuzor approached Olaedo by the refreshments table. "I have to admit, you're tougher in negotiations than I anticipated."
She smirked, stirring her coffee. "And you're smoother than I expected. What can I say? Anozie Holdings doesn't compromise when it comes to delivering results."
"I can see that," he said, holding up his cup. "Here's to hoping this partnership is as successful as we both expect it to be."
She clinked her cup against his. "It will be. We both hate losing, don't we?"
Over the following months, their professional relationship deepened. Site inspections, late night calls, and high-stakes investor meetings became routine. They quickly learned to anticipate each other's thoughts, often finishing each other's sentences during presentations.
One evening, after wrapping up a particularly grueling strategy session, Chibuzor remarked, "You're the first person who's ever pushed me this hard on a project."
Olaedo raised a brow. "Is that a compliment or a complaint?"
"Both," he admitted with a laugh. "But mostly a compliment."
Chibuzor and Olaedo first met in this setting, but because he was used to collaborating with other CEOs in even bigger projects, he eventually forgot her. But they weren't going to tell this to the public.
As they revisited the details, Olaedo leaned forward. "Let's say that during one of those made up strategy sessions, you confessed you had feelings for me. I was flattered but rejected you because of... you know, Maduabuchi."
Chibuzor scribbled in his notebook, nodding. "Yes. That makes sense. Then after Maduabuchi's betrayal, we reconnected, and the rest is history. Clean, believable, and fits the timeline perfectly."
She folded her arms, satisfied. "Alright, let's practice this a few times. The last thing we want is for someone to catch us fumbling over the details."
"Agreed," he said, setting the notebook aside. "And let's not forget to rehearse how we reconnected. That part's just as important."
"Isn't that part obvious?" Olaedo replied, leaning back with an exaggerated sigh. "I work harder than you, so naturally, you admired my flawless work ethic. You decided you liked me, we became good friends, and then you started pursuing me.
But I said no because I was already with that other guy. So there you have it. It's neat, simple, and the public will eat it up."
Chibuzor narrowed his eyes playfully. "I guess so. Fine, I won't argue with you for the title of 'most hardworking' even though it's obviously me," he teased, throwing her a pointed look.
Olaedo smirked, shaking her head. "Dream on."
Switching gears, Chibuzor picked up his tablet and swiped to their shared schedule. "Anyway, the next activity is reviewing how effective our strategies have been."
"That sounds like work," Olaedo muttered under her breath, earning a chuckle from Chibuzor.
"We're CEOs; everything sounds like work." He shot back with a knowing grin.
She rolled her eyes but straightened her posture, motioning for him to go ahead. "Alright, Mr. Most Hardworking. You've got my attention. Let's do this."
"Well, from what I've seen online, it seems like the whole world believes we're a power couple," Olaedo began thoughtfully, crossing her legs as she leaned into the conversation.
"That means what we did at the family ball was, at the very least, presentable. But…" Her voice trailed off, a faint furrow appearing on her brow.
Chibuzor tilted his head, intrigued. "But what?"
"There are still a few people who are suspicious," she admitted. "I'm not sure if it's jealousy, envy, or just plain skepticism that we weren't convincing enough. But since your family, my family, and a good number of people in the audience seemed convinced, I think we did well. Don't you think?"
Chibuzor leaned back, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair. "I'm with you on this," he replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. "To be honest, I was secretly checking people's expressions as they looked at us. You know, just to see how well our 'act' was holding up."
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