The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Zane shook his head and replied, "Nope."

With that, I made the call. "I heard your factory hasn't been doing well lately. Have you considered selling?"

The person on the other end responded firmly, "Sorry, but I believe that under my leadership, the company will pull through this rough patch. So, for now, I'm not considering it."

Since he wasn't interested, I didn't push. "Okay. If you ever change your mind, feel free to reach out."

The man took a deep breath. He clearly wasn't pleased, but he still responded politely, "Got it."

Once the conversation ended, Zane asked, "It wasn't successful?"

"Yeah." I didn't mind sharing my progress with him. Resting one hand casually on

the side, I said, "But it's not a big deal."

Zane chuckled. "Need my help?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Even if you stepped in, it wouldn't make much

difference. The person in charge of that company is just that kind of person. Unless the factory collapses, he'll never consider selling it."

Zane raised an eyebrow. "If you knew that, why contact him at all?"

Without hesitation, I replied, "Because when his factory does go under, he'll remember that someone was once interested in buying it.

"When that time comes, he'll reach out to me himself. By then, my movie will have been released, the merchandise and books will be selling like crazy, and I'll have plenty of money on hand."

Even if the merchandise didn't sell well, I could still use the millions of dollars I would be receiving next month as capital to make a significant profit. It was enough to buy that factory.

However, I had no intention of telling Zane this. I declared, "I'll secure that factory one hundred percent."

Zane sighed in admiration. "You really think everything through."

"Of course. One has to plan for the long term. If you only start thinking after something happens, it may be too late."

"True." He nodded, pulling into a nearby parking lot. After stopping the car, he stepped out, walked over to me, and took my hand. "It's great that you have a plan."

"Don't worry. Since I've decided to do this, I'll see it through to the end," assured Żane. Most importantly, my friends' careers were already taking off. So, I had to work hard, too. noveldrama

While Zane was driving, he still managed to keep the conversation going. admire your independence. You can rely on others, yet you always choose to rely on yourself."

"Maybe it's because the only person you can truly count on is yourself," I answered calmly.

I learned this lesson at a very young age. It might seem like there were plenty of people one could depend on. Yet, anyone besides yourself could betray you.

I said without hesitation, "When I was little, that scumbag's career was thriving, and my mom had her

job, too. However, he insisted that having two working parents made the house feel less like a home. He convinced my mom to quit and become a full-time housewife."

Zane asked casually, "And then?"

I let out a cold laugh. "Then, my

mom actually believed him. She left

her job She took care of him

meticulously, endured his terrible temper, and managed everything for

him.

"She even helped with his work whenever she could. But despite everything she

gave up and sacrificed, it took him less than three years to cheat on her."