Page 54 of Falling Hard for the Billionaire Cowboy

As I step off the plane, the cold air hits me like a wall, a big change to the dry Texas heat I'm used to.

Wei and his team are waiting for me at the airport, their suits are a reminder of the world I'm stepping back into. As we walk to the car, I turn to Wei, desperate for information.

"Brief me on what's going on," I say, my voice gruff from the long flight.

Wei's face is grim as he responds. "One of the employees working on the merger was caught siphoning money. When the Japanese merger team investigated, they discovered the person had a partner on their own team. It's caused a full investigation and put the entire deal in jeopardy."

I run a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of the situation settle on my shoulders. "How bad is it?"

"Bad enough that they're threatening to pull out entirely unless you personally oversee the rest of the acquisition," Wei says.

I nod, my mind already racing with potential solutions. Despite my exhaustion, I know I have to get to work immediately. We head to one of my luxury hotel chains, where Iquickly drop off my bag and change into a fresh suit provided by the hotel.

As I adjust my tie, I can't help but think of Hayley. Would she even recognize me right now? The thought of her brings a pang to my chest.

A driver is waiting for me downstairs, with Wei already seated next to him. As we pull away from the hotel, I turn to Wei.

"Where's the meeting taking place?" I ask.

"At the headquarters," Wei replies. "They're all waiting for us."

The drive to the headquarters is tense, the air in the car thick with tension. As we arrive, I brace myself for what's to come. The moment I step into the conference room, all eyes turn to me.

"Gentlemen," I say, my voice steady despite my fatigue. "I understand we have some issues to discuss."

What follows is hours of intense negotiation. The Japanese team is understandably wary, their trust shaken by the fraud discovery. I listen to their concerns, my mind working overtime to find a solution that will satisfy everyone.

"I understand your hesitation," I say, addressing the head of the Japanese team. "But I assure you, this incident is not representative of our company as a whole. We've already begun a thorough investigation and are implementing stricter controls to prevent anything like this from happening again."

The discussion goes back and forth, tension rising and falling since their side didn’t want to admit they have some fault too. As the night wears on, I can see the fatigue setting in on everyone's faces, mirroring my own exhaustion.

Finally, as the first light of dawn begins to peek through the windows, I make my final pitch. "I'm willing to personally oversee the rest of the acquisition," I say, meeting each person's eyes around the table. "I'll be hands-on throughout the entire process to ensure everything goes smoothly."

There's a moment of silence, and then slowly, nods begin to appear around the table. We've done it - they're willing to give us another chance.

As the meeting finally ends and everyone leaves the conference room, I slump back in my swivel chair, feeling like a zombie. My hair is ruffled, my suit wrinkled, and I'm running on nothing but adrenaline and coffee.

I swivel my chair to look out of the high-rise window. The sun is peeking out from below the clouds, staining the windows around. For a moment, I'm reminded of Redstone, of watching the sunrise over the ranch. But instead of the gentle chirps of early birds, I'm greeted by the constant noise of traffic far below.

I've been so busy since arriving that I haven't had a chance to contact Hayley. I wish I could see her now, explain why I had to leave so suddenly. But even now, with the deal hanging by a thread, I know I can't leave China until everything is finalized.

I close my eyes, and for a moment, I can almost smell the earthy scent of the ranch, feel the comfortable weight of a flannel shirt on my shoulders instead of this constricting suit. Don't get me wrong - I'm grateful for what I've accomplished in the business world. But there's a part of me that feels more at ease on horseback than in a boardroom.

Sighing, I pull at my tie, loosening it. The weight of the past few hours, of the decisions made and the ones still to come, settles heavily on my shoulders. But there's one more thing I need to do before I can rest.

I pull out my phone and dial Sebastian's number, switching to video call. His face appears on the screen, the ranch visible in the background.

"Hey, boss," he greets me.

“Boss, is that boss? Let me see!”

“Charles go away!”

“Heyyyy Antonio!”

Different ranch hands ran to the screen, but Sebastian escapes in time.

I can’t help but chuckle. "How are things going on the farm?"

---