Dominate Showbiz: Media Tycoon Discovered My Talent-Chapter 114: Negroni

On the red velvet couch inside the private lounge, Max Kosonen lounged comfortably in long brown trousers, his black shirt unbuttoned, beige vest tossed aside.

He’d rushed here the moment he heard his men had successfully delivered his invitation to the girl, and now he was enjoying an espresso martini to give his system a boost.

The game he had long anticipated had finally begun.

The girl stepped inside, her face fully covered, a boba tea in her hand.

He raised a brow, first at her outfit, then at the plastic cup, but with that honey-blonde hair, there was no mistaking who she was.

"Ms. Sepala," he said with an easy smile, rising from his seat and pressing a kiss to her hand. "What a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect you’d accept my invitation. Come, have a seat."

Behind the mask, the corner of Kaija’s mouth twitched faintly.

So the mysterious powerful man turned out to be Max Kosonen.

Even now, she got goosebumps remembering the menacing look on his face from their encounter the night before.

And now he was saying she’d accepted his invitation? The one his men had forced on her?

She held back a laugh as she settled onto the couch opposite him.

"Mr. Kosonen," she said, withdrawing her hand.

Max once again showed no hint of displeasure at her cool dismissal. "I’d intended to invite you for a drink," he said smoothly, "but it seems you’ve already come prepared, with quite an... interesting choice."

"Oh, this?" Her gaze dropped to the cup. "It’s for a friend."

"How thoughtful of you," he said lightly, settling back into his seat.

Kaija showed no interest in the flattery. She remained seated, finally removing the items covering her face.

"I appreciate your... gesture of goodwill, Mr. Kosonen," she said evenly. "But I’d also appreciate it if you could tell me exactly why you wanted to see me here."

His silver gaze traveled from her toned, bare legs, up to the elegant lines of her face, before his mouth curved into a charming smile once more.

"I can see why my brother is so taken with you," he said. "Straight to the point. No time wasted on small talk. Just like him.

"But it seems my men didn’t make my intentions clear when they extended my invitation. I was quite certain I’d instructed them properly, that I wish to be your friend, out of my admiration for you."

"Well, they did say something along those lines," Kaija replied coolly, leaning back against the couch. "But it seems your admiration only goes as far as deliberately influencing the judges to shift their favor toward my direct competitor last night."

Max’s expression stiffened for a fraction of a second, before he smoothed it back into a smile.

His judgment had been right.

When it came to Kaija Sepala, his younger brother had been extremely efficient at his job.

"I only did what I believed would best serve my brother’s company, despite my own personal admiration for you," he replied smoothly. "You see, KE is still part of the Kosonen Group, after all."

Knock, knock, knock.

All attention in the room shifted toward the door.

"Who’s that?" one of the two guards asked.

"I’ve come to take orders for the lady, sir," a voice replied from behind the door.

"Oh, wonderful," Max said, smiling brightly. "Look at how rude I’ve been, not even asking what you’d like to drink after inviting you here for one. Please, send the waiter in. Let’s not keep Ms. Sepala waiting any longer."

At his permission, the guard opened the door. The waiter stepped inside, a menu in hand.

"What would you like to have, Ms. Sepala?" Max asked, gesturing for the waiter to approach her. "The cocktails here are made with perfect ratios. I’m sure you’ll be impressed."

Across from him, Kaija sat perfectly still, her face expressionless, eyes fixed blankly on the menu opened in her hands.

She’d been startled earlier when she recognized how familiar the waiter’s voice was. Now, looking closely at the small scrap of paper neatly tucked into the open page, she knew she hadn’t imagined it.

"Order a Negroni, if you need help," it read.

She turned her gaze calmly toward the waiter, her expression unchanged, as if nothing were amiss.

The green eyes staring back at her belonged to a face she knew all too well.

That face softened into a faint smile the moment their eyes met.

"Have you made up your mind, miss," he asked, "or would you like a recommendation?"

"No need," she replied evenly, blue eyes unblinking. "I’d like a Negroni, please."

The faint smile deepened. "An excellent choice, miss. I’ll be back shortly with your Negroni."

He took the menu from her and exited the room with the same professional composure he’d entered with.

"A Negroni, what an excellent choice," Max remarked with interest. "A complex cocktail, with a delightful balance of bitter, sweet, and herbal notes. Bold, yet sophisticated. Just like you, Ms. Sepala."

Kaija’s expression didn’t change a bit, though nausea churned quietly in her stomach.

Not only did she have no idea what a Negroni even was, or how it tasted, but she was also trying to process what Juho was doing here at all.

"All right, Mr. Kosonen," she said at last, arms folded squarely across her chest. "The order’s done. Let’s get back to the matter at hand. I’m sure you didn’t invite me here just for a drink, and I’m equally sure you have no intention of being my friend, no matter what you said. So please, go ahead and tell me. What exactly do you want from me?"

Max’s smile gradually faded at the ice in her gaze.

The only person who had ever had the gut to talk to him like that, with that same icy look, in that same disinterested manner, was none other than his younger brother.

Every time Charles had turned that look at him, if it weren’t for his love for their mother, and his fear for their father, he would have shot his hands at his younger brother’s neck and strangled him in place.

Then, suddenly, laughter burst from him.

"You are indeed far more reckless than I anticipated," he teased. "Given how brilliant and sharp you are, I’m sure you’ve already guessed that the reason you’re here has everything to do with your boss, who also happens to be my brother."

She raised a brow. "What about him?"

His fingers interlaced, chin resting easily atop them. "You see, Charles and I are blood brothers," he explained slowly, "but that also makes us direct rivals for the chairman seat of the Kosonen Group.

"Our father has spent half his lifetime preparing the two of us to compete for that throne, and we’re now at the peak of that battle.

"Soon, he’ll make his decision. His health has, regrettably, been declining over the past few years."

Her brow furrowed. "And what does any of that have to do with me?"

A sharp chuckle escaped him, then died abruptly as his gaze sharpened into a blade. "Oh, Ms. Sepala, you have no idea. You have everything to do with this fight. In fact, you may be the one who decides whether it’s me, or my dear brother Charles, who wins in the end. Would you like to know how?"