When Travis heard Luana say she could help secure the project, a flash of excitement lit up in his eyes, and his interest was piqued.
The western land project was about to initiate the bidding process next month, and Travis knew the significance of this project for him.
His father, the influential Mr. Elan, had made it clear that if Travis could successfully secure this project, he would hand over the position of family heir to him officially.
This was an opportunity Travis had longed for, a crucial step into the heart of power.
However, the competition was fierce.
Their rival was the Coburn Group from Washington, a leading enterprise with substantial strength and a renowned reputation.
In terms of technology research and development, capital reserves, market share, and industry influence, Coburn Group held a distinct advantage.
Beating Coburn Group in direct competition in their field was an almost unimaginable challenge.
That's why Travis had been racking his brain to secure the project through pleasing Cline.
But he knew Cline all too well—Cline was like an insurmountable iceberg, cold, arrogant, and inscrutable.
Pleasing him and obtaining the project through him seemed nearly impossible.
If it weren't for his persistent pleading with Gehrmann, he might not have even had the chance to meet Cline, let alone discuss project cooperation with him.
So when Luana proposed she could help him get the project, Travis was skeptical yet hopeful.
After all, if she could indeed achieve this, it would be more than ideal.
However, he was still full of doubts.
He couldn't help but ask Luana, "If you had Cline's leverage, why didn't you use it to threaten him and elevate your position before?"
Luana's heart tightened, and she quickly replied, "Who says I didn't try? I did threaten him. I proposed to be his girlfriend, but he didn't agree at all."
Travis narrowed his eyes, staring at her intently, a hint of suspicion in his gaze.
"He didn't agree to your demands before. What makes you think threatening him now will work?"
Luana took a deep breath, her expression resolute as she declared, "If he still refuses, I'll send the video to Runa. I don't believe he won't care about that."
Travis raised an eyebrow, a look of surprise on his face as he said, "Are you making this proposal just to avoid my advances?"
"Yes," Luana met his gaze directly without evasion.
She spoke candidly, "As I told you, I can't be intimate with someone I don't love. If I truly love someone, I would naturally get close, just as I did with Cline. But you can't wait, and I absolutely don't want to sleep with you, so for now, I can only choose to help you get the project."
Travis had expected Luana to deny and explain away her intentions when he exposed her thoughts, but he never expected her to admit it so directly.
This move made Travis see her in a new light.
Recalling how Luana had persuaded him a few days ago, he had already thought this woman was very intelligent.
Her performance today made him admire her from the bottom of his heart.
In Travis's impression, Luana had never shown much ambition or interest in wealth or power.
But now he realized that the person she had set her sights on was the heir to the Moriarty Group.
No wonder she had never been very enthusiastic about him. Her ambitions were set higher than him.
Travis inwardly marveled at this woman's intelligence, her inner ambitions, her adept use of tactics, and her skillful maneuvering in complex situations.
Perhaps giving her this task could indeed help him secure the project.
However...
At this thought, Travis's face darkened.
He abruptly reached out, grabbing Luana's chin, forcing her to turn and look him in the eyes.
He threatened viciously, "If you mess this up, I'll have my guys take turns entertaining your friend."
He knew very well that Clarissa was Luana's Achilles' heel.
As long as Clarissa was under his control, Luana would never dare to defy him and could only submit to his commands.