Chapter 227 Glad to Work With You
Nicole came up shortly after Queenie left.
Walking by her side, Tony led her into the office and just as he was about to leave her with Colton, he heard Colton say something.
“There’s no need to bring refreshments in.”
Geez, what blatant partiality! It is so obvious you don’t want to be disturbed!
Even though Tony was silently grumbling to himself, he still nodded and left.
Nicole wasn’t aware that Queenie had just left, and neither did she care as she went straight to the point.
“President Gardner, it seems rather improper to me that the announcement states I am the sole founder of ‘Ann’.”
Colton didn’t think that this was what Nicole would come to talk to him about today, so he stopped doing his work and raised his brows slightly as a little smile appeared on his face.
“What’s wrong? What about it is inappropriate?”
With a solemn face, she looked straight at him and said, “I may be the one who made the main products of the brand, but Director Schmidt has also contributed a lot. I am afraid it is inappropriate that my name is the only one mentioned.”
“You want to add Joanna Schmidt’s name, you mean?” he asked.
Nicole nodded and exclaimed generously, “After all, it couldn’t have been completed with just me alone. I represent F&M Apparel, and Joanna represents the Gardner Corporation.”
Hearing that, Colton smilingly stood up and walked over slowly as he stated, “The brand is only popular because of Lisa. There is no need to add anything else. It will only make it more cumbersome.”
Nicole stiffened for a moment before she looked up, just in time to see the half-smile on his face.
Seeing that she wasn’t replying, he continued, “Chief Designer Lisa from F&M Apparel has a certain position in the design industry. But all Lisa does is produce couture and occasionally design something for F&M Apparel. She does not have her own brand.”
Nicole quickly understood what Colton was saying then. With a glint in her eyes, she asked, “Are you thinking of making ‘Ann’ my brand, President Gardner?”
“You can think of it that way,” he replied with a nod.
His answer made her purse her lips as an odd feeling arose in her chest. She looked up and when her eyes fell on his handsome face, her lips parted as she finally asked, “Why did you spend all that time in the clothing industry, President Gardner? Why are you handing over the result of your hard work to someone else?”
The corners of his lips curled into a smile and instead of answering her, he asked lazily, “Don’t all designers want to have a brand of their own?”
When she nodded without objecting, Colton continued, “This might be a collaboration between the Gardner Corporation and F&M Apparel, but it is also a collaboration between Lisa and the Gardner Corporation. You are in charge of design, and I am in charge of the operation and finances. I will be fulfilling my mother’s wish, and you will get rich and famous if we manage to grow the brand. Isn’t this a win-win situation?”
Upon hearing that, Nicole was at a loss for words.
She only laughed after a while. “It is a wonderful plan, President Gardner. My collaboration with the Gardner Corporation is only supposed to be half a year. You are making it necessary to keep collaborating with your company this way.”
“It is not about the collaboration. It is about building your own design brand,” he corrected her.
Nicole pursed her lips at that. She had to admit that Colton’s plan was a good one. It was indeed every designer’s dream to create their own brand. Of course, as a designer herself, Nicole had also thought about it before.
The only thing that got in her way was the fact that she was the Chief Designer at F&M Apparel.
What Colton was doing was help her create a brand the right and proper way, but at the end of the day, he was still the one who had the power in his hands.
Seeing how she had fallen silent, he tugged the corners of his lips up and continued to ask, “How is it? What do you think, Miss Nicole?”
She narrowed her eyes but instead of refusing, she nodded and said, “Pleasure to work with you.”
“Likewise.” He smiled.
They did not continue to talk in depth, and Nicole left shortly after the negotiation.
