The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 462

Inside the office, Crystal stood before Jamie's desk, presenting him with a document.

"Mr. Baylor, this is the studio proposal I mentioned to you at the banquet the other night."

Jamie leaned back in his swivel chair, giving the file a cursory glance. "Give this to Aaron to handle. If the business department approves the proposal, the company will naturally invest. You're dismissed."

The smile that had been clinging to Crystal's lips faltered, her expression dimming at his sheer indifference. Still, she didn't leave. Summoning her courage, she kept her voice soft. "Mr. Baylor, you mentioned at the banquet that I could show the proposal directly to you. That's the only reason I dared to intrude."

Seeing his brows furrow, she rushed to explain, "I'm deeply sorry for barging in and disturbing you just now, but I was simply anxious. I finished this proposal the very next day, but despite multiple attempts to book an appointment with your secretaries, I couldn't get a slot. That's why..."

Jamie's mind rapidly flashed back to that night. He remembered her sitting on the same sofa, leaning in to speak to him.

But just prior to that, Aaron had informed him that Suzie was at the venue. He hadn't had the slightest bit of attention to spare for whatever Crystal was saying, let alone remember what he might have absentmindedly agreed to.

His eyes darkened. He picked up the file from the desk, skimmed through the pages in seconds, and tossed it back down.

"Are you actually satisfied with this proposal?"

Crystal didn't know how to answer. She had poured over the document and revised it multiple times; naturally, she thought it was excellent. However, knowing the Baylor Group's notoriously strict investment standards, she didn't dare speak too confidently. Moreover, if it hadn't been for her aunt's arrangements that night, she would never have gotten close to him in the first place.

"Your plan has no substantive development strategy. Every single framework is propped up entirely by your current fame in the photography industry. If you strip away your reputation, where exactly is the commercial value in this?"

She fell silent. She had assumed he hadn't read it carefully, but he had pinpointed the fatal flaw in an instant.

While she earned a lucrative income, she was ultimately a freelance, "roaming" photographer. Her dream was to establish her own studio—one that would surpass Lumina Studio and sit at the very pinnacle of the industry, perfectly aligning with her status. But to build something of that scale required capital far beyond her own savings. That was why she needed the Baylor Group's backing.

Yet, Jamie clearly wasn't buying into her fame, nor was he buying into her aunt's connections. Even though she was a highly sought-after photographer that most people couldn't book for love or money, he didn't care in the slightest.

As Crystal stood there awkwardly, Jamie rose from his chair, signaling that he was done and ready to leave.