Chapter 123 Negotiating Terms
A: [The commission from Nathan can be collected now.]
Dean happened to be online at this hour and was surprised to see Diana taking the initiative to collect the commission.
B: [Ms. Wipere, haven't you always been indifferent to money? Why bring this up all of a sudden?]
A: [I'm short on cash, is that a problem?]
Dean sighed and transferred $1.5 million to her.
B: [Use this for now. I'll get the money back from him soon.]
Diana felt a bit relieved as she saw her account filling up.
The next morning, Charles didn't go to the office but sat downstairs, waiting for Diana to come down.
The servants were all sent outside, making the large mansion feel particularly empty and desolate.
Unfortunately, Charles underestimated Diana's sleep quality. It wasn't until after 10 AM that Diana slowly woke up. After freshening up, she sat back on the bed.
She was contemplating how to bring down Nathan's family remotely.
Just as Diana was holding her phone, the door was suddenly pushed open.
Charles walked in with documents in hand, his face dark and menacing. "You're awake but not coming downstairs?"
"Do you have to control even when I go up and down the stairs? I don't recall provoking you, did I?" Diana put down her phone and snapped angrily. 'How dare he be mad? Coming to cause trouble in broad daylight—if I have the strength to resist, I would have slapped him heavily.'
"Enough, I don't want to hear you talk anymore," Charles threw the agreement he had prepared overnight beside Diana and commanded, "Sign it."
Diana looked puzzled, picked up the agreement, and her face darkened as she read its contents.
The agreement stated that Diana could not leave the Percy Mansion during her pregnancy. After the kid was born, Charles would give her a sum of money. The kid would then be raised by the Percy Family, and Diana could never return to Evergreen City.
Diana flipped to the last page, where it clearly stated $50 million.
So, Charles was essentially buying the kid with money.
"Charles, don't you hate me? Let me go, and I'll abort the kid. We can be done with each other." Diana didn't want any ties with Charles. A mere $50 million wasn't enough for her to bear his kid.
"$50 million is a lot; surely many women would be willing to have your kid for that amount..."
Before Diana could finish, Charles interrupted her, "What? Do you think $50 million is too little? Name your price. As long as it's reasonable, I can meet it."
Diana sighed, feeling that Charles didn't understand her.
The next second, Diana raised her voice, extremely impatient. "How many times do I have to say it? It's not about the money; I don't want to have your kid! Do you understand?"
Charles' temper flared. Diana was indeed malicious and unreasonable, even willing to abort the kid in her womb.
Suddenly, the room's temperature dropped, as if they were in an ice cellar.
"Whether you have the kid or not is not up to you." With that, Charles took out his phone and played a video in front of Diana.
Because they were too far apart, Diana couldn't see the specific content.
But the voices in the video were clearly Robert and Evelyn.
Robert's words were unclear, but Evelyn was crying and screaming, seemingly terrified.
Diana's face darkened, and she quickly rushed to Charles, trying to snatch the phone. "What did you do to them?"
Charles only let Diana see a few seconds before putting the phone away.
"This is the consequence of your disobedience. Did you think I was joking yesterday? So, should I target the Porter Group or the Richardson Group next?" Charles' voice was low and pleasant, but it sent chills down Diana's spine.
Diana clenched her fists, seething with anger. She should've known Charles wasn't bluffing.
Suddenly, she relaxed her fists and forced a smile. "Isn't it just having a kid? I can agree, but since this is the heir to the Percy Group, there have to be conditions."
Charles saw how quickly Diana changed her tune and felt a twinge of mockery, thinking she was still as greedy as ever. "What are your conditions?"
Diana looked up, her smile cold. "First, return the Spencer Group to me. I want all your shares. Second, I will stay here to nurture the pregnancy, but you cannot restrict my freedom. Third..."
Charles initially had some patience, but hearing her list three conditions immediately darkened his face. "Diana, do you think you have the right to negotiate with me?"
"Mr. Percy, we're both businesspeople. You should understand. If it doesn't harm my interests, I will naturally save them. But if you want me to lose my rights and freedom for them, that's too idealistic, isn't it? I'm not exactly a kind person," Diana's tone was light, and she added, "People are always looking out for themselves, aren't they?"
Charles' eyes narrowed, his gaze sharp. "You really are selfish and ruthless."
Diana smiled. "Thank you for the compliment. I am indeed a selfish, greedy, unreasonable, and shameless woman. Can I continue with my third condition?"
These were all things Charles had said to the original Diana before, and Diana repeated them with a playful smile.
But her feelings were entirely different from the original Diana's. After all, dignity couldn't be used to negotiate. If Diana were tougher, she would only suffer more.
Charles didn't expect Diana to admit it so readily, feeling a bit uncomfortable. But the feeling came and went quickly. He said in a deep voice, "Only three conditions. I won't agree to more. Hurry up and say it."
"Third, I want Evelyn to take care of me. I don't like your servants, and I don't enjoy the food made by your nutritionist. I need the company of someone familiar."
Charles frowned slightly. "Do you think you're here on vacation?"
Diana's expression was innocent, but her words were particularly irritating. "What else? Mr. Percy, your kid needs a good living environment. Otherwise, you can expect both of us to die."
Seeing Charles' dark face, Diana felt delighted and thought, 'You think you're the only one who can make threats? The baby is in my womb; I can decide its fate.'
"The first two are fine, but you must have bodyguards with you when you go out to protect you and the kid's safety. The last one, no way. You can choose another condition," Charles said coldly.
Evelyn was an orphan and the easiest to control. If Diana took her along, Charles worried they would do something bad. So he wouldn't allow that to happen.
But the next second, Diana's smile disappeared, and her expression turned cold. She pushed Charles out of the room, her tone icy, "Then wait to collect the bodies."
With that, she closed the door and locked it from the inside.
Charles' temper flared. He had been patient, but Diana dared to push her luck. In that case, he wanted to see how long she could last without food.
Jacob still had a key, but Charles didn't want to waste more time with Diana. He went downstairs and headed to the office.
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