Chapter 19 Making a Deal
Clara was about to blow a gasket but then remembered why she was here, and her tone got all snooty.
She glared down at Diana, arms crossed, and sneered, "Diana, quit pretending you're all high and mighty. Yeah, you got the house and the company back, but big deal. Mr. Percy’s gonna snatch them away soon enough. What now? You here to beg for his forgiveness, right? Too bad, Mr. Percy can't stand you."
Seeing Diana not even flinch, Clara kept going, "If the Spencer Group goes belly up and you can't pay off the debt, you can come scrub floors at my place. I might just give you a job."
Diana finished her orange, stood up, and locked eyes with Clara. "I said I want to see Charles. Got it? If you're just here to spit out useless crap, then move aside."
"I'm Mr. Percy's secretary. He said a schemer like you doesn't deserve to see him. He told you to scram." Clara lied through her teeth.
Diana bought it, not even surprised. If Charles wanted to see her, he probably had an even bigger trap set up.
She was just here to take a shot in the dark anyway.
Hearing Clara's nonsense, Diana didn't waste another second. She grabbed her bag and turned to leave.
Clara, still fuming, watched Diana walk away and got even madder. But with all the people downstairs, she couldn't just yank her back.
Watching Diana's back, Clara gritted her teeth, thinking, 'Diana, you still dare to talk to me like that? Let's see how long you can keep that attitude.'
With that thought, Clara dialed a number, "Hey, Mr. Anderson? This is Mr. Percy's secretary. About the Spencer Group's bankruptcy, Mr. Percy wants to know the exact debt amount. Over twenty million dollars, right?"
Clara was floored by the number. She couldn't imagine what would happen to her family if the Spencer Group went under while Nathan was still in charge.
But Clara quickly pulled herself together, her voice dripping with glee. "Alright, Mr. Percy said all this debt will be on the person running the Spencer Group. Yep, all of it."
Clara hung up, her face full of mockery, thinking Diana wouldn't survive this time.
After leaving the Percy Group, Diana didn't rush off.
Since she couldn't go up to see him, she decided to wait for Charles to come down, so she headed to the underground parking lot.
The Percy Group's parking lot had three levels, and Charles had the whole third level to himself.
He liked to think in quiet, spacious places, so both at the company and at home, he had a whole floor of the parking lot to himself.
Diana never got why he liked hanging out in the dark underground.
Getting to the third level needed fingerprint recognition, but before their marriage, Juniper had brought Diana to the company, introduced her to the big shots, and openly acknowledged her as Charles's wife, even registering her fingerprint for access to Charles's exclusive area.
"Fingerprint verification successful." With the mechanical voice, Diana easily reached the third level.
There were tons of cars parked here, all Charles's.
Some cars in the corners were covered in dust, showing Charles hadn't driven them in ages.
Diana searched for the car Charles drove most often, and it took her half an hour to find the silver-gray Maybach.
She leaned against the car, deciding to wait it out. Hoping for a bit of luck, she wanted to bump into Charles here.
She had no clue how long she waited, but Diana got so sleepy she dozed off, sitting on the ground and leaning against a pillar.
Charles had planned to head back to the Percy Mansion today, so he wrapped up work early.
But as soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he spotted a white figure curled up next to his car. Getting closer, he realized it was Diana, sound asleep.
Since Juniper had set up their marriage, Diana had always tagged along with Charles, but she was always so insecure and timid. Even though she insisted on following him, she never had the guts to speak up.
Today, Diana looked different. Her face was bare, showing off her flawless skin. Her double eyelids were closed, and her eyelashes cast shadows on her face.
The white dress she wore wrapped around her, making her look soft and fragile.
Charles was momentarily stunned but quickly snapped out of it. He strode past her, ready to drive away. However, his footsteps woke Diana.
Diana, still groggy, opened her eyes to see Charles in a white shirt.
Unlike the black attire he wore at the last party, the white shirt made him look exceptionally handsome, exuding an elite aura.
Diana quickly woke up, stood up, and called out to him, "Charles, we need to talk."
Charles paused as he was about to open the car door, his face darkening. He questioned, "Diana, what do we have to talk about? Didn't I make myself clear at the last party?"
Diana ignored the disdain in his eyes.
She looked directly into Charles's deep eyes and calmly said, "We're already divorced. It won't be long before the business world knows. I'm no longer the Mrs. Percy. And now that the Spencer Group is failing, I have no leverage to be with you. So rest assured, I've figured it out. I won't cling to you anymore."
Diana's voice was soft but incredibly convincing.
Charles was momentarily stunned, then sneered, "Do you think I'll believe anything you say?"
Diana was also angry. If she could, she wouldn't entangle with Charles any longer.
But she had to save the Spencer Group. If the Spencer Group was gone, the original Diana's obsession wouldn't leave, and she wouldn't be able to use Diana's identity for revenge.
Considering all the interests involved, Diana held back the urge to hit Charles.
She continued, "Mr. Percy, I was young and naive before. I was tempted by your looks and did those things. It was all my fault. I'm not asking for your forgiveness, but I hope we can have a proper conversation about the Spencer Group's bankruptcy."
Charles suddenly bent down, grabbed her jaw, and said coldly, "Young and naive? When you climbed into my bed, did you think you were young? When you drugged my coffee, did you think you were young? And now you think that? Hmm?"
Charles's voice dragged slightly, his eyes narrowing, revealing a chill.
Diana hated the original Diana at this moment. She actually was able to make Charles hate her this much.
And Clara, that wretched woman, was already annoying. Now Diana had to deal with the fallout from Clara's actions
Diana raised her hand to remove Charles's hand and took a step back.
"Mr. Percy, you're a businessman. Since there's no affection between us, you wouldn't refuse money handed to you, right? How about we make a deal?" Diana said, raising her chin, her gaze unwavering.