Chapter 30 The Real Negotiation
Around ten at night, Diana logged into the Dark Web and shot a message to Dean.
[A]: Nice job!
Dean had been glued to his computer all day, so he replied almost instantly when he heard the ping.
[B]: Your business is my business. The gem's on its way; keep an eye out for it.
[B]: Sophia, here's the info on the kidnapping case.
[B]: Also, that gem was with a collector. When I went to see him, guess what? Almost all his stuff was stolen goods. He wouldn't sell it to me, so I had to threaten and bribe him.
[B]: But your name worked like magic. I told him if he didn't hand it over, he'd be up against the entire "Sword of Damocles." And A will always be watching him.
Diana read his messages and felt a bit exasperated. How could a top hacker sound like some mobster with Dean's words?
[A]: If you use my name to scam people again, I'll kill you.
[B]: You're so ruthless.
They chatted for a bit, but Dean, having stayed up too long, couldn't keep his eyes open and crashed.
Diana looked at the photo of the gem on her phone and felt a bit more at ease. The original Diana could now rest in peace. She had managed to stay around Charles for so long thanks to her strong will. That night, Diana slept like a baby.
But on the other side of the city, Nolan was wide awake. At three in the morning, he was still digging into Diana's background.
He wanted to scrutinize everyone connected to Diana but couldn't pinpoint anyone who might be helping her. Nolan also had someone look into the cemetery matter.
Tony and Dione had worked at The Percy Mansion for years, so it wasn't surprising they knew about it.
When Tony and Dione heard that Diana had retrieved the gem, they were thrilled. They went to Juniper's grave that day to tell her about it.
Nolan pieced all the info together and organized it into a document.
This gem was one of the few valuable external possessions for Charles. Since The Percy Group was so wealthy, they could buy anything they wanted.
Juniper had given the gem to Charles, hoping it would bring him good luck. During the kidnapping, Charles escaped, but the gem disappeared. So Charles had never stopped searching for the gem, and this task was part of Nolan's job as his assistant.
Nolan spent the whole night organizing the information and sent a message to Diana around five in the morning.
Nolan: [Ms. Spencer, what are your requirements?]
By dawn, he would have to face Charles, who could explode at any moment.
Nolan had dark circles under his eyes, and the sky was starting to lighten.
Since he couldn't sleep for long, he downed two cups of coffee to stay awake and waited for Diana's reply.
But he waited until one in the afternoon.
Diana: [Sorry, Nolan, I just woke up.]
Nolan rubbed his head, took another sip of coffee, and waited for her requirements.
Diana: [I won't ask for much. I want the Percy Group to cancel the Spencer Group's bankruptcy liquidation. Also, I hope Mr. Percy can give me a few months to raise money to cover the previous debts and buy back the shares.]
Objectively speaking, Diana's request was pretty modest. She wasn't trying to take advantage of Charles or tick him off. Her terms were actually beneficial for the Percy Group. It was like she was spending millions to buy back her family's assets, plus a gem.
The Spencer Group had no value now, and Diana's demands were as simple as they could get. Unless Charles was out of his mind, he wouldn't refuse. But clearly, she underestimated Charles.
When Nolan reported to him, Charles compared the photos of the gem, noting even the tiniest nicks were identical. Charles was sure he had never told Diana what the gem looked like.
Nolan saw Charles was surprised, so he explained, "Ms. Spencer went to the cemetery with you before. The old couple there, who used to look after Mrs. Juniper Percy spilled the beans. They chatted with her all night and let it slip."
Charles stared silently at the documents in his hand. He remembered Tony and Dione from the cemetery, who had not only look after Juniper but were also among the few servants at the Percy Mansion who were very kind to him. So it wasn't surprising Tony and Dione knew about it. But how did Diana get the gem?
"Did she say where she found it?" Charles asked.
Nolan paused, recalling Diana's words, and decided not to tell Charles verbatim. He said tactfully, "Ms. Spencer didn't want to reveal that. She just asked if we were willing to make a deal."
Charles sneered and tossed the documents onto the table. "She has a good bargaining chip. What does she want?"
Diana was cunning and sly, likely trying to make a good profit off him.
Nolan answered truthfully, "Ms. Spencer wants the shares of the Spencer Group that we hold. She's willing to buy back the Spencer Group and cover the deficits."
Charles paused almost imperceptibly. This was the same request Diana had begged him for in the parking lot. He didn't expect Diana to make no excessive demands after getting the gem, so he was a bit surprised.
Charles even started to suspect that she had found a wealthy man to get the gem and ways of making money.
Thinking of this, Charles felt a surge of malice. He unconsciously rubbed his thumb against his knuckle, which was a habit when he was deep in thought.
After a while, Charles spoke, "Since she's so interested in business and insists on having her company, then give it back to her."
Nolan didn't expect Charles to agree so readily. 'Has he become kind-hearted?'
But the next second, Nolan felt embarrassed by his own naive thought.
"Tell her I won't let go of the shares. If she wants the company, she can manage it herself. The Percy Group can provide investment," Charles added.
So, in simple terms, Diana got her company back but not entirely. She still had no real power. It looked glamorous, but she essentially became an employee under Charles.
Nolan couldn't help but say, "Ms. Spencer probably won't agree..."
He hadn't finished when Charles interrupted him, "If she doesn't agree, then there's no need for a deal. Just take the gem back. After all, I'm not some kind-hearted person."
Nolan secretly felt sorry for Diana. It was just unfortunate for her to fall into Charles's hands; it was tempting fate.
One moment, Dean had threatened and bribed to get the gem from the collector. The next moment, Charles used the same tactics to take it back from Diana.
When Diana heard the news, she was furious.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
