Chapter 96 Refusing the Request
Diana's confused voice came through, "Mr. Percy, were you waiting for me to call back?"
Nolan, still in the room, answered, "No, I'm still here in the CEO's office."
Diana sighed, "Okay, can you hand the phone to Mr. Percy?"
Charles took the phone and repeated himself, "Weren't you borrowing from Billy? Keep borrowing from him."
Diana took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. Cecil's life was on the line; she couldn't afford to mess this up. She pleaded, "Mr. Percy, I won't borrow from Billy anymore. Please, lend me $300 million. I promise I'll pay you back, plus an extra $1 million in interest."
Charles scoffed, "Do I look like I need that $1 million?"
Diana quickly replied, "No, but it's a small token of my appreciation. So, Mr. Percy, will you help us?"
Charles's voice dropped to a slow drawl, "Alright, but you have to agree to one condition."
Isolde, who had been listening, grabbed the phone. "Mr. Percy, it's Isolde. Please, help us. The Porter Family will agree to any condition from the Percy Group." Her voice was shaky, almost crying.
Charles pulled the phone away, clearly annoyed. "I only need Diana to agree to one condition."
Isolde looked at Diana, desperate. Diana paused, then said, "Alright, as long as it doesn't infringe on my human rights, I'll agree to any condition, Mr. Percy."
Charles chuckled, "Human rights? Fine. If you go back on your word, you know the consequences. Three hundred million dollars isn't pocket change, and the transfer will take some time. Make sure the kid stays safe. Talk to Nolan about the details."
Hearing Charles agree, Diana and the others felt relieved.
Diana said sincerely, "Thank you."
After hanging up, Nolan asked, "Mr. Percy, should I contact the bank now?"
Charles nodded. "Yes, and look into the child's kidnapping."
Nolan was surprised Charles cared, but then remembered Charles had been kidnapped a lot as a kid. Maybe it hit close to home.
Nolan asked, "Should we use our people to rescue the child?"
Charles thought for a moment. "Only if absolutely necessary."
Nolan nodded, realizing Charles wanted to protect Cecil. Having done a lot of shady stuff with Charles, Nolan was surprised to see this side of him.
After Nolan left, Charles stared at the papers on his desk, his fingers tapping rhythmically. He thought, 'Anything's possible. What should I make Diana do?'
At the Spencer Villa, with the money finally gathered, Diana, Isolde, and Robert all let out a collective sigh of relief.
Diana turned to Robert, "Can you let Billy know there's no need to raise more funds?" Meanwhile, she was already thinking about how to deal with the kidnapper.
Isolde seemed to read her mind and said, "We can only wait for him to call. That guy's super cautious, using a voice changer and even a virtual number."
Diana's eyes lit up with an idea. 'Virtual number? That's my jam! Even if I can't find out who registered it, I can trace the address. With an address, we can take the initiative.'
But she couldn't let on about her hacking skills. So she turned to Isolde and said, "Remember when my friend helped you check your ex-husband's hotel records and surveillance?"
Isolde nodded, still unsure where this was going.
Diana continued, "My friend can also trace the address of a virtual number. As long as the kidnapper calls again, we can locate him."
Everyone in the room perked up at this. Isolde, especially, grabbed Diana's hands, thanking her over and over.
Diana gave her a reassuring hug and said, "But my friend is a bit of a recluse and only deals with me directly. So I need to take the phone to my room and wait for the kidnapper's call. I'll record the conversation for you. Isolde, do you trust me?"
Isolde nodded without hesitation. "I trust you."
Diana had a knack for earning people's trust. From the start, when Isolde was unsure about leaving her failed marriage, to now, with Cecil's kidnapping, Diana had been there for her. Without Diana, Isolde would be lost.
Seeing her nod, Diana felt a bit of relief. Since the kidnapper wanted money, Cecil should be safe for now. They just had to wait for his call.
Over at the Richardson villa's study, Vance was fuming, holding a whip and glaring at Billy, who was kneeling on the ground.
Vance shouted, "You've got some nerve, defying me over and over. Now you want me to use military power? Billy, you must be out of your mind!"
As he finished speaking, Vance felt a tickle in his throat, followed by a fierce bout of coughing that left his face flushed crimson.
Billy knelt there, wearing a thin white shirt that clung to his back, which was a mess of bloody whip marks.
He gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, his face pale and covered in cold sweat. He'd been punished like this ever since he was a kid, whether it was for not wanting to join the military or resisting going abroad. They always said it was for his own good, but he knew it was just about control.
Since coming back to the country, Billy had slipped out of their control, and that made Vance furious. Whenever Vance tried to hit him, Billy would just stay away from home.
Lately, Vance had noticed Billy getting close to Diana. He had someone investigate and was shocked to find out Diana was divorced and Charles's ex-wife.
Vance couldn't wrap his head around why Billy was interested in a divorced woman.
If it was just a fling, fine. But now Billy wanted him to use military power to save Diana's friend's kid? Why?
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