Chapter 334
"I'm an old woman, there's nothing hot about me."
She started breathing heavy, dodging my eyes.
"Who says you're old? You're the hottest woman on the planet."
"You're just trying to butter me up."
A smile sneaked onto her lips as I kept going, "That's how I see it. To me, you're the sweetest and kindest woman ever."
"You and your sweet talk, what are you up to now?" She playfully tapped my forehead.
I licked my lips, staring at her glossy red ones, "Ruby, I want a reward!"
Her eyes got all misty, biting her lip and closing her eyes, she sighed, "I knew there was a catch when you showed up, you little rascal."
I couldn't help myself and jumped on her, lucky the chair was big and soft.
But Ruby's lips were even softer.
It had been a week since I last tasted them, and this time, they felt different.
She was as tense as before, gripping my collar tight, clearly nervous.
At first, she was passive, but then she started taking the lead.
I lost track of time, but when I got there, the sun was setting, and by the time we stopped kissing, the office was dark.
The sound of our kisses echoed in the big office.
It wasn't enough, not even close.
Just then, Ruby's phone rang. She picked it up and saw it was Ms. Hill. She signaled for quiet and in a husky voice said, "Sis!"
Emily's voice came through the phone, "Why aren't you here yet? Hasn't John picked you up?"
"John had some work at the company. He just called and said he's almost here. We'll be back soon!"
"Alright, we'll wait for you then."
After hanging up, Ruby glared at me, "Get up quick, Ms. Hill is rushing us!"
I chuckled, looking at her slightly swollen red lips, feeling pretty proud.
In the car, Ruby had to use lipstick to cover her lips, but it looked like she had gotten lip fillers, super sexy.
"Ruby, you look stunning!"
She shot me a look, "All thanks to your antics. I won't be calling you over next time."
"If you don't call me, I'll just show up." I caressed her butt.
"You're shameless, you little troublemaker."
"You're just figuring that out now?" I chucked.
I held her hand, and though she resisted a bit, she eventually let me hold it and stroke it in her palm, while she looked out the window, "I must have owed you in a past life. The relationship with you is just... just karma."
Her hand was so soft, like it had no bones, I wanted to hold it forever.
But when we reached the Allen Family, we had to let go. In front of the Allen Family members, we became elder and junior again.
Lillian was thrilled to see me, since it had been a while. We usually shared our thoughts over the phone.
After dinner, Patrick called me to the study, "I have good news, wanna hear it?"
"What good news?"
Seeing Patrick's smile, I had a hunch, but I played dumb.
"Liberty Capital Group's latest offer is fifty-two billion dollars!"
My eyes lit up, "Two billion more than we expected?"
"Yeah, but they have a condition!"
"What condition?"
"They want a twenty percent controlling stake!"
I frowned, that was a big ask.
Twenty percent would make them the second largest shareholder. Selling such a big chunk at once, what about the second and third rounds of financing?
"They want too much stake." I sighed.
"Yeah, for sure." he nodded.
Patrick said, "They're ready to drop a billion bucks now, and down the line, Sevan City Brewery could rake in twenty to thirty billion for them!"
"Should we take the deal?" I asked.
Patrick said, "I'm still mulling it over. But selling some shares is a must."
Then he added, "Alright, tomorrow at ten in the morning, you'll join me for the negotiation. If they offer sixty billion, we'll sell twenty percent. If they stick to fifty-two billion, we'll cap it at fifteen percent!"
I nodded, feeling pumped. By tomorrow, I could be a billionaire.
"Also, two other companies are super interested. One is Crafted Ales Collective, and the other is BrewCrafters!"
"Those two are big names in the domestic beer scene, always at each other's throats. They'll do anything to win us over."
I got it then, it was all about making them compete.
"Forget about that, let's grab some coffee!"
I could see Patrick was just as hyped. The idea of a billion-dollar brand coming from his efforts was thrilling.
The Allen Family was the top dog in Sevan City's manufacturing industry, worth around thirty billion. Patrick's dream wasn't just to take over MH Manufacturing Company but to build a bigger business empire.
A great entrepreneur couldn't raise a fool.
After coffee, my head cleared up a bit. Back in my guest room, Ruby was chilling in the hammock in the backyard, reading a book.
It was so peaceful I didn't want to disturb her, and for a moment, I was just captivated.
Ruby looked over and whispered, "Little troublemaker, what are you staring at?"
I walked over with a grin, leaning on the railing, "Of course, I'm looking at you!"
"After staring for so long, still not enough?"
"Never enough."
The thing between Ruby and me was weird. We both knew, but neither of us was fully open about it. It was nice this way, the feeling was strange and intoxicating.
"Aren't you swimming today?"
She glanced at me, "What mischief are you up to now?"
"Nothing, just thought your swimming style is beautiful."
"So, is that why you came over shirtless?"
I chuckled, "Then I'll wait for you by the pool."
"I'm not swimming!"
Ruby snorted, and I jumped into the water, holding my breath underwater, counting seconds in my head.
Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds passed, and my lungs started to burn.
I thought, 'Why hasn't she come over yet?'
Just as I started to worry, I heard Ruby's voice from the shore, "John, come up, John, don't scare me!"
I felt relieved and floated to the surface, face down.
Soon, I heard her splash into the pool, swimming towards me, calling out, "It's okay, I'll save you, I won't let anything happen to you!"
As she grabbed my hand, I suddenly raised my head, "Gotcha!"
Ruby was stunned, her eyes filling with tears. I felt a pang of guilt, knowing I had gone too far. Before I could explain, she started crying, "You're such a jerk, did you think this was funny? You scared me to death!"
She punched and twisted me, but all I felt was shame. I hurriedly wiped her tears, "I'm sorry, Ruby, I didn't mean to, I was just trying to play a prank on you."
"A prank? I was terrified!"
She looked pale, still shaken.
I regretted deeply, never expecting my prank to worry her so much.
"Ruby, I'm sorry, I truly realize my mistake!"
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