Chapter 099 This Blind Date Is Not Just a Formality
Charles left the school cafeteria and pulled out his phone to text Alice: [Where are you?]
Meanwhile, Alice was sitting in a Bentley. Donna was driving, with Alice and Fiona in the backseat. The atmosphere was tense.
Donna, a man in his forties with a buzz cut, stood about 67 inches. He was slightly chubby but not overweight. With sharp features, thick eyebrows, a high nose bridge, and piercing eyes, Donna must have been quite handsome in his youth. Alice had clearly inherited her striking looks from her parents.
After talking with Fiona yesterday, Alice had planned to meet Orlando at a café today. They'd chat for ten minutes, then politely part ways, just like in the movies.
But Alice miscalculated. She underestimated how seriously Donna and Fiona took this marriage alliance and the pressure Donna felt from the bankruptcy crisis. Despite his calm demeanor, Donna was struggling. His business had been shrinking for over six months, and he had to borrow money just to pay salaries. Every day was a struggle.
Donna had been searching for investors for months, exhausting all his connections. But in a global economic crisis, no one wanted to invest in foreign trade. He didn't want to give up, hoping to hold on until the market recovered. But without new funds, bankruptcy was inevitable.
Just when Donna was on the brink of despair, the Hank family offered a lifeline. They proposed a $15 million investment for 20% of the Mitchell family's Oceanic Trade Ventures, on the condition that Alice married into their family.
A couple of years ago, Donna wouldn't have sold 20% of his company for such a low price, even without marrying off his daughter. But times had changed. Nowadays, even $7.7 million for 20% might not find any takers.
The Hank family's demands were clear: the $15 million wouldn't be paid in installments. They'd sign an internal agreement. First, when Alice and Orlando got engaged, the Hank family would make an initial payment of $1.5 million to help the Mitchell family pay off part of their bank loans. The company account would also have about a million dollars in cash flow, barely keeping it afloat for a while.
Second, when Alice and Orlando got their marriage certificate and held a wedding party, the Hank family would pay $6.15 million.
Third, when Alice had a child with the Hank family, they would pay the remaining $7.7 million.
If things moved quickly, Alice could be pregnant within two months!
It was important to note that this money wasn't a dowry from the Hank family to the Mitchell family but payment for purchasing 20% of Oceanic Trade Ventures.
These were harsh terms, but Donna had no choice but to accept. The Hank family wasn't foolish. They wouldn't agree to a quick marriage and divorce without getting something substantial in return. Since it was a transaction, both parties' interests had to be protected. So, the Hank family's demands were reasonable.
Alice didn't know about this internal agreement, but she could sense the unusual atmosphere in the car and her parents' seriousness about this marriage alliance. Donna and Fiona were both personally accompanying her.
She regretted agreeing so easily to her mother's request to go on a blind date that was destined to be more than just going through the motions. Now it was too late to back out. She felt tricked!
At that moment, Alice's phone suddenly vibrated. Charles had sent her a Facebook message.
Charles: [Where are you?]
Alice quickly replied: [I'm on my way to the Imperial International Hotel. My family has arranged something today...]
She didn't explain more because her relationship with Charles wasn't romantic or even close to being ambiguous; they were just old high school classmates.
Charles's message quickly came back: [Got it, wait for me!]
It was simple and decisive! He didn't even ask for reasons or explanations, just an address. Alice felt a slight ripple in her heart.
'Could Charles already know?' she wondered. 'With Charles's connections, it wouldn't be difficult for him to find out about this.'
Alice's heart skipped a beat. She didn't know what would happen when Charles showed up at the Imperial International Hotel. She felt a bit flustered! Charles wasn't her boyfriend, and he didn't have a good reason to help her out. But she felt a strange sense of anticipation! She could only comfort herself. Compared to Orlando, she might have a better impression of Charles!
After sending the message, Charles headed to the underground parking near the school. Without even changing his clothes, he was ready to drive to the Imperial International Hotel. As soon as he arrived at the underground parking lot, he saw two girls with influencer looks taking photos in school uniforms next to a Ferrari LaFerrari.
"Excuse me, could you move?" he asked.
"Who are you telling to move, loser? The road is so wide, am I blocking your way?" one of the girls retorted.
The other girl chimed in, "Look at you, wearing shorts and a tank top. You look like a single guy. With your looks, you'll be single for another twenty years. Do you know what car this is? It's a Ferrari LaFerrari, valued at over $2.2 million. A loser like you couldn't afford it even if you worked for a hundred years!"
The two girls mocked Charles mercilessly.
"You're blocking my car!" Charles took out his car key and pressed it.
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