“Seducing him in public?” Alice scoffed at the ridiculousness of the suggestion.
“Yes.”
“Huh?”
“But not in public,” she said, smirking. “I have two plans, and you can choose whichever one you think you can do.”
“What are the plans?”
“First plan: getting them divorced. We’ll find a way to get you inside the house.”
“You mean, a way for me to start living with them?”
“Yes.”
Alice sat up, intrigued by her mother’s plan.
“How’s that going to be possible?”
“Is there anything that’s not possible with me?” she replied with a satisfied smile, as ideas danced in her mind. She took her seat, relaxing, while Alice raised an eyebrow at her.
“What’s the other plan?”
“Bold seduction.”
Alice laughed and eyed her mom. “Bold seduction? That’s the last thing that’s possible. He wouldn’t even let me come close. You should’ve seen them at the party. He was all over her, dancing with her so close they nearly kissed,” she said, disgust evident in her tone. “He takes her everywhere. He’s in love with her, and you think he’s going to spare me a glance?”
“Then make him spare you a glance,” her mom countered. “How is any of our plans going to work if you can’t even seduce him? You’re beautiful, sexy, and down to earth. How many men have come here asking for your hand in marriage? Many of them. And yet here you are, doubting your potential. Remember the way you bewitched Victor with your smile and hypnotized Ramses with your touch.” She looked at her with an encouraging gaze. “So tell me, which man can you not make fall to your feet?”
Her mother’s speech boosted Alice’s morale. She replied, “None.”
“Exactly. None,” she said, locking eyes with her. “So don’t ever think there’s anything you can’t do. No matter what it is, as long as you’re determined and focused, there’s nothing-nothing-that you can’t do.”
“What if none of our plans work?” Alice said, worried.
“They won’t work because she’s alive. They’ll work when she’s not.”
Standing by the window, she wrapped her arms around herself as the chilly breeze brushed against her skin. The wind was picking up, as if rain was coming. Her face was blank, but her heart felt heavy, and her mind was overwhelmed with thoughts.
“I want to be strong. I have to be strong,” she whispered to herself as she recalled every event in her life. None of it was pleasant-only bitter, painful memories. Her life had turned upside down the moment she was told her parents were dead. After the funeral, she couldn’t remember the last time she smiled or laughed wholeheartedly. She remembered when her clothes started to fit tighter, when her shoes wore out, forcing her to walk barefoot in tattered clothes. She could still hear the cries from the beatings, the maltreatment, and the harsh words that cut deeper than any sword. Her first wedding day was a memory she wished to forget. The night her virginity was taken violently, her cries and agony, the pleading and screaming that tore her apart. She remembered how she lost her baby-the baby she had decided to keep despite the nightmare. She had been happy to have it, relieved she wouldn’t be alone anymore. But even that was taken away.
Becoming an orphan, being maltreated, abandoned, neglected, lonely, raped, divorced, and losing her child-she gathered all these experiences and turned them into armor. She grew stronger, determined never to feel the same pain again. From that day onward, she decided to live her life in a way she would never regret. She didn’t want to regret not speaking up, not letting them know how much they had crushed her soul. If she was going to do everything in her power, she had to be strong. And the only person who could help her with that was Christian.
“How about the cooperation’s structure?”
“It’s very good, sir,” Karine replied quickly, hurrying to keep pace with Christian as they walked to his office. “I also analyzed the project’s quality and quantity, and I must say, it’s excellent.”
He dropped his laptop on the desk, loosened his tie, and sat down in his swivel chair.
“What do they say about our profit in the next five to ten years? What if the stock drops?”
“I asked them the same question, and they presented this.” She dropped a file on the table. “The Reddington hospital is also investigating, they discovered that not only were they benefiting from the profit, but they were also gaining significant recognition, as the hospital would be the first to use the new technology. It would be especially useful during surgeries, and after analyzing everything, it seemed like a wonderful opportunity to invest in. Christian opened the file and skimmed through it. After discovering some crucial information, he closed the file and handed it back to her.
“Tell them we’ll collaborate with them,” he said. “Give them our terms and conditions. If they agree, we can proceed to sign the deal.”
“I’ll do that, sir,” she replied.
“And the profit share-increase it by five percent.”
“Sir? That’s like saying we’ll sponsor most of it. There’s going to be tight competition.”
“There won’t be any competition. It’s us they need,” he said confidently.
“Do you think they’ll accept?”
“The only reason they won’t is if they think we can’t afford it,” he answered, meeting her gaze.
She understood what that meant-they could easily afford triple the amount, and more. She smiled and bowed respectfully.
“I’ll send them the email as soon as possible,” she said before walking out of the office.
The sound of her heels echoed as she retreated down the hallway. Christian opened his laptop, but before he could enter his password, he received a call from a coded number.
“Speak.”
“My Lord!” The voice on the other end was panicked, the person’s heavy breathing evident, which immediately put Christian on alert.
“What happened?” Christian’s voice was rigid, his concern growing.
“The ship…” The voice trembled.
“What happened to the ship?” Christian pressed.
“One… one…?”
“The doctor is doing as you instructed, but there’s no improvement. It’s more critical than we thought,” the voice said shakily.
“Even the best doctor can’t treat it?” Christian asked, his tone sharp.
“Y-yes…” the person stuttered.
“Is anyone aware of this?”
“It’s spreading across the clans and groups like wildfire,” came the reply.
Christian clenched his fist tightly. “Find out who leaked the information and which group snatched it?”
“The Silvers.”
At the mention of the name, Christian’s eyes darkened, and his fist tightened further, his veins standing out.
“What time did it happen?” he asked, his calm but rigid voice betraying no emotion. Despite his composed tone, the caller trembled and hiccuped, speaking in fear.
“Ten minutes ago.”
“How dare they!” Christian said in a deep, vibrating tone before hanging up. He immediately dialed another contact, and it was picked up on the first ring.
“What’s the state?” he asked as soon as the call connected.
“Critical. There’s been no improvement. Even though the poison has been neutralized, some veins seem to have been damaged and-“
“I told you to carry out the surgery,” Christian interrupted, gritting his teeth.
“I already told you, Mr. Christian, carrying out surgery with just a four percent success rate is a huge risk. All we can do is continue treating him to keep him alive… temporarily.”
“Do you still want to keep your head?” Christian growled.
“Y-yes,” came the terrified response.
“Then do the surgery, and he better not die unless you want to die with him,” Christian said coldly, hanging up and leaving no room for further conversation or protest. He immediately jumped to his feet.
He dialed another contact, and this time the phone was answered at the first ring.
“000,” came the response.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.