Aurora smiled faintly. "You need to cry."
David stared at her, stunned. "Cry?"
His voice trembled. "How am I supposed to do that?" The idea sounded ridiculous. In his entire life, he had barely shed a tear.
Aurora tilted her head. "If you don’t cry," she replied casually, "then I’ll bankrupt your family."
Sothing snapped inside him. "Fine!" David suddenly shouted.
"If you want to do it, then do it!" His eyes burned with defiance.
’As long as Adriana loves my son,’ he thought desperately, ’I can still turn this around.’ Maybe he could even blackmail Miss Dawn into pouring more resources into Peter.
Aurora chuckled, seeing through him instantly. "You’re truly naïve," she said lightly. "Did you forget what I said?" Her smile turned cruel. "I’ll bankrupt everyone except Peter."
She continued calmly, "I’ll buy the Richardson Corporation with my own money, hand it to Peter, and make sure the rest of your family has nowhere to go."
Her eyes glinted. "Every hidden tax file you’ve buried will be exposed the mont the money changes hands."
Fear finally shattered David’s resolve. His face drained of color as he looked at Aurora pleadingly. "Don’t do this," he begged. "If you go that far, both our families will suffer."
Aurora laughed. "My family won’t," she replied coldly. "I can’t say the sa for yours."
That was when David finally broke. Tears stread down his face... not because of any forced act, but because genuine terror had taken hold of him.
Aurora calmly took out her phone and began recording.
As ti passed, David realized what she was doing. Humiliation burned through him, but he had no power to resist. He could only swallow his rage and continue sobbing.
Aurora watched him with quiet satisfaction, as if enjoying a performance. ’She’s sick,’ David thought bitterly.
If Aurora could hear his thoughts, she would have laughed.
’I have a sister,’ she would have said. ’I saw Adriana’s red, swollen eyes. Only I know how painful it was to see her cry.’
How could she possibly let him go so easily?
Two hours passed. David’s tears began to dry, but he continued putting on a show, hoping she would finally stop.
Aurora, however, calmly ordered a large jar of water and placed it before him. She gestured lightly. "Drink," she said. "Then continue."
At that mont, David truly broke. Fresh tears spilled out, born from sheer humiliation and helplessness. There was nowhere for him to vent, nowhere to escape.
Five hours later, his head throbbed as if it were about to split open, his heart racing with unbearable anxiety.
Finally, Aurora looked at him calmly. "Since you’ve endured your punishnt," she said coolly, "we can now talk about compensation."
Compensation.
The word echoed sharply in David’s ears.
For a brief second, even his breathing stalled. He stared at Aurora, disbelief written all over his face.
"What did you say... compensation?" His voice cracked despite his effort to sound composed. "I thought my punishnt was already enough."
Aurora paused, then let out a soft, almost amused laugh.
"You really are naïve," she murmured, her smile faint yet dangerous.
’Did he truly think tears were a bargaining chip? My sister need compnesation for ntal harassnt.’
Not to ntion she needed to safeguard her sister’s position, so how can she let such a good opportunity go?
She tilted her head slightly, eyes glinting. "Why would I let you off just because you cried?"
Her gaze swept over him slowly. "Do I look that rciful to you?"
David’s fingers curled into a tight fist at his side, his nails digging into his palm as heat surged through his chest. He forced himself to et her eyes.
"Then tell ," he demanded, voice low and strained, "what kind of compensation do you want?"
Aurora didn’t hesitate. Her words landed cleanly, rcilessly.
"You’ll transfer twenty percent of the Richardson Corporation’s shares," she said calmly, "under Adriana’s na."
The chair scraped harshly against the floor as David shot to his feet. His entire body trembled, anger rushing through his veins like poison.
"That’s impossible," he snapped. "I’m not ready." His chest heaved as he glared at her.
"If you want to bankrupt , then just say so. I won’t give up my wealth just to satisfy you."
With that, he turned sharply, intending to leave. His mind was already spiraling.
’Twenty percent for free... that would finish .’
Once those shares were gone, the board would tear him apart. No authority, no leverage... nothing. He would be helpless, stripped bare, left at Aurora’s rcy.
Even his own sons would turn against him!
’How ridiculous could she be?’
Behind him, Aurora laughed again, softer this ti, almost pitying.
"You see," she said, her voice unhurried, "everyone looks at the world through their own eyes."
David halted, his back stiff.
She smiled faintly. "I never planned to make you helpless."
She folded her arms, tone casual yet precise. "As long as you compensate Adriana properly, I’ll ensure you have a comfortable place to live and a generous pension."
David hesitated. The room felt suffocating now, the silence thick with tension. He shook his head slowly.
"Those twenty percent shares are my bargaining chips," he argued, trying to cling to whatever excuse he could grasp.
Aurora’s smile didn’t falter. "Then I’ll buy them."
Her eyes darkened slightly as she continued, her voice lowering. "I’m calling it compensation, but in truth, it’s power."
’Power for my sister.’
"It’s a way out for Adriana," Aurora went on steadily, "in case she ever chooses to leave Peter. At the very least, she’ll be self-sufficient."
David stared at her, stunned.
"Peter loves her now," Aurora continued, her gaze sharp, unwavering. "So much that he wouldn’t tolerate his own father hurting her."
She paused briefly, then added coolly, "But love fades. And when it does, Adriana needs protection."
The words settled heavily in the air.
"This twenty percent will remain hers," Aurora said firmly. "Peter will think twice before acting recklessly. Even if he ever thinks of betraying her, he’ll have to hide it."
She straightened slightly. "And I’ll add conditions." Her lips curved faintly. "If you agree, I’ll pay you a hundred percent above market value."
David’s eyes widened despite himself. His heart pounded as numbers raced through his head. Twenty percent... worth nearly twenty million dollars. With her offer, it would double instantly.
’Forty million...’
He swallowed hard and looked at her, voice cautious yet hopeful. "Are you serious?"
Aurora nodded once.
His expression hardened as he countered, "I’ll only give ten percent."
Aurora let out a small chuckle. "That’s not a negotiation," she replied lightly. "It’s compensation."
David frowned, confusion flashing across his face.
"You don’t have a choice," Aurora continued, her voice suddenly cold. "You’ll sell all twenty percent to ."
David’s jaw clenched. "Then I want one hundred million."
Aurora’s eyes narrowed, icy and sharp. "You’re asking for more than you can swallow."
The pressure was unbearable. David exhaled sharply, finally backing down. "Fifty million," he said stiffly.
Aurora shook her head. "Forty million is rcy." Her tone was flat. "If you refuse, I’ll bankrupt the company before acquiring it. Either way, the Richardson Corporation will end up under my na."
Silence fell. David stood there, weighing everything, sweat prickling at his temples.
Finally, his shoulders slumped. "Fine," he muttered. "I agree."
When the share transfer docunts were signed, Aurora ticulously ensured every clause was airtight.
Adriana couldn’t be tricked into transferring the shares back. She couldn’t sell or transfer them freely. Any sale would require her willing consent and a three-way verification.
Only then did Aurora release a quiet sigh of relief.
She glanced at the agreent again, thoughts drifting to her sister. Across the table, David looked like a man reborn, grinning ear to ear like a debtor who had just escaped execution.
Aurora smiled faintly. "You still have one thing left to do."
The next day, Adriana went to university feeling light-headed, a dull ache pressing against her chest.
Her heart felt strangely heavy.
Midway through the day, the professor called her over.
"There are so assignnts in the storage room," the woman said gently. "Could you retrieve them?"
Adriana nodded without hesitation. ’Maybe keeping busy will help,’ she thought.
The storage room slled of dust and old books. As soon as she stepped inside, the door slamd shut behind her.
Her heart skipped. "H-Hello?"
Before fear could fully take hold, strong arms wrapped around her, warm and familiar. She froze, breath hitching, instinctively leaning into that warmth before her mind caught up.
Then she heard his voice, low and dark near her ear. "You’re truly heartless."
Adriana’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest. Just monts ago, she had convinced herself that Peter didn’t care... that he had ignored her breakup ssage as if it ant nothing.
She had thought he shared the sa intention, that he had chosen his father.
She never imagined he would appear like this.
Suddenly, cold lips brushed against her neck. Adriana stiffened, then pushed against his arm, panic flaring. "Peter... what are you doing?"
A soft chuckle vibrated against her skin. "What do you think I’m doing?"
User Comments
0 comments from readers