Chapter 217 Demand For Investment


    Maria''s temples throbbed. "Mr. Shen, I..." James had taken the initiative to breach the subjectst


    night, but she had stubbornly refused to tell him anything.


    She couldn''t afford to change her mind just like that and go to him with a changed tune. She had too


    much self-respect forthat course of action.


    The secretive smile remained on Norman''s lips. "I know you can do it, Maria." Then he hung up


    without even waiting for an answer.


    Maria stared at her phone in disbelief.


    She started to bite her thumb. If she had known that Norman would be this way, she would have just


    laid it all out before James the night before. Oh, why was she so bullheaded? She was now


    regretting her actions.


    Well, in hindsight, why was she being so softhearted toward Carolina anyway?


    She had no choice now but to figure out a way to get James to help her.


    She had already used her appearance in the past, so that was not an option this time. Not to


    mention the fact that she was rather tired of that particr method herself.


    James was an impregnable man when it came to business. There was no one who could ever hope


    to dissuade him from his corporate principles.


    That made beauty and business out from her list of arsenal now.


    Maria racked her brains toe up with another way.


    She headed over to the offices of HL Group.


    Later inside the CEO''s office, Maria clung to James'' arm as she tried to coax him in a honeyed


    voice. "You see, mypany needs a huge investment fund, so I have no other choice but to


    borrow some money from you."


    He shot her a look of disdain and pulled his arm out of her hold. "How much do you want to


    borrow?" he asked, all business.


    She raised a palm and stretched out her fingers. "Five billion dors."


    ''They are sisters indeed. Even the tricks they y are the same.'' James looked at Maria, his face


    devoid of emotion. "You actually only need three billion, don''t you? You''re asking for five so that you


    can haggle if I don''t agree the first time. And once I give you the money, you''re actually going to


    changenes and hand it over to Song Group. Am I wrong?"


    Maria said nothing. He had everything right.


    "Weren''t you so dead set on not telling me anything? I thought Norman had already agreed to be


    your white knight?"


    ''I knew it!'' Maria snapped inwardly. This man would definitely not an opportunity to mock her pass.


    But she was the one at a disadvantage this time around, so she would do best to concede to him.


    James continued, "Just what do you think of me? Another fish in your pond of suitors? You will


    consider me as an option when the other men refused you, huh?"


    Maria''s face darkened, and a muscle ticked in her jaw. She did her best to suppress the anger that


    was slowly rising in her chest.


    "Why aren''t you saying anything? Aren''t you always so glib?"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    She took a deep breath to calm herself before looking him in the eye. When she spoke, her voice


    was steady and resolute. "If you lend me the amount I need, I promise I won''t appear before you


    again. I won''t be pestering you anymore. I know you''ve always wanted this, so surely this counts as


    a benefit for you. I will promise you, and I will keep my word. If the Song Group fails to pay you back


    in the future, you can have someonee to me and I will pay it back out of my own pocket. We


    can draft a contract today and I will sign an IOU note."


    She was capable of raising three billion dors, albeit only barely, but she wouldn''t be able to do so


    on such short notice. She could only run to James for now.


    A tense silence fell in the room after she had said her piece. James'' lips tightened into a thin line.


    What she promised was an undeniably attractive offer.


    A part of him had always put all the responsibility for their current rtionship on Maria, ming her


    for seducing him at every turn.


    "You''re seriously willing to risk everything for the Song family when they''ve already cut all ties with


    you."


    The irony in his tone was not lost to her. She ignored his words and threw him another bait. "I can


    also leave H City if you want."


    Leave H City? His hands clenched into fists and his eyes took on a piercing edge. "Didn''t you want


    to take your revenge?"


    "There are many ways to take revenge, and I''ve somehow chosen the stupidest and worst possible


    option. I just need to regroup and amass a fortune. Even if I''m no longer in H City, there are still


    plenty of opportunities to exact my vengeance in other ways. Money makes the world go round after


    all. Retaliation would just be a piece of cake." "Get out!"


    Maria stared in shock at his response. ''What the hell does he mean by that?''


    She didn''t move from where she stood.


    "Get out!" James yelled again.


    "Does that mean you''re going to lend the money?" She couldn''t afford to leave this ce empty-


    handed.


    "I don''t like your attitude. I won''t give it to you." How could she cling to her pride like that while


    begging for his help in the same breath?


    Maria gritted her teeth and straightened her spine. Then she slowly undid the waistband of her


    trench coat. Beneath it, she was wearing nothing more than a long, nude slip dress.


    James frowned. ''Why is she fond of wearing these flimsy clothes during cold days?''


    Her coat fell to the floor, the metal buckle nging against the marble tiles.


    And then the dress followed,nding in a soft thump at her feet.


    In the end, she still had to resort to this method.


    Despite having shared James’ bed multiple times, this was going to be a far cry from all those other


    instances.


    This time, she would use every trick she had in order to secure that three billion dors. She was


    desperate to cut off her ties with the Song family for good, once and for all. This was herst shot


    for a lifetime of freedom.


    She didn''t want to hear any drivel about how they had raised her for two decades, and that she was


    indebted to them and must repay their kindness. Such words were nothing short of lies anyway.


    "Maria Song!" James would always call her by her full name when she infuriated him. He did so at


    the moment with a hint of warning.


    She ignored his words and kept her gaze level as she continued to strip her undergarments.


    The office''s heater had not been turned on, and she stood there naked and shivering.


    James was livid. He pulled Maria by the wrist and took her in his arms. "You''re really going to do


    anything for the Song Group?"


    "Yes."


    "And if I never agree?"


    She reached out to wrap her arms around his neck and smiled up at him. "Then I''ll just have to


    sleep with Norman and Colby and see if they''ll give me what I need. One of them is bound to do it,


    don''t you think?" Her head was pulled back and she felt a painful grip at her neck.


    James gradually squeezed his hand. "Don''t try to provoke me any further, Maria Song."


    Maria had run short of breath, and she had to swallow several times before speaking. "You better


    make sure you strangle me to death right here right now. Otherwise, I just might pester you for the


    rest of your life."


    His grip loosened then, and she added, "Well, if you kill me, I will turn into a ghost and haunt you for


    the rest of your life."


    James was quiet, still seething. Them without warning, he picked her up and dumped her


    unceremoniously on his desk.


    He pressed a button which automatically locked his office from the inside. Then he lowered his face


    and ravaged Maria''s mouth, even as she gasped for breath to regain her bearings.


    Soon enough, she was melting against him.


    Maria never walked out of the CEO''s office for the remainder of the day. She took a shower at some


    point, and rested in his lounge for several minutes before he came over and resumed his torture.


    A few hourster, something urgent came up in thepany, and he had to let go of her to deal


    with the problem.


    Maria retired to the lounge and slept in therge bed. She would wake from time to time, then drift


    back to sleep. When she was finally and totally awake, it was already dark outside.


    Her first instinct was to check the time, but she discovered that her phone was nowhere in sight.


    Exhaustion, both physical and mental, took over once again, and she decided to sleep some more.


    She had no idea how long she had slept for; the next thing she knew, James was shaking her


    awake, telling her that dinner was ready.


    Maria dressed and tidied herself up in sluggish motions. When she came out of the lounge, James


    was in the middle of receiving a report from Lorenzo. "The contract has been prepared. We can


    have them sign it tomorrow."


    James didn''t look up at the sound of the lounge door opening and closing, but Lorenzo did turn in


    her direction. After a quick nce, he looked away again.


    She ignored both of them and walked over to the table.


    A lone lunch box was sitting there, and she opened the lid and began to eat.


    Maria realized just then that she had been starving. Luckily, everything in the box was delicious.


    Lorenzo left shortly after, and James put down the files he had been reading and sat across from


    her.


    "Are you willing to admit that you''ve done wrong?" She had, in fact, already apologized in bed


    earlier, but he wanted to hear it again when she was wide awake and sober.


    "Mm," she muttered, not bothering to stop eating.


    Somewhat satisfied, James picked up a second pair of chopsticks. "Eat more. You''re too skinny."


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