Chapter 240: Chapter 240
As soon as he said that, Malisa glanced at Cora. The two women locked eyes briefly, and in that shared glance, there was a quiet understanding, a nod of confidence. This was exactly what they needed a fast, clean operation, no complications.
Cora then sat forward, her tone shifting slightly from appreciation to business. "Now," she said, "let’s get to the most important part of all this. What are your charges? What exactly are you going to bill us for this?"
The room fell silent for a second as all eyes returned to Lovi. But instead of naming a price, Lovi let out a small chuckle, leaned back on the chair, and looked both women in the eyes. "This time around," he said slowly, "I don’t want money."
Malisa blinked, slightly confused. "You don’t want money?" she echoed, uncertain if she heard him right.
Lovi nodded, now speaking with a calm but firm voice. "Yes. I’ve been doing things for money for a long time now. But I’ve come to realize something money isn’t the only thing of value in this world. There are investments that are worth more in the long run. And I think this is the right time for me to stop chasing fast cash and instead invest in something extremely important."
At that moment, the atmosphere inside the quiet lounge shifted. Cora’s eyes narrowed just slightly, but it was enough for anyone paying close attention to sense the change. She folded her arms slowly and tilted her head, looking directly at Lovi.
"So what exactly are you insinuating?" Cora asked, her voice low, calm, but clearly edged with displeasure. "What do you want?"
Lovi didn’t flinch. He gave a small smile, the kind that looked polite on the surface but carried weight beneath it. "What I want," he said slowly, "is a stake in ZXZ. That is the only way I’m going to give you the identity of this Mr. B."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the tension thickened. Melissa shifted slightly in her seat, glancing toward Cora, waiting for her response. And Cora...Cora simply shook her head.
"No," she said flatly, without hesitation. "That is not going to happen. You don’t even have the privilege or the leverage to make such a demand. Let me remind you, Lovi, this is our deal. And in this deal, it is money that I’m going to pay nothing else, nothing more."
Lovi’s expression hardened for a moment, then softened again, almost thoughtfully. "Cora," he began, leaning forward slightly, "I actually respect you. I think highly of you. I’ve always given you that respect in everything we’ve done. But I think it’s time I make my own demand."
He paused, then continued in a firmer voice, "You are clearly doing what’s best for you and that’s fine. But I also want what’s best for me. This isn’t just about some information anymore. This is about something bigger. I think it’s time we both stood on a level playing field and benefitted from each other equally. So yes, I need a stake in ZXZ."
Cora’s jaw tightened. She stood up slowly, her posture straight and commanding. "And I’m telling you again," she said coldly, "no. If that is your demand, then this meeting is over."
At that moment, hearing what Cora just said and seeing that strong, determined look on her face, Lovie slowly leaned back in his chair. He didn’t argue or raise his voice. Instead, with a calm but final tone, he said, "All right then... this meeting is over, because what I want is very clear." His eyes stayed locked on Cora’s for a few seconds before he shifted his gaze away.
Just then, Malisa leaned toward Cora and whispered firmly, "Can we step outside for a second? I need to talk to you privately."
Cora was still fuming and didn’t want to entertain anything else, but Malisa repeated it again this time tugging gently on her sleeve and whispering, "Please." That insistence made Cora sigh deeply. Without a word, she stood up, adjusted her blazer, and walked out of the room. Malisa followed closely, quietly shutting the door behind them.
Once outside the room, Malisa didn’t waste a second. She turned to face Cora and said in a low, serious voice, "Why are you acting like this, Cora? You know this information is important crucial even. Lovi knows it too, and that’s exactly why he’s asking for this now. This isn’t about him trying to be greedy. He sees the value, and if we were in his shoes, wouldn’t we do the same?"
Cora was quiet, arms crossed, her jaw clenched, but Malisa wasn’t done.
"Listen," she continued, "giving him a small stake is honestly better than allowing a complete stranger to sit on 30% of ZXZ. We don’t even know who that is. That’s dangerous. But with Lovi... at least we know what we’re dealing with. He may be annoying, but he’s smart, and he’s calculative. And right now, he’s offering us something no one else can give answers."
Malisa stepped closer and lowered her voice further. "Think about the future, Cora. Once we know who that mystery stakeholder is, we can figure out our next move. But we can’t do anything if we stay in the dark. Letting pride get in the way of this is not a smart business decision."
At that moment, Cora folded her arms across her chest and looked away briefly, her jaw tightening as if trying to stop herself from snapping. The air outside the room was cooler, but it did nothing to ease the pressure burning in her chest.
She turned back to Melissa, her voice quiet but firm. "It seems you’re the one not taking this straight, Malisa."
Malisa blinked in surprise, but Cora didn’t stop.
"I’m taking it straight. I’m thinking about the present. I’m thinking about the future. And everything everything, Malisa screams at me that this is a very wrong deal to make."
Her words hung in the air, sharp and cutting.
"I know what Lovi is trying to do. I know that kind of ambition he’s not asking for a slice. He’s asking for a foothold, a backdoor entrance into something we’ve worked too hard to build. You give someone like him a share, even if it’s 5%, and one day you’ll wake up with him sitting in the boardroom trying to tell us what to do."
Malisa opened her mouth, but Cora raised her hand.
"No, listen. This isn’t just about finding Mr. B anymore. It’s about what kind of chaos we might unleash trying to fix one problem by creating another."