Alan was at a loss for words when he heard Alex's questions. Of course, he could not tell her that it was her mother who had made the engagement promise with the Jensens and that she was already the chosen one. He thought if she found out she might become unreasonable and that would do him no good. So he decided to hide that truth, not knowing that Alex already knew it.
"What are you talking about?" He laughed nervously as he tried to hide his discomfort. "Both of our families got engaged when you were not even born yet, so how can they say they only want you? I just think that you are the best option. Since you are already working in their company, you can also bring them more profit. So the two families felt that you are the best option."
Alan knew that at the end of the day she would learn the truth about how she had become Eliott's fiancée, but now his first goal was to get her to take the deal without losing too much in the process and to get her to use this engagement to help his company achieve new glory. Lying to her was the best thing he could do, and he was not ashamed of it!
"Oh really?" She crossed her arms, leaned back in her chair and looked Alan straight in the eye, "Well, you can tell them I am not interested. You do have another child, don't you? Since this is an engagement with you, all your children should be fine. I am losing too much on this deal, so...
Alan interrupted her a little angrily, as Alex's brazenness was really starting to piss him off. "How can you think you are losing? On the contrary, once you marry him, you'll be the richest woman in town, so what loss are you talking about?"
He cursed her in his mind, "You fucking idiot, do you think I would have given you this chance if I did not need the Jensen family's help? The Jensen family fortune could be mine if Aria could marry him."
"The money is not mine, it's the Jensen family's. I earned my money through my work and I am really happy with that! When I marry, I will own basically nothing, if he asks me to stop my career. If Eliott divorces me one day like you did my mother, I'll end up with nothing, I mean, maybe I can pick up some money, but let us not kid ourselves, he can make me penniless in a second if he wants to! And your 15% will not give me as much money as I can make myself, so..." Alex spoke casually, looking bored like their conversation was not worth talking about.
Alan interrupted her another time, frowning deeply. He was confused and did not know what to do. He could not let her reject his offer just like that, he needed her, so he had no choice but to do everything he could to get her to agree to the deal. "And what if I gave you more?" Alan finally asked, cursing inwardly as he was not happy about losing much here.
In the other room, Eliott heard the comparison Alex was making between her father and himself and felt instantly discouraged. The temperature in the room immediately turned sombre. It was a fact that deep down Alex still thought men were all the same, cheaters like her father. He knew that was a scar buried deep in her heart that she was working on, but hearing her say that comparing him like that, was still something that hurt him deeply. Hearing that made him feel like someone who could not give his wife a feeling of security, and for a proud man like Eliott, it was like being hit by someone without even returning a blow. And that was just pathetic and hurtful.
Leila felt her little brother change and patted him on the back encouragingly. She could understand her brother, but knowing Alex's story, she could also relate to how she felt.
On the other hand, Alex was pleased with the direction things had taken. Now she had the upper hand, he was finally asking her what she wanted in return, and she was not going to make it easy for him, she was going to take the opportunity to demand everything she wanted from him!
"Well, that depends on you! What can you give me? " Alex returned the look and looked at Alan seriously.
"I can add ten per cent of my own stock and give you in total twenty-five per cent of Priceless, what do you think?" Alan gritted his teeth, his annoyance written all over his face.
"Actually, I don't want to be involved in your company at all. That's like stepping on a bomb on purpose, I mean there's all family members of yours there and no one like me! I want to have my own clothing company, just like my grandfather, you know..."
Not understanding what she was getting at, Alan was starting to lose patience with Alex. He felt that it was an easy deal to close. Who knew she was not like her mother at all, but someone much more annoying and cunning? He had been fooled by her innocent smile when she was a little witch.
"Stop playing around and tell me what you want already!" Alan's voice was getting louder and he could not hold back his frustration.
"It's quite simple. If you give me back what was originally mine, I'll be a good girl and marry Eliott without delay!"
Alan did not understand what Alex was alluding to at first. He had already suggested that he give her mother back her shares in the company, but she did not want to, so what was she talking about now? As he thought about it, he remembered her grandfather's company and the brand he had taken from her mother back then. He frowned, understanding now what she was getting at, and scoffed at the arrogance of his so-called daughter sitting in front of him with that damn proud smile.
" So you want the old Michell inheritance? Sorry to break it to you, but the company and the brand are legally mine now, and I have no intention of giving it back to you or anyone else!"
He cursed her in his mind for her arrogance! He had sacrificed so much to finally have the chance to steal this company, he could not just give it up like that! "If you think I am going to let you have what is now my only source of money, then you can dream about it."
Alex just shrugged and looked at him with her ocean blue eyes, "Well, if that's what you think, then we have nothing more to talk about. Besides, you have another daughter to marry Eliott Jensen, so you do not really need me, do you? If you are not ready to give me the company back, that's perfectly fine, just go see your daughter Aria." She smiled warmly at him while giggling in her head at her father's now ugly face.
"I think we have talked about everything you wanted to tell me, and since you will not accept my terms, we can end our conversation now. If you do not mind, I will take my leave."
Alan had not expected things to turn out this way and did not know what to do at that moment. All he knew was that he needed their help. He could not lose the business with the Jensen family and she was the only one who could help him work with them. But the old Michell company was a huge source of money for him, he could not just give that to her. But again PRICELESS was more important, and if he could work with the Jensen family, he'd get a lot more done. Maybe it was not such a bad deal in the end if he played his cards right!"
" Wait!!! I'll give your grandfather's business back to you. But in the condition, it was in when I took it over. All the money I put into it should be mine, so I'll take it back, how's that?
"I am amazed that you can utter those shameless words without batting an eyelid. Why do you think sales work in this company? It's because of my grandfather's brand, not because of your lousy creations and the low material you use. Anyway, I don't mind if you return it in the condition it was in when you stole it. But don't try to lie to me, I have all my grandfather's records. So I know exactly what this company is worth. I'll be waiting for your call. As soon as you write the contract giving me back all rights to my grandfather company, you can contact me! And today I am going to take back my mother's shares, which fortunately you are happily giving back to me!"
After saying that, she nodded to him, picked up her bag and the envelope on the table, and left the room without looking back.