My Pretty Sweetheart (Arianna)
Chapter 1775

However, I did not expect Serene to approach me before Hendrix made his choice.

When she arrived at my office with her men, I was discussing Freya's lawsuit with Fabian. After the trial, Stephanie was charged with intentional tort and sentenced to five years of imprisonment. The judge took the child in her womb into consideration and postponed her sentence by a year, but we thought that was not the best result.

People like Stephanie would continue to be a danger to others so long as there was a chance. I had hoped that she would be sent to prison immediately. After all, the environment in jail nowadays was different from that of the previous century. Even if the prisoners were subjected to physical labor, they could still enjoy basic rights and it would not affect the pregnancy.

"Miss Reid, we have a guest," my secretary announced as she knocked on the door. We looked up and saw Serene standing by the door.

When our eyes met, her lips curled into a smile. Just like how she was at the banquet, her expression was warm yet distant.

I raised my head and scanned her back. It seemed that she did not bring anyone else with her. It was very bold of her to hold a meeting with me alone.

"Let's call it a day. We'll talk about the rest later," I said and sent Fabian away as I welcomed Serene in. "Miss Forbes, you've been waiting for a long time. Come in and have a seat."

As soon as she did, she declared her purpose of being here. "We're both clever people, so I'll get to the point. I want to buy the shares of Roberts Group in your hands. The price is up to you, I won't bargain." Letting out a long sigh, I leaned back on the chair and sized her up with my squinted eyes. She was indeed the most powerful woman in Jarold City. From her tone, it seemed that she was determined to get what she wanted. Doing business with her should be smooth and easy.

Unfortunately, I was not a businesswoman, and I had never thought of involving myself with her in that aspect.

After a moment of silence, I pursed my lips and beamed while saying, "Then, I'll place them at thirty billion dollars."

Serene laughed and lowered her head instantly. "Miss Reid, you must be joking. The total value of the Roberts Group amounts to no more than two hundred and twenty billion dollars. It seems unfair of you to offer such a price." "Well..." I muttered as I placed my hand on the table and propped up my chin in my thinking posture. After reasoning with it in my head for a while, I looked up at her and noted innocently, "But, didn't Miss Forbes just mention that I could name any price that I wanted?"

Serene was taken aback at my words. Her eyes flickered with doubt. She looked like she was questioning the sanity of the person in front of her.

Allowing me to name my price was just a way of being polite. People who uttered these words intended to emphasize their superiority and to show their sincerity in cooperating. The hidden motive behind these words was actually to limit the cost to fifty percent of the reasonable range. However, this was not a formal regulation in all businesses. Although the party who received the money would end up with much more on their plate, they were also willing to accept it. Both parties benefited from this transaction. After all, no one would be opposed to money.

Nevertheless, I took this sentence literally that day.

The shares of Roberts Group were given to me by Dalton. They did not amount to much compared to Hendrix's. However, with the development of Roberts Group, it was estimated to be around five billion dollars. I started off my price with thirty billion dollars, which was six times the market price. Serene had been kind enough to say that it was unfair. If it were against someone who didn't keep their calm, I would probably be accused of blackmail.

Serene adjusted her expression and offered impatiently, "A price of eight billion dollars. What do you think?"

It was the highest within the reasonable range, with an additional five billion dollars. Her bid was quite attractive. However, the more you paid for something, the stronger it solidified the importance of the secret behind it. After a few moments of pondering, I leaned back and declared, "I won't sell them."

There was a pause, and I stared into Serene's cryptic eyes. I smirked as I said proudly, "Although my marriage with Hendrix failed, I am not a fool. With his ability, Roberts Group will become increasingly better in his hands in the future. What I receive then would be far more than eight billion dollars. I don't see any reason why I would give up such a good way to make a fortune."