hapter 51
Valerie snapped, “Whether I face retribution or not is none of your
business.‘
Skyler seethed. Realizing she wouldn’t bend, he had no choice but to try a different approach.” Let’s stop playing games. If you’d donate a kidney-”
“That’s not happening.”
“At least let me finish,” he pleaded.
“If it’s about a kidney donation, save your breath.”
He gritted his teeth before saying, “Fine. I’ll compromise, but you must continue providing the drug until Jay finds a suitable kidney donor. I’ll give you 20 million dollars and a two- bedroom apartment at Pentaring.”
Still, Valerie didn’t budge. “20 billion dollars and not a dime less.”
In a rage, Skyler raised his voice. “The Woodward family doesn’t have 20 billion dollars! That number includes stocks, properties, investments, stores, and everything else!”
“In that case, transfer properties worth 20 billion dollars under my name.”
“Don’t be too greedy, Valerie. Even if the Woodward family’s fortune started with your mom’s recipes, I’m the one who built Woodward Group into what it is today. You’re asking for too much by demanding half of everything just because we’re related by blood.”
Valerie sneered. “So Jay isn’t worth that much to you, after all.”
The mention of Jay struck a nerve.
Skyler was the type of man who favored sons over daughters. He’d divorced and remarried just because Marnie had given him a precious son he’d always wanted.
That was why he couldn’t care less about Sonia, but Jay had to survive.
With that in mind, Skyler had to compromise. “I’ll give you a billion dollars and an apartment in Triaring that covers six thousand square feet. You’ll be set for life.”
“Five billion dollars and the old mansion in Pentaring’s suburbs.”
Dropping from 20 billion dollars to five billion dollars gave Skyler a flicker of hope, but the old mansion made him hesitate.
“Do you have any idea what that old mansion is worth?”
Crossing her arms, Valerie smiled and replied, “I don’t care how much it’s worth. All I know is that Mom bought it before she married you, and it was under her name. She promised to give
Chapter 51
it to me as a coming–of–age gift.”
Skyler’s heart was nearly bleeding in pain.
2/2
After nearly 20 years, the old mansion Lilith had bought for a few million dollars had grown in multiples of its initial value. Besides, it was vast and located within Pentaring. Though it’d been vacant for years, its potential for appreciation was enormous, even if left unattended.
At that moment, another idea popped up in his mind as he said, “The old mansion is old and poorly maintained, so it’s unhabitable. A young woman like you would be better off with a new apartment.”
“Look,” she said, dangling the drug she’d gotten ready in front of him. “Haggle with me any further, and your precious son goes back to the ICU.”
Something inside Skyler hardened as he finally said, “Fine. You can have the old mansion, but five billion dollars is impossible. The old mansion and two billion dollars are my final offer.”
“Deal.” Valerie tossed him the drug and added, “Expect my call tomorrow morning. I’ll bring a lawyer to handle the title transfer, and I want to see two billion dollars in my bank account before noon.
“Oh, and a friendly reminder–this drug only sustains him for seven days. After the transfer, I’ll give you six months‘ worth that will buy you enough time to find a kidney donor. “There’s one condition–any transplant requires the donor’s signed consent.”
Chapter 52
