Chapter 161 To Make Matters Worse
Chloe froze. “I can do it myself…”
“I know,” Brian said. “I know you’re not the kind of woman who needs someone to handle everything for you and that you prefer relying on yourself. But Chloe, this is something I want to do for you. Please don’t turn me down, okay?”
Sometimes he wondered, if she were a bit weaker, would she lean on him for everything? Would he then become irreplaceable to her?
Would he finally be able to have her all to himself?
But if that were true, she would no longer be herself or the woman he loved.
Once Chloe’s slippers were on and she’d followed him to the dining room, he said, “Take a seat. I’ll bring out breakfast.”
“Breakfast?”
“Yes. I made some bacon and eggs. If it’s not to your taste, just tell me what you like and I’ll
learn to make it next time.”
She was surprised. She hadn’t expected him to be up so early and cook as well.
“Did you put on an apron?” she blurted out, unable to picture him in the kitchen.
“No. Why?”
“Nothing. I was just curious what you’d look like wearing one.”
He smiled. “If you’d like to see it, I’ll put one on.”
He started to head back to the kitchen for an apron, but she caught his arm.
“No need,” she said. “I was just joking.”
“I’ll make sure to wear one when I cook for you next time,” he said, setting the plate in front
of her.
Chloe took a bite. A mix of rich flavors burst across her taste buds, and to her surprise, she loved it. Right then, living the rest of her life with Brian didn’t seem like such a bad thing.
That afternoon, Chloe went to Skyline Tech. As expected, Lena sidled up to her with a knowing smile. “Come on, spill. Did you finally do it with Brian last night?”
“Yeah, I did,” Chloe admitted.
Chapter 161 To Make Matters Worse
2/4
“What changed your mind? I thought you’d hold out forever,” Lena muttered.
Chloe rolled her eyes at Lena.
“By the way, we didn’t finish watching yesterday’s show. Want to go again sometime?” Lena
asked.
“You go with someone else. If I go with you, the performance might get interrupted again,”
Chloe said.
Lena paused, then caught on. “Wait. Was yesterday’s show stopped because of Brian?”
“Yeah.”
Shock flashed across Lena’s face. “Figures. When the mighty Mr. Steele makes a move, it’s always extravagant. Fine. I’ll find someone else.”
“Oh, how are things with Thomas?” Chloe asked.
“What do you
think? I said what needed to be said, and that’s it. Goodbye forever.”
“You and him-”
“There’s nothing between us now,” Lena said, patting Chloe’s shoulder. “Things ended between us a long time ago. If I can start a relationship, of course I can let go of it as well. Don’t worry!”
“That’s good,” Chloe said.
“By the way, I just got news this morning,” Lena said. “A venture capital firm is pulling out of Green Tech, so Curtis must be panicking. If he can’t find new investors, he might have to sell the company at a loss.”
“His company was never worth much,” Chloe said coolly.
“Exactly,” Lena concurred, her voice thick with disdain. “Talent is everything in a tech firm. He still hasn’t figured out what made his startup succeed and go public. And to think he actually tried to use your patent. Doesn’t he realize he can’t even use it?”
A smile crossed Chloe’s face. “Of course I won’t let him use my patent.”
“Divorcing you was his biggest mistake. He’ll soon have nothing left,” Lena said, predicting Curtis‘ future.
“I’m glad I divorced him,” Chloe said.
Men like Curtis wanted too much, yet always ended up with nothing. She was grateful she’d finally seen him for who he was and completely severed ties with him.
Chapter 161 To Make Matters Worse
In the CEO’s office at Green Tech, Curtis hurled his phone to the floor.
How could this happen? He’d already stooped so low to beg the investors, yet they’d still insisted on pulling out. They knew exactly what damage it would do but offered no room to negotiate.
“Curtis!” Sonya burst in, nearly struck by the flying phone. “What happened?”
“N–Nothing,” Curtis forced out. “Why are you here?”
“I know someone who can arrange a credit loan. The interest is higher than a bank’s, but your company needs cash now. You can repay me once business picks up,” Sonya said.
“A credit loan?” he frowned.
Normally, such loans required stable operations and qualifying revenue. Since Chloe’s resignation, the company had been suffering setback after setback. Its stock kept plunging, and its reputation was in the dirt.
Which bank would lend him such a large sum now?
“It’ll be hard,” he said.
“It’s not. I already told them about your company,” Sonya said. “They’re willing to lend 50 million dollars.”
“What? Really?”
Then a thought struck Curtis. “This isn’t some kind of private loan shark, is it?”
“It isn’t,” Sonya replied. “Their annual rate is under 36%.”
His heart sank.
It wasn’t usury, but it was the highest legal interest rate.
“That’s still too high,” he gritted out. “I’ll try something else…”
you
“Curtis, my uncle wants to invest in a drone project too. Borrow this money first and get the company back on its feet. Once my uncle invests, paying it back won’t be a problem,” she said.
“In two months, your shares will be unlocked anyway. Sell a portion if you must–they’re worth at least 200 million dollars.”
That was exactly why she had faith in him.
Curtis hesitated. “Alright. I’ll take the loan.”
Chapter 161 To Make Matters Worse
4/4
With investors pulling out, he needed cash to keep the company afloat. In two months, he could sell some stock and repay the loan with interest.
“Great!” Sonya smiled. “I’ll go tell them.”
After making the call, she texted Peter, who’d been blackmailing her. “You’ll have 49.5 million in three days.”
At the same time, Chloe received a call from the military.
“We’ve recovered the drone left behind by Daniel Quall. The SD card inside is in better shape than we expected. We’ve already managed to restore part of its contents. You can come to the base and take a look.”
