Chapter 3

Julian slowly lifted his head and looked at Jocelyn with a trace of pity in his eyes. "Ms. Scott. The title of 'Queen of Walton Street' certainly carries a lot of weight."

He gave a soft, mocking round of applause. Then, he added, "Too bad that in the face of absolute capital, individual ability means nothing."

His long fingers tapped the manila envelope. "I have an agreement right here. All Mr. Reynolds has to do is sign it and hand over Reynolds Group's chairman's seal. I will immediately inject 30 billion dollars into the company and help Reynolds Group survive this crisis."

Cecilia let out an icy laugh. "Thirty billion, and you think you can swallow the entire Reynolds Group? Julian, you certainly have quite an appetite."

Julian did not get angry. He kept that calm, almost gentle smile that somehow made him even more frightening. "Ms. Woods, you misunderstand. Reynolds Group's market value is evaporating by the hour. Give it another three days and it'll be nothing but a pile of scrap."

He leaned forward, his eyes locking on Zane. "Zane, I'm not negotiating with you. I'm informing you."

Maverick stepped forward, blocking Julian's view. "Even if the Reynolds family goes bankrupt, we will never hand over what our family built to someone like you."

Julian looked at Maverick and suddenly laughed. "You are still such a man of principle. Although I wonder if that little bit of principle will be enough to save Reynolds Group."

He leaned back against the sofa and casually undid one of the buttons on his suit jacket.

"Oh, I almost forgot to mention something. The three overseas gold mines I pledged as collateral to Reynolds Group's creditors have doubled in value. Now, every creditor is on my side."

He looked at the colorless expression on Zane's face, his voice growing even softer. "Zane, just sign. Otherwise, the entire Reynolds family, young and old, will be out on the streets with you."

I stood at the corner of the second floor, watching the whole show unfold below.

Julian really did leave nothing to chance. He liked using the gentlest voice to deliver the cruelest blows.

Suddenly, Zane broke into a violent coughing fit. He coughed so hard that it sounded like his lungs were tearing apart.

Maverick rushed over and patted his back while Cecilia poured him a glass of warm water and held it out.

"Dad, please don't get worked up."

Jocelyn turned toward Julian, her eyes red. "Who are you? We searched every major mining company in the world. There is no one like you."

Julian stood up and straightened his cuff. "Who I am isn't important. What matters is that the fate of Reynolds Group is now in my hands."

He glanced at his watch. "I will give you one hour to think it over. If you can't hand over the chairman's seal after one hour... Reynolds Group's bankruptcy and liquidation proceedings will begin immediately."

Then, he turned toward the second floor, his eyes landing precisely where I stood. "I heard Yvonne Smith is a breathtaking beauty."

A playful smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I wonder if she'll still be able to buy Hermès after Reynolds Group goes bankrupt."

"Keep her out of this." Maverick spun around, his voice as cold as ice. He blocked Julian's view of me, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

Julian looked away and casually brushed some nonexistent dust from his suit. "Why are you so nervous?"

He kept his tone light. "I was just asking. After all, a pampered little songbird that has spent her whole life in a golden cage doesn't know how to survive once the cage is gone."

Jocelyn walked over to Maverick and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't lose your temper." She warned him quietly before turning back to Julian. "Mr. Hoffman, one hour isn't enough. We need time to verify your source of funds and the legitimacy of those gold mines."

Julian smiled, then sat back down on the sofa, looking even more arrogant than before.