A Vengeful Ex-Wife novel Chapter 217

Maria's temples throbbed. "Mr. Shen, I..." James had taken the initiative to breach the subject last night, but she had stubbornly refused to tell him anything.

She couldn't afford to change her mind just like that and go to him with a changed tune. She had too much self-respect forthat course of action.

The secretive smile remained on Norman's lips. "I know you can do it, Maria." Then he hung up without even waiting for an answer.

Maria stared at her phone in disbelief.

She started to bite her thumb. If she had known that Norman would be this way, she would have just laid it all out before James the night before. Oh, why was she so bullheaded? She was now regretting her actions.

Well, in hindsight, why was she being so softhearted toward Carolina anyway?

She had no choice now but to figure out a way to get James to help her.

She had already used her appearance in the past, so that was not an option this time. Not to mention the fact that she was rather tired of that particular method herself.

James was an impregnable man when it came to business. There was no one who could ever hope to dissuade him from his corporate principles.

That made beauty and business out from her list of arsenal now.

Maria racked her brains to come up with another way.

She headed over to the offices of HL Group.

Later inside the CEO's office, Maria clung to James' arm as she tried to coax him in a honeyed voice. "You see, my company needs a huge investment fund, so I have no other choice but to borrow some money from you."

He shot her a look of disdain and pulled his arm out of her hold. "How much do you want to borrow?" he asked, all business.

She raised a palm and stretched out her fingers. "Five billion dollars."

'They are sisters indeed. Even the tricks they play are the same.' James looked at Maria, his face devoid of emotion. "You actually only need three billion, don't you? You're asking for five so that you can haggle if I don't agree the first time. And once I give you the money, you're actually going to change lanes and hand it over to Song Group. Am I wrong?"

Maria said nothing. He had everything right.

"Weren't you so dead set on not telling me anything? I thought Norman had already agreed to be your white knight?"

'I knew it!' Maria snapped inwardly. This man would definitely not an opportunity to mock her pass.

But she was the one at a disadvantage this time around, so she would do best to concede to him.

James continued, "Just what do you think of me? Another fish in your pond of suitors? You will consider me as an option when the other men refused you, huh?"

Maria's face darkened, and a muscle ticked in her jaw. She did her best to suppress the anger that was slowly rising in her chest.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Aren't you always so glib?"

She took a deep breath to calm herself before looking him in the eye. When she spoke, her voice was steady and resolute. "If you lend me the amount I need, I promise I won't appear before you again. I won't be pestering you anymore. I know you've always wanted this, so surely this counts as a benefit for you. I will promise you, and I will keep my word. If the Song Group fails to pay you back in the future, you can have someone come to me and I will pay it back out of my own pocket. We can draft a contract today and I will sign an IOU note."

She was capable of raising three billion dollars, albeit only barely, but she wouldn't be able to do so on such short notice. She could only run to James for now.

A tense silence fell in the room after she had said her piece. James' lips tightened into a thin line.

What she promised was an undeniably attractive offer.

A part of him had always put all the responsibility for their current relationship on Maria, blaming her for seducing him at every turn.

"You're seriously willing to risk everything for the Song family when they've already cut all ties with you."

The irony in his tone was not lost to her. She ignored his words and threw him another bait. "I can also leave H City if you want."

Leave H City? His hands clenched into fists and his eyes took on a piercing edge. "Didn't you want to take your revenge?"

"There are many ways to take revenge, and I've somehow chosen the stupidest and worst possible option. I just need to regroup and amass a fortune. Even if I'm no longer in H City, there are still plenty of opportunities to exact my vengeance in other ways. Money makes the world go round after all. Retaliation would just be a piece of cake." "Get out!"

Maria stared in shock at his response. 'What the hell does he mean by that?'

She didn't move from where she stood.

"Get out!" James yelled again.

"Does that mean you're going to lend the money?" She couldn't afford to leave this place empty-handed.

"I don't like your attitude. I won't give it to you." How could she cling to her pride like that while begging for his help in the same breath?