Chapter 114
I sighed heavily after hanging up the phone. Knowing Jonathan was the biggest investor, I really didn't want to get involved. But there was no way out; my dad owed him twenty million. He'd lent my dad the money so generously, and now that he needed help and was humbly asking me, how could I possibly refuse? He said if the negotiation was successful, the twenty million could be offset. So, since I couldn't repay the money myself, I could only do my best to help him secure this investment.
The investment negotiation meeting was scheduled for 7 o'clock that evening at the Citrus Hotel. I'd already changed into professional attire and made all the preparations by five o'clock.
At six o'clock, Winston and Anton set off with me. Their presence at this negotiation meeting indicated they truly valued the project. The assistant drove, Anton sat in the passenger seat, and Winston and I sat in the back.
Winston looked at me and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, Ralda, but this time I need to use your connections to help me.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” I replied. “It was actually me and my dad who owed you.”
I paused, then said, “However, I’m not really familiar with Jonathan, so I can’t be 100% sure I can help you secure his investment.”
“It’s okay, just do your best,” Winston smiled, patting my shoulder. His eyes and brows were as gentle as ever.
I glanced at him, then looked out the window, feeling a bit complicated and disturbed. Jonathan seemed carefree and jovial, but he was actually very difficult to talk to. And he used to enjoy provoking Reynaldo. Later, I'd have to find an opportunity to ask Jonathan not to tell Reynaldo about this.
As I was thinking, I suddenly saw Anton's reflection in the car window. I instinctively turned my head and met his gaze. My heart skipped a beat, and I rushed to ask, “Mr. Pruitt, what’s wrong?”
Anton smirked and said, “It’s nothing.”
At first, I thought he was not only handsome but also possessed a gentle and refined temperament. But at that moment, as I looked at him, I couldn't help but feel that his smile was somewhat mischievous. From the day he asked me if I was pregnant, I'd sensed something strange in the way he looked at me.
Anton turned his head away, and I looked at his profile, feeling puzzled.
We quickly arrived at the Citrus Hotel. The private room Winston reserved was on the third floor. When we arrived, the investors hadn't arrived yet. Winston said they'd invited ten investors, but only three had agreed to come. The most financially influential was Jonathan. In other words, securing Jonathan's investment would ensure the project's smooth progress.
Ah, thinking back to the times I'd been deceived by him before, I felt a bit frightened. But this time, we were discussing investment and cooperation seriously, so he shouldn't be joking with me anymore.
Just as I was thinking, two investors arrived together. The three of us quickly stood up, greeted them, and invited them to sit.
When I arrived, Winston told me there were three investors besides Jonathan: Mr. Schultz from a consortium company and Mr. Esparza from a listed company. Mr. Schultz was the larger of the two.
After they entered, they looked around the private room and asked Winston, “Why hasn’t Mr. Dunlap arrived yet?”
Winston looked at the time and smiled, “It’s almost time; we should be on our way.”
Mr. Schultz frowned impatiently and said to Mr. Esparza, “If only we had known, we would have come later too.”
“Well, we should learn from Mr. Dunlap and tread carefully,” Mr. Esparza replied, “otherwise some people might think we attach great importance to this project.”
“Yes, yes, yes…” Mr. Schultz agreed.
Listening to their conversation, Winston's expression changed slightly, showing some displeasure. I shook my head at him, quickly got up to pour them tea, and said, “Hello, Mr. Schultz and Mr. Esparza.”
They ignored me and sneered at Winston, saying, “Mr. Humphrey, to be honest, if it weren’t for the fact that you are Mr. Humphrey’s brother, we wouldn’t have wanted to come on this trip.”