The crowd erupted in flattery, their words dripping with insincere praise as Lilia’s lips curled into a cold smile.
Kendal Roy proposed negotiations. Layla, weary of business battles, leaned toward supporting the idea.
Lilia, however, was far less inclined.
From the moment Rose caused her to lose billions, an unrelenting thirst for revenge had consumed her.
Rose’s determination to fight to the end only fueled Lilia’s dark satisfaction. This was what she wanted-a war without retreat. She had come to this banquet for a singular purpose: to leverage her billion-dollar capital to apply relentless pressure on Rose and draw in more investments.
Now, with a war chest of over a hundred billion dollars, Lilia felt invincible.
Even five Sharp’s Groups combined wouldn’t stand a chance.
Entrepreneurs in the room, many still hesitant, seemed increasingly tempted to follow her lead. Some were already on their phones, discussing with their families the idea of increasing their investments in her.
By the end of the banquet, Lilia estimated she could raise an additional five billion dollars.
With so many business leaders backing her, the Sharp’s Group stood no chance.
Rose would eventually pay a devastating price for her arrogance.
Layla stood quietly on the sidelines, unfazed by the flattery and compliments being showered upon her.
She remained aloof, like an ice phoenix, her expression cold and detached.
The entrepreneurs in the room were wealthy, their net worths substantial-but none exceeded a few billion. To Layla, their praise felt meaningless, like elementary school students complimenting a professor’s brilliance. Would a PhD scholar laugh in delight at such remarks?
Unlikely.
Besides, Layla’s interests didn’t lie within these circles.
Her true passions were cultivation and medicine-pursuits that transcended all worldly rules.
Cultivation, in particular, represented absolute power, a force above all else.
The ongoing battle between Lilia and Rose had long since bored her.
As a gesture of friendship, Layla had helped Lilia secure ten billion dollars from Wakasa, at the cost of trading away an ancient formula to win the Komatsu Conglomerate’s investment.
Originally, Layla had aimed for $15 billion, but Komatsu wouldn’t budge.
Ten billion dollars was the limit. Still, it didn’t matter-this, combined with the hundreds of billions in domestic investments, was more than enough to crush the Sharp’s Group.
“Congratulations on seeing reason. Here’s to a successful partnership,” Lilia said, raising her glass toward Kendal Roy with a triumphant smile.
Her voice rang loud and clear, brimming with confidence.
Rose wasn’t far away, and it was clear Lilia’s words were meant for her ears.
“Here’s to success,” Kendal Roy replied with a faint smile, taking a sip of red wine.
Though she couldn’t gain fame from this, making a profit from the situation wasn’t a bad consolation.
After a sip, she glanced toward Rose, whose face betrayed no emotion.
Calm, composed, and even smiling faintly.
“What nerves she has-surrounded on all sides, yet still putting on a brave face,” Kendal Roy muttered with a smirk, turning her attention elsewhere.
Molly, observing Kendal’s relaxed demeanor, hesitated for a long moment before finally approaching her sister.
“Your investment in Ms. Hussain is not a wise choice,” Molly said, her tone cautious.
“They won’t win.”
“Not wise?” Kendal Roy sneered, her expression hardening. “Do I need you to teach me how to invest?”
“Get lost. Don’t hover around me.”
Lilia chuckled softly, her voice laced with mockery. “Ms. Sharp must be truly desperate, sending you as her envoy to stop people from investing in me.”
“Even if you manage to convince the second-in-command, at most, you’ll cost me one billion dollars. It won’t change the outcome in the slightest.”
Molly’s voice remained steady. “I’m not here on Ms. Sharp’s behalf.”
“Sister, if you want to make money, invest in Ms. Sharp. Otherwise…”
“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” Kendal Roy interrupted impatiently.
“I told you to leave. Are you deaf?”
“You can’t even manage your own affairs, yet you think you can lecture me on investing!”
Molly’s face darkened at her sister’s mocking tone. Her voice turned cold. “You’ll regret the decision you’ve made today.”
With that, she turned and left.
Out of familial concern, she had come to advise her sister. But Kendal’s hostility and unwillingness to listen left her no choice.
If her sister refused to heed her warning, so be it.
One billion dollars was a significant amount for her sister’s net worth. Losing it would undoubtedly sting.
“Regret?” Kendal Roy scoffed, watching Molly walk away. Her face was filled with disdain.
“With so many entrepreneurs supporting Ms. Hussain, you think I’ll regret this?”
Kendal dismissed Molly’s warning as a joke, something unworthy of serious thought.
To her, Molly had simply grown too close to Rose, forming a bond of loyalty.
Molly couldn’t bear to see Rose’s business empire collapse, so she’d tried to help.
But this was a battle of unprecedented scale-a billion-dollar war. Molly’s efforts were as futile as an ant trying to stop a charging elephant.
Lilia, holding her glass, walked slowly toward Rose. Her stunning face radiated confidence and mockery as she said coldly, “Ms. Sharp, your threats have had no effect. Instead, they’ve brought me another hundred billion in investments.”
“Half an hour has passed. I’m nearly done. What about your mysterious boss? Is he coming or not?”
The room fell silent as the two leading women faced off once more. All eyes turned to them, the tension palpable.
Throughout the earlier conversations and laughter, everyone had been watching Rose.
Not a single entrepreneur had approached her for investment.
No one even attempted casual conversation.
Rose had done nothing but quietly sip her wine, her demeanor calm and unbothered.
She had been abandoned by the Niarak entrepreneurs, her earlier threats now a source of ridicule.
Slowly, Rose placed her glass on the table and smiled. “He should be here soon. Once he arrives, we’ll begin.”
Just then, a Mercedes E300 pulled up in front of the Peninsula Hotel.
Jasper Pearce, the president of Aisino Bank’s Niarak branch, stepped out of the car, carrying a briefcase. He hurried inside.
Scanning the room, he didn’t immediately spot Flynn, who was obscured by the crowd.
Instead, his eyes landed on Rose.
Without hesitation, he strode toward her, wiping sweat from his brow as he offered an apologetic smile.
“My apologies, Ms. Sharp. The transfer amount was significant, and it took some time to process.”
Rose responded with a polite smile. “No need to apologize, Mr. Jasper. We’ve only just started.”
The onlookers, overhearing their conversation, quickly pieced things together. Their expressions shifted to ones of disdain as they began murmuring among themselves.
“So, her trump card is Mr. Jasper? She’s trying to secure a loan from the bank? But how much could she possibly get?”
“Thirty billion at most. Compared to Ms. Hussain’s assets, it’s a drop in the bucket!”
“What is Mr. Jasper thinking, lending money to Rose? Does he not realize the Sharp’s Group would need at least a hundred billion to survive?”
As experienced entrepreneurs, they knew the maximum loan amount was 70% of the value of the collateral.
The Sharp’s Group had a total market value of no more than fifty billion, meaning Rose could at most secure thirty billion.
Under ordinary circumstances, thirty billion was an enormous sum, but in this unprecedented business war, it was laughably insignificant.