CHAPTER 086
JULIAN’S POV
“And you’re the guy my staff told me about, so what can I help you with, Mr. Blake?” she said, her attention still focused on her painting.
I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm despite the frustration beginning to simmer beneath the surface. “I don’t know if your staff told you the full story, but there’s some very key information that we would like to access from here, and she said she couldn’t do it, so I came to you,” I said, taking a seat across from her.
“Important information? Are you with the government or the police?” she asked without looking up, her brushstrokes clean and slow.
“No, I’m not,” I replied, leaning forward slightly. “You see, a few…”
“Save it,” she interrupted, not even bothering to glance up. “If you’re not the police, then you have no right to demand any information from my orphanage.”
I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to raise my voice. “Well, I wasn’t demanding; I’m asking you to grant permission for us to check this information,” I said, trying to keep my tone measured, though it was becoming harder with each passing second.
“And you think I would just say yes?” she replied, her tone cool and detached. “I don’t know either of you, and you want access to our files. For all I know, you might be spies trying to plant a bug in my system and monitor me.”
ed, stunned. “That sounds ridiculous. Why would we want to do that?”
culous as it sounds, it could be true,” she said, her voice finally tinged with emotion, though still calm. “I have a lot of enemies willing to do anything to get k at me. You might be working for one of them.”
rubbed my temples, trying to stay composed. “Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but we‘ re not spies. Neither are we part of any ‘enemy pyramid. I just need this information to help out a very close friend of mine.”
She raised an eyebrow, her attention still on the canvas. “Ok, and I’m 15 years old,” she said, her voice almost teasing.
“Pardon?” I replied, completely thrown off by the sudden change in tone.
“Exactly,” she said, turning her head just enough for me to see the playful glint in her eye. “Everyone can tell lies. You could be lying that you’re not a spy while still being a spy.”
I sighed heavily, my patience we let us do this,” I said, trying to rem
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Successfully unlocked! I’ll really just appreciate it if you despite the rising tide of frustration.
pie
“My answer remains no,” she said, her voice cold and dismissive. “And I think you’ve overstayed your welcome. Please leave.”
1/3
CHAPTER ORS
I stared at her for a long moment, my mind racing for a way around her obstinate. refusal. Why did everyone make things so difficult at first? This woman was refusing to help, all because of some ridiculous spy fantasy.
I let out a small sigh, running my hand through my hair. I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but it seemed like I had no other choice.
“All right,” I said, trying to mask the frustration in my voice. “I’d like us to make a deal.”
She started laughing–a soft chuckle, but the mockery was clear in her tone. “And what deal could you ever offer me, boy?” she asked, her focus still on the painting as if she couldn’t be bothered to even glance my way.
I sat up straighter, adjusting the collar of my T–shirt. This wasn’t going the way I’d hoped, but I wasn’t backing down. “Nothing much, just a simple offer. I’d like to buy the orphanage,” I said, leaning forward, watching her reaction closely.
She paused, the paintbrush hovering mid–air, before slowly placing it down. The silence stretched for a moment as she turned her head to face me, a skeptical glint in her eyes. “And what makes you think I would want to sell my orphanage?” she asked, her voice dripping with disbelief.
I met her gaze, undeterred. “From the moment I walked into this building, I could see how badly it was falling apart. The chipped paint, the outdated furniture–everything’s -in disrepair. This place is crying for renovation, but it’s clear you don’t have the funds
to maintain it properly,” I said, each word deliberate, meant to make her think.
She remained silent, her fingers twitching ever so slightly, as though weighing my words. I knew I’d hit a nerve.
“You’re right,” she said finally, her tone softer now, but tinged with resignation. “But even if I were thinking about selling, do you really think this place is within your pay grade? Do you honestly believe I’d sell it for twenty thousand dollars? Please, don’t make me laugh,” she said, a smirk curling at the corner of her lips.
I leaned in, watching her carefully, my eyes steady. “How about a million dollars?” I said, letting the figure hang in the air.
Her expression shifted instantly. The brush she’d been holding fell to the floor with a soft thud as she slowly turned to face me, wide–eyed. “What did you just say?” she asked, her voice a mixture of disbelief and curiosity.
“One million dollars, I’ll buy the orphanage for one million dollars,” I repeated calmly, watching the impact of my words settle in.
For a moment, she didn’t say a word. She sat there, staring at me as if trying to process what I’d just proposed. I could practically see the gears turning in her head. Then, as if she couldn’t contain it anymore, she shot to her feet–faster than I’d expected for someone her age–and said, “Deal. Deal, deal, deal!” She started pacing toward me, her hands clapping together in excitement.
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CHAPTER 086
I allowed myself a small smirk. As expected, the old woman couldn’t resist such an offer. Who could? No sane person would turn down one million dollars, no matter how sentimental they were about the place. The building didn’t look like it was worth a fraction of that, but it didn’t matter. She was already too excited to think straight.
I stood up, adjusting my shirt as I offered my hand. “It’s a deal,” I said, shaking hers firmly.
She grabbed a pen from her desk and immediately scribbled down the details of her bank account. “Just transfer the funds to my account, and the orphanage is yours,” she said, her voice full of excitement.
I couldn’t help but be a little amused by her eagerness. She was so quick to jump into it now that the money was on the table. The power of money, I thought. It was almost laughable how fast someone could switch sides when the price was right.
“Thank you very much, sir,” she said, her voice now dripping with politeness.
“Sir?” I said, raising an eyebrow in surprise. “You were just calling me a spy a few minutes ago, and now I’m ‘sir‘? The things money can do.” I chuckled softly.
She looked up at me, slightly flustered but still smiling.““I apologize, Mr. Blake. It’s just that… well, this is a huge offer. I didn’t expect anyone would be willing to pay so much.” She paused for a moment, then, as if realizing the shift in power dynamics, added, ” Thank you, sir. I truly appreciate your generosity.”
I shook my head, smiling. “As much as would love for you to continue saying that, my mom raised me well, so please drop the ‘Sir‘ and just call me Julian,” I said, a little smirk tugging at my lips. “No need for all the formalities.”
w that t
But after
She blinked at me, clearly not expecting me to a brief moment, she nodded, a small laugh escaping her lips. “Alright, Julian. I suppose we have a deal then.”
