Chapter 209
Egbert's eyes tracked Brandon's labored movements as he struggled to rise, melancholy flooding through him like a cold tide.
"Do you happen to have any wine?" Egbert's voice carried a quiet desperation.
Brandon chose silence over words, his hand reaching instead for the ornate bedside bell that gleamed in the afternoon light.
Within moments, soft footsteps announced the arrival of a uniformed maid. "Yes, Mr. Watson?"
"Please retrieve several bottles from our wine collection," Brandon commanded, his hand still dabbing at the crimson streak that continued to seep from his split lip. "You'll find them stored within the wine cellar's depths."
Egbert's gaze shifted to the maid as he rattled off specific vintages, each name rolling off his tongue with practiced precision.
She nodded respectfully toward Brandon before disappearing to fulfill the request.
Egbert studied Brandon's repetitive motions as he continued blotting his wounded mouth with the back of his hand, and with undisguised contempt, he launched a tissue packet from the nearby table in Brandon's direction.
Heavy silence enveloped them both as they waited for the wine's arrival.
Egbert's gaze drifted toward the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, where he found himself captivated by the garden's breathtaking panorama stretching beyond the glass.
The scenery proved quite breathtaking in its serene beauty.
His mind inevitably wandered to the knowledge that this magnificent residence had been Millie and Brandon's new home to celebrate their marriage, and bitter resentment began gnawing at his consciousness.
Why did fate decree that both Brandon and Myron could claim positions beside her, while denying him the same privilege?
The weight of that injustice settled heavily upon his splrit, crushing him beneath its unbearable burden.
The maid reappeared bearing the requested wine bottles before quietly withdrawing from their presence.
Egbert seized his glass and took a substantial gulp of the rich red wine before finally speaking again."Following your return from Flesta that year, how much time elapsed before she achieved recovery?"
Brandon's eyelids drooped slightly as his mind conjured the harrowing events from that period-vivid images of Millie drenched in her blood, her anguished screams echoing through his mind. The recollection stabbed through his chest with renewed agony.
"More than a month elapsed," Brandon finally managed to whisper. "From that moment forward, her physical condition never truly recovered its former strength."
Egbert acknowledged this revelation with a solemn nod and lifted his glass for another substantial drink.
The chamber remained cloaked in oppressive quiet until Egbert shattered the stillness once more. "You should understand that originally, that crucial contract was never intended to receive my signature."
Brandon's eyebrows drew together in a fierce scowl, his penetrating stare boring into Egbert with unmistakable menace radiating from his expression.
Egbert deliberately dismissed Brandon's intimidating glare and poured himself another generous glass of wine.
"You've undoubtedly heard stories about my previous disposition and business practices," he continued."Even if Watson Group managed to overcome every technical obstacle, what genuine impact could that achievement have made? Even if you had discovered alternative partnership opportunities, globally recognized innovation flows exclusively from my organization. Every other company operates as nothing more than amateur competition. What logical reason existed for my thriving empire to surrender valuable profits to Watson Group, which functioned as little more than an ambitious startup venture at that time?"
Egbert's lips curved into a contemptuous smile as he swirled the burgundy wine wíthin his glass, the liquid's crimson hue evoking memories of her bloodstained form from that devastating day.
"Countless people fail to grasp this fundamental business principle, desperately attempting to extract valuable concessions from me through collaboration, elaborate deception, or various other manipulative methods. Brandon, you proved no different from the rest. Your Vision focused on achieving mutually beneficial cooperation, but I, along with the formidable Perez family empire supporting my decisions,pursued complete monopolistic control. Why would I willingly share profits when I possessed the capability to claim everything for myself? Therefore, when you departed with my assistant to print and finalize the contractual documents, 1 told Millie the truth directly."
Egbert lifted his gaze to study Brandon, whose features had twisted into an expression of profound inner chaos. "Nevertheless, she appeared to have predicted my eleventh-hour sabotage with remarkable accuracy. Yet, despite her foresight, her final decision materialized almost instantaneously."
Egbert consumed another measured portion of wine, his focus dissolving into distant memories as his mind transported him back to that frigid late autumn afternoon in Flesta, years buried in the past.
On that particular day, beside the frozen pool's edge, only Millie and he remained present, accompanied by a substantial gathering of his armed men.
The legal frameworks governing the two nations differed dramatically, and during that era, his personnel carried an impressive arsenal of weapons, their clothing still bearing the dark stains of recent violence.
Brandon and Millie had positioned their own bodyguards fifty meters away to demonstrate their absolute commitment to good faith negotiations, leaving her exposed in a position of complete vulnerability.
Under these deliberately intimidating circumstances, he unveiled his true intentions to her and commanded his armed men to apply psychological pressure.
This represented his customary perverted entertainment-manipulating vulnerable individuals while savoring the expressions of rage and terror that would inevitably cross their faces.
Indeed,he had always been such a fundamentally warped individual.
But she responded with nothing more than a gentle smile, and against the backdrop of that harsh autumn wind, her exporession radiated extraordinary beauty-resembling the single splash of vivid color amid an otherwise colorless landscape.
"Mr. Perez, you've prepared two separate contracts for this meeting, haven't you?" she inquired with perfect composure
He couldn't decipher the meaning behind her words and gestured with his hand for her to élaborate further.
"One contract represents the finalized agreement we've spént hours negotiating and réfining together. The second contract embodies the document you crafted specifically to manipulate and deceive us." Millie allowed her gaze to drop slightly, her lengthy eyelashes creating delicate upward curves that enhanced her refined features. "I suspect you wouldn't want to miss witnessing Brandon's reaction when your elaborate deception achieved its intended effect, so you would have instructed your assistant to print both versions of the contract and bring them to this meeting."
During that tense moment, she smiled directly at him while articulating his elaborate scheme with perfect accuracy and insight.
He craved the satisfaction of observing their faces when the victims realized they'd been thoroughly manipulated. Without witnessing their devastation personally, where would the pleasure reside?
"Therefore..." Her expression maintained that perfectly calibrated smile, betraying not the slightest hint of panic or distress. She continued with maddening composure, "Mr. Perez, let's establish a wager between us."
This unexpected turn caught him completely off guard, since he had always been the one to initiate such dangerous propositions.
His standard procedure followed a predictable pattern-the opposing party would engage in lengthy negotiations with him, and then depart with jubilant expressions to finalze the contract printing, only to return and discover they had been thoroughly deceived, their faces contorting with raw fury. At that precise moment, Egbert would extend what appeared to be a lifeline through a high-stakes wager, rekindling their desperate hope, and they would inevitably accept his gambling challenge.
Subsequently, when they inevitably lost the wager, he would cast them out like mangy dogs without ceremony.
However, if they somehow managed to win, the entertainment reached even more exquisite heights--Egbert would tear the contract to shreds directly before their eyes,declaring with mock surprise,"What a delightful twist, wouldn't you agree?"
Witnessing their expressions during that crushing moment of revelation brought him pure, intoxicating pleasure.
The aftermath proved equally satisfying-after banishing them from his presence and later hearing others recount tales of his "legendary exploits," Egbert discovered even deeper gratification in hís reputation.
But this encounter had shattered his carefully orchestrated routine entirely.
He studied her with renewed interest before asking, "Indeed? What manner of wager captures your imagination?"
Her smile remained unwavering as she responded, "This represents your territory, Mr. Perez. Since I've initiated this proposal, you possess the authority to establish the terms. I can only express that should I emerge victorious, I hope you would honor the cooperation agreement we've just completed."
His eyebrow arched upward as a malevolent grin spread across his features, and he declared, "Then let's wager our very lives. Do you possess such courage?"
He elevated his right hand with deliberate menace, raising the weapon clutched within his grip, its obsidian barrel aimed directly at her chest.
Around him, a dozen of his most ruthless enforcers-seasoned criminals every one-simultaneously raised their firearms and targeted her vulnerable form.
This location was Flesta, a region notorious for its permissive weapon regulations, so these represented genuine military-grade firearms, their metal surfaces carrying the acrid tang of fresh gunpowder.
If he or any of his subordinates applied pressure to their triggers, her skull would detonate like a ripe melon.
"Consider your options with extreme care. Should you stop right here, the worst outcome involves an unsigned contract. But should you go on and lose this gamble, you forfeit your existence. Precisely like this..."
"Bang!" He pantomimed the sound of a gunshot with his free hand, his grin widening as he performed the explosive sound effect with theatrical flair.
Yet she displayed not the slightest trace of terror-her eyes never wávered from the dozen weapon muzzles trained upon her position.
She simply inclined her head in calm acceptance and stated, "Very well, let's stake our lives on this outcome."
Her demeanor suggested complete indifference to the presence of those lethal weapons, as though she faced nothing more threatening than an ordinary business discussion.
Only at that moment did he begin to scrutinize the woman standing before him with genuine attention.
Although her maneuvering during their earlier negotiations had demonstrated remarkable brilliance, he had never intended to honor the contract regardless, so her tactical prowess hadn't concerned him particularly.
But now, with her very existence balanced precariously in his hands, a troubling question emerged.
Wasn't she experiencing even the faintest tremor of fear?