Chapter 3 - The Offer on the Table
By 9:55 AM, the café across from Vale Enterprises was packed, but not with normal morning commuters. Word had leaked through financial forums that a major corporate showdown was taking place, and several investigative journalists were casually seated at nearby tables, sipping lattes and pretending to check their laptops.
I sat at a small wooden table near the window, dressed in a sharp tailor-made charcoal suit, sipping a simple black coffee.
At 10:00 AM sharp, a black armored SUV pulled up to the curb. Richard Vale stepped out, flanked by two attorneys in dark suits. He looked exhausted, his hair slightly unkempt, his sharp blue eyes locked onto me through the window glass.
He pushed open the café door, the small brass bell ringing cheerfully—a absurd contrast to the dark cloud of fury surrounding him.
Without waiting for an invitation, Richard pulled out the metal chair across from me and sat down. His attorneys remained standing behind him like grim sentinels.
“You’ve caused a great deal of trouble in twelve hours, Miss Lin,” Richard said, his voice low and dangerous.
“Good morning to you too, Mr. Vale,” I replied smoothly. “I see you didn't bring Vanessa. I was hoping she could teach me more about high society.”
Richard’s jaw tightened. “My daughter is young and impulsive. She made a foolish speech at a private party. It was poor taste, yes, but it has nothing to do with multi-million-euro corporate logistics.”
“It has everything to do with character,” I corrected him, leaning forward slightly. “Your daughter thinks money gives her the right to trample on people. And you think power gives you the right to steal my mother’s legacy.”
Richard signaled to his head lawyer, who immediately placed a thick document on the table between us.
“That is a formal settlement agreement,” Richard said, clicking a gold pen and sliding it beside the paper. “We will pay you eight million euros in cash for full release of all claims regarding Eleanor Lin’s patents. In addition, you will sign a non-disclosure agreement regarding the merger and issue a public statement clarifying that the incident at the wedding was a miscommunication and an accidental slip of the foot.”
I glanced down at the paper, then back up at Richard.
“Eight million euros,” I mused. “That’s a generous offer for a 'scum' like me.”
“Don't be foolish, Maya,” Richard growled, leaning in so the journalists nearby couldn't hear. “Eight million is more money than you will ever make in three lifetimes. Take the cash, buy yourself a nice house in the suburbs, and let the adults handle business. If you refuse, my legal team will tie this up in appellate court for the next decade. You’ll be broke from legal fees before you ever see a dime.”
I let out a soft, genuine laugh. It surprised him.
“Mr. Vale, you seem to miscalculate my financial situation,” I said calmly. “Did Arthur Vance not explain how I acquired forty-two percent of Sterling Global’s debt?”
Richard paused, a flicker of doubt finally entering his eyes. “You used your mother’s trust line.”
“No,” I said, leaning back and folding my hands. “I’ve spent the last four years managing sustainable infrastructure portfolios for Vance Capital. I don't need your eight million euros, Richard. I already have thirty million in liquid assets.”
Richard’s face went completely pale. The gold pen slipped slightly in his fingers.
“You… what?”
“I didn't freeze your merger to get a settlement,” I explained, my voice as smooth as ice. “I froze it because your entire company is built on inflated assets and illegal patent transfers. By noon today, the Securities and Exchange Commission will receive a comprehensive audit of Vale Enterprises’ balance sheets for the last three years.”
Richard slammed both palms onto the small wooden table, rattling my coffee cup. “You little viper! You’re trying to destroy my family!”
“Your daughter destroyed her own wedding,” I said, standing up and buttoning my suit jacket. “You destroyed your own business by stealing from a dead woman. I am simply delivering the invoice.”
I picked up the unsigned settlement document, tore it neatly down the middle, and placed the two halves back on the table.
“Keep the eight million, Mr. Vale,” I added, looking down at him. “You’re going to need it for bail.”
As I walked out of the café, I passed Adrian, who was standing near the doorway. He looked exhausted, his wedding ring missing from his hand.
“Maya,” he called out quietly.
I stopped and looked at him. “Yes, Adrian?”
“Is there any part of this that was ever about us?” he asked, his voice filled with regret. “Or was I just a pawn in your plan?”
I looked at him with genuine pity. “I cared about you, Adrian. I really did. I came to your wedding to support you. But when your wife publicly humiliated me and you stood there and hesitated… I realized you had chosen your side.”
“She was my wife, Maya! What was I supposed to do?”
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“You were supposed to be a man,” I said gently. “Good luck, Adrian.”
I stepped out into the bright sunshine, leaving him standing alone in the doorway as the first wave of news vans began pulling up to Vale Enterprises across the street.
