Charles just stared at Diana, not saying a word, then suddenly got all up in her space.
Diana instinctively backed up, but there was a wall right behind her, so she was stuck.
Charles spread his arms, boxing her in between the wall and his chest.
Diana felt the pressure, her scalp tingling, and a thin layer of sweat popped up on her forehead.
Above her, Charles sneered, "You wanna make a deal with me? Diana, what does the Spencer Group have that I don't?"
Diana's ears were buzzing, so she ducked down and slipped out from under his arm to get away.
Once she got her balance back, she faced him head-on. "Mr. Percy, the Spencer Group means a lot to me. It's my mom's legacy. I hope you can cancel the bankruptcy liquidation."
Charles straightened up, turned to her, and mocked, "You've got guts. Tell me, if I cancel the liquidation, what do I get out of it?"
Diana replied, "I'll pay off all the debts and buy the Spencer Group. Mr. Percy, if the Spencer Group goes under, you get nothing. Why not sell it to me? I'll pay double the market price."
Charles sneered, "And where are you gonna get the money to pay off the debts?"
Nolan had mentioned Bianca's will to Charles before.
But the Spencer Group was barely hanging on, and Diana hadn't taken anything from the Percy Group. How was she gonna buy the company from him?
Before Diana could answer, Charles crossed his arms and continued, "Diana, you're all talk. Do you even know how much it costs to pay off the debts and buy the Spencer Group?"
Diana knew she couldn't piss him off right now, so she forced out a couple of tears to play the victim card.
"No matter the cost, I'm willing to pay. Double not enough? How about triple? My mom's gone, my dad's got a new family. This company is all I have left." Diana's tone was dead serious.If Charles didn't know the Spencer family's situation, he might've thought she was loaded.
If Diana had any assets now, it was probably just her looks and body.
At the last party, Matthew seemed really into her.
And now, in front of Charles, Diana had tears clinging to her lashes, her eyes and nose a bit red. Anyone would feel sorry for her.
If Diana became a sugar baby for those rich guys, she might actually make them go broke.
Charles thought about his ex-wife Diana trying to seduce other men, and a surge of anger hit him. He threw out a number she could never afford. "$300 million to buy the Spencer Group. Can you swing that?"
Diana looked at Charles, stunned. $300 million? $30 million would be even enough to start another company.
Diana really wanted to chat with the original Diana in her dreams. She could start several companies and name them all Spencer, but that wasn't an option now.
$300 million was way too high, but if she took a job on the Dark Web, she could make about $20 million per gig, though it would take some time.
Thinking of this, Diana said to Charles, "Deal, $300 million."
Charles laughed, pissed off at her bold claim. "Diana, you can't even come up with $3 million, let alone $300 million. Don't think I don't know the Spencer Group's situation. How are you gonna make $300 million?"
Charles wasn't lying. Even at its peak, the Spencer Group couldn't have scraped together $300 million.
Diana stood tall. "Mr. Percy, this is a deal, so we're equals. How I get the money is my business. But trust me, I'll earn it legit. Just give me four months. In four months, I'll have your $300 million."
Charles's suspicions grew. He'd thrown out that number to make her back off. But he didn't expect her to be so hung up on the Spencer Group, even willing to sell herself.
So he turned, opened the car door, and said coldly, "Not for sale!"
Diana had no clue about the dirty thoughts in Charles's head and kept upping the price, "$400 million! $500 million!"
Seeing Charles about to leave, Diana desperately grabbed the car door. If this negotiation failed, catching Charles again would be tough.
Charles just ignored her and started the car.
Unexpectedly, Diana still didn't let go and got dragged a few feet before falling to the ground.
Her dress was torn to shreds, but she stubbornly watched Charles drive away.
"Charles! Stop the car!" Diana shouted.
The car, which was about to turn, actually stopped.
Charles looked at her lying on the ground, suppressing his anger, and walked over, yanking her up by the arm.
Diana's knees were scraped, and her hands were scratched from the fall.
The wounds stung, but all she heard was Charles's gritted voice, "Diana, if you want to die, go jump in the ocean or get hit by a car. Don't die in the Percy Group and dirty my place."
After warning her, he angrily called Nolan, "Nolan, get to the third basement level now."
Nolan didn't know what had happened, but he could tell Charles was furious, and the fallout would be bad.
So he dropped everything and rushed to the third basement level.
Diana hadn't given up. Enduring the pain, she continued, "The Spencer Group's bankruptcy is a loss for you too. Sell it to me, and I'll pay $500 million. Why not, Charles? Aren't businessmen supposed to make money?"
Hearing this, Charles grabbed her by the throat.
Forcing Diana to look up at him, their faces were inches apart, but there was no intimacy. He said, "Diana, from the day you schemed to marry me, you should've expected this. Now you're playing the victim? Don't use buying back the Spencer Group as an excuse to pester me. If you know what's good for you, get as far away from me as possible."
But the next second, Diana raised her hand and slapped him across the face.
Charles immediately felt a burning pain and instinctively let go of her throat.
"Charles, you win. I regret marrying you. It was a mistake to revolve around you before. But this slap is a reality check. I won't revolve around you for the rest of my life," Diana stated calmly.
It felt incredibly satisfying. Diana couldn't comprehend why Charles always saw her explanations as just a ploy to bother him, no matter how she tried to clarify things.
The old Diana wouldn't have dared to hit him, let alone speak without stuttering.
But now Sophia was in Diana's body, standing in front of Charles! She had no time for this melodramatic drama!
Charles's head was turned by the slap, and he laughed out loud, tongue pressing against his cheek.