Chapter 49 Royce's Order
Selena's POV
After finishing dinner with Jonathan, I said goodbye and left. "I still have some work to deal with."
I picked up my phone and called Anna directly.
"Miss."
"Anna," my voice was ice-cold without a trace of warmth, "I'm taking on a private commission. Prepare a brand new contract for me, project code name—Margaret's Will."
I leaned back in my chair, looking at the sky outside the window, and began dictating my terms.
"First, the design concept fee. He's already seen that sketch. For that drawing, the charge is five million dollars."
"Second, material procurement. I want you to immediately form two teams. One goes to Sri Lanka. I want 'Padparadscha' grade sapphires—color, clarity, fire—must be the highest standard. The other team, contact the Argyle mine archives. I want them to find source records of the finest pink and blue diamonds in history. I don't care what methods you use, I want to see the actual stones."
"For this work, the advance payment is fifty million dollars. No upper limit."
"Finally," I paused, saying each word deliberately, "my personal supervision fee. From project launch to final product delivery, my daily rate is one million dollars. The timeline is tentatively set at ninety days. All fees must be paid in advance."
On the other end of the phone, there was a long silence.
I knew what Anna was thinking.
This quote wasn't just asking for too much—it was insane.
My personal fees alone were close to one hundred million dollars.
"Miss..." Anna's voice was full of hesitation and shock, "Are you sure? This price... Mr. Royce Sterling, he..."
"He'll pay." I coldly cut her off.
He wanted my time, wanted to measure my value with money, so I'd tell him exactly what my value is.
"Turn this quote into a formal business contract and send it to Royce's private office immediately," I ordered. "Don't change a single word."
"Yes, Miss." Anna's voice returned to its usual calm.
After hanging up, I felt that nauseating feeling that had been sitting in my chest finally dissipate a little.
I wanted to use this most direct, most brutal way to tell Royce that I'm not a doll he can manipulate at will.
My talent, my time, my everything—they all have a price.
And I set that price.
I waited for his call.
I waited for him to call me in a rage, asking if I'd lost my mind.
Or maybe he'd send his team of lawyers over to haggle back and forth with me over those tens of millions of dollars.
Either way, I was ready for it.
However, what I got wasn't Royce's call, nor a lawyer's letter.
Ten minutes later, my phone rang.
It was Anna again.
"Miss." Her voice carried a shock she couldn't suppress.
"What is it? Did he refuse?" I raised an eyebrow. That would be within my expectations.
"No... no." Anna's voice sounded like she was sleepwalking. "Miss, three minutes ago, our company account received a wire transfer from a Swiss bank."
My heart skipped a beat.
"Transfer amount... one hundred forty-five million dollars."
One hundred forty-five million.
Design fee, five million.
Material advance payment, fifty million.
My ninety-day personal supervision fee, ninety million.
He didn't negotiate a single penny.
He didn't even ask why.
He just... paid?
This lunatic!
"Is our little princess asleep yet?"
A gentle voice came from the doorway.
I looked up. My mother was holding a plate of cut fruit.
They must have heard me downstairs.
"Did you meet with someone from the Sterling family?" Father walked in and sat on the sofa across from me.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"Margaret Sterling, is she well?" Mother placed the fruit plate beside me and sat down next to me, gently holding my cold hand.
"She's fine." I answered briefly. "Better than I expected."
Of course I couldn't tell them that the strong woman's body was failing.
"What about the young man?" Father spoke up. We all knew who he meant. "Royce Sterling, what do you think of him?"
What do I think?
I could list ten thousand adjectives in my mind.
Arrogant, cocky, obsessive, control freak, bastard...
An obsessive maniac who wraps all his crazy behavior in cold calculations of interest.
But I couldn't say these words out loud.
Looking at the concern on my parents' faces, those harsh words that had reached my lips were swallowed back one by one.
"He's a typical Sterling." I finally chose the safest and most vague description.
I paused and added, "A very difficult business opponent."
She knew I was being evasive.
"Just a business opponent, Selena?" she asked softly. "Child, we all know the original meaning of this engagement. But you must know that the Hart family doesn't need to trade our daughter's happiness for any business interests."
"Your father and I, we want you to be happy." She squeezed my hand tighter. "If you're unwilling, if you feel he's causing you pain, we can end all this right now. We'll bear the consequences."
I looked at them, my father, my mother.
They were my strongest support.
As long as I said one word—"no"—they would shield me from all storms without hesitation.
But could I say it?
End the engagement?
And then what? Let everyone laugh at me? Let Myrdal think I can't live without him? Let that bastard Royce think I'm afraid of him and running away?
No.
That's not Selena Hart's style.
I never back down.
"I'm fine, Mom." I held her hand in return and gave her a reassuring smile. "I can handle it. To me, this is just business. A... slightly complicated business deal, that's all."
"That's good." Dad's face relaxed a little, but I could still see the concern there. "Listen, whatever happens out there, you always have a home here. Always."
I nodded.