Chapter 121 Press for Payment
Inside was probably paper of some kind. Daisy figured Richard was maybe giving her a property deed, or some cutting-edge industry research materials.
With that thought, she unwrapped it. When she saw the stack of documents inside, she froze.
It was a share transfer agreement.
Richard had transferred two percent of Black Group's shares into her name. It was already signed, stamped, and approved by the shareholders' meeting — meaning the agreement was already in effect.
On the signature line was Richard's own handwriting. She stared at the name, and her eyes suddenly felt warm.
Two percent.
It didn't sound like much, but given the size of Black Group, the annual dividends alone would be at least fifty million, sometimes up to seventy million.
Even if she worked every hour of the day without eating or sleeping for a whole year, she could never save that much.
She stood there holding the transfer document for a long time.
Honestly, just from the divorce settlement, Vincent had already given her plenty — three percent of shares, an apartment, and over a hundred million in cash. Daisy had been more than satisfied with that.
Now Richard was giving her another two percent. Combined, that was five percent — more than any of the Black family's collateral relatives, including Sienna.
This gift was too valuable. She couldn't accept it.
……
Early the next morning, Daisy went to the hospital.
When she arrived, the butler was standing in the hallway holding a bowl of porridge, looking miserable.
"Ms. Hart!" His face lit up when he saw her. "You're here! Richard's been throwing a fit in there — won't eat a thing. I'm at my wit's end!"
Daisy took the bowl from him. "Let me handle it."
She pushed open the door and went in.
Richard was lying in the hospital bed. His color was a little better than yesterday, but he still looked worn out. When he saw Daisy walk in, he blinked for a moment, then smiled. "Dais, you're here. Was it cold outside?"
"Not cold. I drove." Daisy walked over with a smile and sat down by his bed, setting the porridge on the nightstand.
"Grandpa, are you feeling better?"
"Much better." Richard looked at her and let out a quiet sigh. "Every time I see you, I can't help thinking of that Vanessa."
"If I'm being honest, that girl had a good family background, she was beautiful, and Vince liked her. Do you know why I still refused to let them be together and insisted Vince marry you instead?"
Daisy had a pretty good idea, but didn't want to say it outright, so she shook her head.
Richard continued, "Because that girl had a calculating mind. She was always stirring things up. She never thought about what was good for this family — only what was good for herself. You're different. You always put this family first."
To Daisy now, that was hardly a compliment. It felt more like a chain, locking her into the role of housewife, of Mrs. Black.
It was exactly the identity she'd been trying to break free from these past two years.
But there was no point saying that to the old man. She picked up the porridge and smoothly changed the subject. "The butler told me you were upset when I came in. Even if you're angry, you still have to eat."
Richard waved his hand. "You didn't just come to check on me today, did you?"
Since Richard had called her out directly, Daisy didn't bother hiding it. She set the porridge back down, pulled the share transfer document from her bag, and placed it on the nightstand.
"Richard, I can't take this. Vince already gave me shares."
"What he gave you is from him. What I'm giving you is from me. Just take it."
"It's too much," Daisy said. "I wouldn't feel right keeping it."
"And if you don't take it, I won't feel right either." Richard looked at her, was quiet for a moment, then said, "Think of it as saving something for Luna."
Daisy went still.
Richard shook his head with a bitter smile. "If Vanessa has a child someday, do you really think she'd let Luna keep any of this? Even if Vince provides for Luna, Vanessa would find a way to strip it all away for her own child."
Daisy had nothing to say to that.
It was a reason she couldn't argue with.
But she still couldn't help saying, "Vincent would never shortchange Luna."
She'd seen with her own eyes how much Vincent adored Luna. Calling him a devoted father wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Richard smiled again. "He loves Luna because he thinks she's his. When Vanessa has a child, that'll be his too. You always think the best of people. You always assume they won't change."
Daisy pressed her lips together and said nothing.
This was the second person who'd said something like this to her.
They were laying out the most likely future right in front of her, raw and plain, both telling her to prepare.
She did need to prepare. Things might not go that way — but she couldn't afford not to be ready.
"Thank you, Grandpa." She tucked the document back into her bag.
Richard smiled. "What's there to thank me for? You're Luna's mother."
Daisy pressed her lips together, stayed to chat with him for a while, and once he fell asleep, quietly slipped out of the room.
……
Back at the office, Daisy had barely stepped into the lab when Ethan called her over.
He looked like he was glowing. Daisy couldn't help smiling. "What happened? Did my research project get its patent approved?"
"You can't hide anything from you, can you? That's exactly it — the new medical devices we developed have been a huge success, and the patent just came through." Ethan grinned. "Go share the good news with your team."
"Oh, and one more thing — everyone's been working incredibly hard this season. Two weeks of paid leave for the whole team!"
When Daisy brought the news back to the lab, the room erupted.
A few of the younger researchers grabbed each other and jumped up and down with excitement.
Daisy watched them laugh and cheer, and the corners of her mouth curved up.
She walked over to the whiteboard and looked at the dense rows of data and formulas. She felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
This project had taken over half a year. Countless late nights. Countless problems. And they'd finally pulled it off.
She found herself looking over at Noah. Without him, there was no way the project would have come together this quickly.
Noah caught her gaze and looked away. Daisy made a mental note — she needed to talk to him when she had the chance.
Ethan walked over and handed her a document. "This is the patent application. Take a look — if everything's good, sign it."
Daisy took it, flipped through a few pages, and nodded. "Looks fine."
She signed it and handed it back. Ethan took it but didn't leave. He stood there, watching her.
"Something else?" Daisy asked.
He hesitated. "There's something I need your help with."
They walked toward the office as they talked.
"Remember the collaboration with Black Group a while back?"
Daisy nodded.
"We're at a critical stage now, and cash flow is a bit tight." Ethan said, "I was hoping you could reach out to Black Group and ask when that payment is coming through."
He paused, looking a little awkward. "I figured, since you and Vincent are still... on good terms, it'd be easier coming from you. We've had a lot going out and not much coming in lately. If that payment doesn't come through soon, we might have to take out loans to keep things running, and that's just another headache."
Ethan had laid it all out, so Daisy couldn't really say no. She nodded. "Alright, I'll ask."