Chapter 36 You Don’t Love Her Anyway, So Why Bother?
Mr. Bennett showed that strange expression again. After a moment of silence, he suddenly let out a soft laugh.
"I've always heard that Mr. Black truly despises his wife. That he considers her far beneath him in every regard and has wanted a divorce for years."
“But here you are, ready to sacrifice an enormous fortune just to save her. Were all those rumors nothing but lies?”
Vincent fell silent for a moment too, but didn't say anything. He just said coolly, "Will you do it or not?"
Daisy lowered her eyes, fingers clenched so tightly her knuckles whitened. Her heart slammed against her ribcage like a trapped bird.
Five percent of Black Group’s shares. That alone meant more than a billion dollars in annual dividends.
Every share Vincent owned had been wrested from the board of directors through sheer ruthlessness since he turned eighteen. It was the crystallization of all his hard work over the years.
And now he was offering five percent without the slightest hesitation, all for her safety.
Daisy had never imagined she could hold such value in Vincent’s eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words emerged.
Mr. Bennett shook his head, as if sighing, and said leisurely, "Five percent - based on Black Group's financial report this year, I could pocket over a billion in dividends every year. Normally, that would be quite a lot of money."
He paused, a faint smile playing on his lips. “It’s more than enough to buy your wife’s life. But you’re not merely purchasing her survival—you’re asking me to stake the lives of every Bennett in this room."
"Five percent isn't enough."
Vincent’s gaze sharpened into steel. “Then name your price.”
Mr. Bennett sat down and made a gesture. "I want thirty percent. If I can have thirty percent of Black Group shares, then I might be willing to take this risk."
Shawn gasped sharply beside them.
Thirty percent? That was virtually impossible.
Black Group did not belong solely to Vincent—he controlled only fifty percent. Surrendering thirty percent to an outsider would be madness.
Even if Vincent agreed, no one else would ever agree!
Vincent’s brows drew together in a deep frown. “It seems Mr. Bennett is intent on making this as difficult as possible.”
"It was Mr. Black who made things difficult for me first!"
With a sharp wave of his hand, the men in black behind him surged forward like a dark tide.
Vincent's eyes turned cold. He positioned himself in front of Daisy, his face completely hardening as he said icily, "Henry Bennett! Are you sure you want to do this?"
Henry lifted his wine glass and took a slow, deliberate sip, refusing to answer.
The men in black had already rushed forward.
The assault unfolded so rapidly that Daisy could barely process it.
She glimpsed a fist hurtling toward them and screamed. Vincent instantly moved to block it with his body.
It was the first time Daisy had ever seen Vincent fight, and she was stunned by how lethally skilled he was.
One of the men in black who rushed forward was kicked to the ground by his side kick. Right after, another one came, and Vincent grabbed his wrist and twisted it back, then kicked him to the ground too.
But the numbers were overwhelming.
Two men rushed from the side - one grabbed his waist, the other swung a fist at his face.
Vincent twisted sideways to evade the punch, but the man gripping his waist kept him locked in place, rendering him vulnerable.
“Vincent!” Daisy cried out, her voice raw with panic.
She wanted to rush forward, but Shawn pulled her back. "You'll only slow him down if you go over there. Let's just hide!"
He dragged her behind the large sofa.
The man in black who'd been kicked down earlier also got up, pulled out a collapsible baton from his clothes, and swung it hard in the air with a whooshing sound, aiming straight for Vincent's head!
Vincent ducked at the last possible second, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. Yet with multiple hands still restraining him, the baton cracked solidly against his shoulder and the side of his head.
Daisy and Shawn hid in the corner, watching through the gap as Vincent shielded them, listening to those dull thuds.
Daisy’s heart clenched with crushing guilt.
If she had known this would happen, she never should have gotten involved with Marcus this morning.
"Bang!"
Another brutal blow landed. Vincent’s body swayed dangerously. Fresh blood streamed from his temple, instantly painting half his face a vivid, shocking red.
He raised his hand to wipe his face, his eyes turning fierce. Looking at the men in black in front of him, the corner of his mouth curved up in a cold laugh. Combined with the dripping blood, he actually looked even more frightening than before.
Mr. Bennett's expression gradually grew serious too. If he could help it, he really didn't want to provoke Vincent. After all, the Bennetts had already declined, barely hanging on, while Black Group was thriving.
"Vincent, why do this? You don't even like your wife. Haven't you always wanted a divorce? How about this - you walk out of here today, and we'll pretend nothing happened."
"That market you've got your eye on, I can give you two more percentage points."
Vincent let out a low, sarcastic laugh. “You want to buy my wife’s life with a mere two percentage points? I’m sorry, but Mrs. Black’s life isn’t nearly that cheap.”
Daisy’s breath hitched as she stared at Vincent’s blood-streaked back. An unfamiliar, overwhelming warmth spread through her chest.
A feeling she'd never had before welled up in her heart.
She'd seen him gentle with Vanessa, seen him doting on Luna, seen him warm with friends, but those all belonged to others. In these six years, all he seemed to leave her with was his impatient back.
She had never dreamed he would fight so fiercely, so relentlessly, for her.
Her vision gradually blurred with tears. She thought of all those countless nights over the years when she lay in bed alone, waiting for him to come home.
She thought of countless mornings watching his back as he left, not even getting a goodbye. And that birthday party, when she stood at the door watching him stand with Vanessa and Luna, smiling so happily.
All the accumulated grievances, the silent heartache, and the buried sadness of those years dissolved into her tears.
In their place rose a bittersweet, aching emotion that lodged in her throat, rendering her utterly speechless.
Just then, the door suddenly shook, then was kicked open. Dozens of people rushed in, each holding weapons, and several of them had guns in their hands.
The dark gun barrels pointed at Mr. Bennett on the sofa.
“Mr. Black,” the leader said, moving swiftly to Vincent’s side and offering a slight bow.
Vincent displayed no extra emotion. He simply nodded at Henry and stated calmly, “It appears you’ve lost your opportunity to negotiate.”
Then he turned and extended his hand toward Daisy. “Come home with me.”
Daisy hesitantly reached out her hand and placed it in his.
"Um... Mr. Black..." Shawn also crawled out from behind the sofa and asked carefully, "Marcus is still locked up inside. Can we rescue him too? If we don't help him soon, he's really going to die."