Chapter 601 Pretend to Compromise

Chapter 601 Pretend to Compromise

Melinda felt a wave of nausea as she listened to his insincere words. This damn bastard, she thought. Once she got out of here, she would make him pay double for the abuse he had inflicted on her.

Hugo had someone bring water. Melinda had been thirsty all day, and at this point, she couldn't care less about maintaining her composure. She opened her mouth and drank it all in one go.

Hugo made a hissing sound. "How pitiful. If Mr. Sanctuary saw this, he would be heartbroken. By the way, you haven't eaten all day, have you? Even if you don't want to eat, the baby inside you still needs nourishment."

Melinda glared at him. "What are you planning now?"

She knew he couldn't be that kind-hearted. There had to be some scheme behind his words.

From the beginning, Hugo had been testing Melinda, seeing how far she would go.

Hugo smiled warmly. "What could I possibly be planning? I'm just concerned about you starving yourself."

Melinda turned her head away. "I'm not hungry."

"Mrs. Sanctuary, don't be stubborn. Even if you don't care about yourself, you can't let the baby go hungry. I've had a lavish dinner prepared for you," Hugo continued to coax.

Melinda stared at him. "And then what?"

If he was genuinely concerned about her well-being, why hadn't he brought the dinner in already? The fact that he was emphasizing it so much meant he had something to gain.

Hugo smiled. "I have a contract I need you to sign. Once you sign it, the dinner is yours."

Of course, there was no such thing as a free lunch. Melinda wondered what kind of trap he had set for her.

"Let me see the contract."

Hugo raised his hand, and his assistant handed him the contract. He smiled as he passed it to Melinda.

Melinda couldn't help but roll her eyes. She picked up the contract and her face changed instantly.

"You want to take over all my assets!"

This was essentially a way for Hugo to seize all of Melinda's property. His ambition was beyond measure.

Hugo laughed. "You don't need to be so surprised. This is for your own good. You're pregnant now; you should focus on taking care of yourself. Let me handle the business. I'll give you thirty percent of the profits."

Melinda was so angry she laughed. He wanted to steal her business and then give her a cut? How generous of him.

She had seen shameless people before, but Hugo took it to a whole new level.

Melinda said, "It's not that I don't want to give it to you, but these are marital assets. Even if I sign, it won't be valid."

Hugo pulled out some documents. "We'll deal with the marital assets later. What I want is your vineyard. I've checked; these are your personal assets."

This damn bastard had done his homework. Melinda couldn't think of an excuse.

"But according to international law, my husband has invested in these vineyards. He needs to approve this."

Hugo grinned. "Mrs. Sanctuary, do you think I'm an idiot? I know his approval isn't necessary. And if it is, with you in my hands, I'm sure he'll agree."

Melinda realized the truth. "You threw Stanley into the sea as a distraction. Your real target was me, right?"

Hugo nodded. "Exactly. Capturing Stanley wouldn't achieve much. His assets are nothing compared to yours. But capturing you means controlling Elmwood and manipulating Stanley. That's the real power move."

Melinda took a deep breath. Elmwood must have figured this out too.

"How's Stanley?"

Hugo answered honestly. "Don't worry, he's fine. He hurt his arm, but Mr. Sanctuary has taken him back, and he's awake now."

He seemed to remember something. "But Stanley probably doesn't know you've been kidnapped. He's still in the hospital recovering and hasn't arranged for anyone to look for you."

Melinda understood why Elmwood was doing this. They didn't want to drag Stanley into it further.

"Have you thought about the consequences of your actions?"

He had completely crossed Elmwood and Stanley, two people who wouldn't let him off easily.

Hugo replied, "Fortune favors the bold. You don't need to worry about me. I've planned my escape. Once I get the money, I'll disappear, and you'll never find me again."

He handed her a pen. "Sign it. You have no bargaining power. If you don't sign, I'll force you to. If you get hurt and it affects the baby, I won't be responsible."

His face wore a smile, but his words were cruel and ruthless. His eyes were filled with a murderous intent that chilled Melinda to the bone.

For now, she had to compromise to stay alive. She believed Elmwood would rescue her.

"Fine, I'll sign. Untie me."

Hugo signaled to his men, and someone came to untie her.

Melinda's hands were numb. She rubbed them to regain feeling, then signed the contract and pressed her fingerprint on it, handing it back to him.

"I hope you don't regret this."

Hugo laughed coldly. "The ones who will regret this are you. You shouldn't have crossed me."

He clapped his hands, and someone brought in a food box and set up a table in front of Melinda.

"Enjoy your dinner."

As Hugo was about to leave, Melinda called out, "Wait. There's not even a bed here. Do you expect me to sleep on the floor? I'm pregnant. If something happens to me, it won't be good for your negotiations with Elmwood."

Hugo glared at her in annoyance. "You women are so troublesome."

Melinda looked at him calmly. "Pregnant women are high-maintenance. You'll have to deal with it."

Hugo pushed his assistant forward. "If you need anything, ask him. Don't bother me."

Melinda sighed in relief. At least he was taking care of these things. Otherwise, she didn't know how she would get through the night.

She thanked him politely. "Thanks!"

But she would remember this slap on her face for the rest of her life.

After dinner, Hugo's assistant and his men cleaned the room according to Melinda's instructions. They brought her toiletries and a simple bed, just enough to get by.

Most importantly, they gave her a lamp. In a place where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face at night, Melinda needed some sense of security.

When everything was done, Melinda expressed her gratitude.

"Thank you for doing all this. I have a bank card with five million dollars in it. I'll give it to you as a token of my appreciation."

The assistant's eyes lit up. "There's really five million dollars in there? You're just giving it to us?"

Melinda replied, "Of course, it's not for free. I want you to take good care of me. I can't endure hardship. Whatever I need, you have to meet my demands."

The assistant nodded eagerly. "That's easy. Just let us know what you need, and we'll make sure to take care of it."