Chapter 156
Miguel got straight to the point, no longer beating around the bush. "The southwest project's prospects are truly enticing. I've felt the Stuart Group's sincerity. As for the Ross Manor deed and debt..."
He deliberately paused, observing Alaric's reaction. Alaric simply watched him quietly, gesturing for him to continue.
Miguel cleared his throat, adopting an expression of difficulty mixed with resolve. "By rights, I should help make this happen. But Mr. Stuart, you understand—the original contract for this debt had special conditions tied to the marital status of the Getty and Mellon families. If I transfer it to you now, not only can't I explain things to the Getty family, but the Mellons would likely criticize me for being disloyal and disrupting their marriage... The damage to my reputation would be too great."
He paused. Seeing Alaric's expression remain unchanged, he cursed inwardly at the man's cunning and laid out his terms. "So my thinking is—the debt can be transferred to Mr. Stuart, but beyond the project cooperation terms we've already discussed, the Stuart Group needs to pay an additional sum... call it a 'confidentiality fee' and 'risk compensation.' After all, I'll be bearing the consequences of breaking faith with the Getty family and potential subsequent troubles. This fee isn't much—just double the principal amount."
Double the principal—a completely outrageous demand. The deed's mortgage principal was twenty million dollars. Double would be forty million! And that didn't even count the concessions Alaric had already made on the southwest project.
"Furthermore," Miguel continued without waiting for Alaric's response, adding an even harsher condition. "Transferring the deed to you or Ms. Mellon makes too big a target, easily attracting attention—especially from the Mellon family. I suggest the deed first be held under a proxy company I designate, for one year. After a year, if all remains calm, we will formally transfer ownership. Naturally, during that year, all deed rights belong to you. I merely hold it, and we'll sign a strict proxy agreement."
This condition was even more vicious. Nominally "proxy holding", actually "leverage".
With the deed in Miguel's designated company for a year, he'd still have Harper's lifeline in his grip.
During that year, he could manipulate things endlessly, even continue blackmailing Alaric.
Alaric listened, his brow furrowing slightly. "Mr. Wallace, aren't these conditions excessively harsh? We can discuss confidentiality and risk compensation fees. But holding the deed for a year... I want a complete resolution, not a bigger problem left hanging."
Miguel anticipated his objection and immediately adopted a "heart-to-heart" expression. "Mr. Stuart, you're young—you may not understand my generation's concerns. Reputation and security sometimes matter more than immediate benefits. Giving you the deed directly carries too much risk. Holding it for a year protects me and in a sense protects you and Ms. Mellon, too. Once the Getty and Mellon families completely fall out over this deed, or something else diverts their attention, we can quietly transfer ownership without anyone knowing. Isn't that better? I'm thinking of you both."
His words sounded noble but harbored malicious intent.
Alaric fell silent for a moment, fingers tapping lightly on the table as if weighing options.
Miguel felt nervous yet somewhat smug.
It seemed Alaric, though dissatisfied, wasn't completely unwilling to negotiate.
Finally, Alaric spoke slowly, his tone carrying reluctance and compromise. "I understand Mr. Wallace's 'good intentions.' The confidentiality fee can be 1.5 times the principal—that's my bottom line. The one-year proxy holding... I can accept that too."
Miguel's heart leaped with joy. Just as he was about to speak, Alaric's tone shifted.
"However," Alaric's gaze suddenly sharpened, "the proxy agreement must be drafted by my designated law firm, clearly stating that any disposal of the deed during the holding period requires my written consent. Moreover, Mr. Wallace, you personally must sign a joint liability guarantee agreement. If any problems arise, not only will the agreement's accountability clauses take effect, but the southwest project and all future cooperation will terminate immediately, and the Stuart Group reserves the right to pursue all legal remedies."
His delivery was steady, but each word rang clear and forceful—like cold surgical knives precisely dissecting Miguel's scheme beneath the façade and clamping on an even stronger shackle in return.
This was no compromise—it was laying a bigger trap!
That personal guarantee agreement and cooperation constraint clauses, once signed, would deeply bind Miguel himself to Stuart Group projects. Any rash move could trigger a chain reaction affecting his very foundation.
Alaric was turning a potential "hidden danger" into a sword hanging over Miguel's own head!
Miguel's expression changed.
He hadn't expected Alaric to react so quickly, counterattack so ruthlessly. This young man's meticulous thinking and seasoned tactics far exceeded his estimates.
"Mr. Stuart... this guarantee agreement and constraint clauses are perhaps too..." Miguel tried to struggle.
"Mr. Wallace," Alaric interrupted, his tone returning to calm yet carrying unquestionable finality. "This is the foundation I can accept to ensure transaction security. If we can't even have this basic sincerity and safeguard, I don't think we need to continue talking. As for those evidence materials Mr. Wallace is worried about and... your daughter's academic career, I believe as long as the transaction proceeds smoothly, they'll remain secrets forever, and everything will go smoothly."
He wielded both carrot and stick, grace and authority—giving Miguel the benefits he wanted while using tighter agreements to block his path to mischief.
Fine beads of sweat formed at Miguel's temples.
He realized he seemed to have fallen into a deeper quagmire.
Agree, and he'd be controlled. Refuse, and Alaric would likely turn hostile.
Weighing pros and cons, struggling for a long time, Miguel finally deflated like a punctured balloon. "...Fine. We'll do as Mr. Stuart says."
Speaking those words, his heart filled with resentment and frustration, but more than that—deep wariness toward Alaric.
A fleeting gleam of sharpness flickered through Alaric's eyes.
At almost the same moment, Harper was executing another part of the plan.
Though Miguel managed the Ross Manor, he had no authority to prevent her entry.
The Ross Manor sat at the edge of the increasingly prosperous old district—an estate with its own courtyard.
Having been truly uninhabited for so long, with only periodic simple cleaning and caretaking, it appeared somewhat desolate and neglected.
But the grounds' every plant and tree, every brick and tile still showed signs of former elegance and Niamh's careful attention.
Harper's excuse was taking some photos, reminiscing about the past.
Under the caretaker's escort, she walked slowly, taking pictures.
Her expression was sorrowful, movements gentle—as if truly making a final farewell.
The caretaker, seeing her gentle demeanor and knowing Miguel had permitted her entry, relaxed his vigilance, merely following at a moderate distance.