Chapter 80: New Prey

Seeing someone stand up for her for once, Maya felt more confident.

"She just had a bad attitude. I'm being nice by not complaining about her. I don't know what she's playing at, acting all pitiful."

Peter knew Maya's temper, so he didn't push the matter further. He asked how much it was and got ready to hand over his card.

"One hundred and twenty-eight thousand dollars."

Chloe spoke up. For a big sale like this, she'd get a nice commission. Thinking about that made her feel less angry about being deliberately difficult by Maya earlier.

Peter couldn't believe it - just these few pieces of clothing cost him one hundred and twenty-eight thousand dollars? But after looking at Maya's face, he could only grit his teeth and pay.

Maya even made a point of giving Chloe a smug look. People like Chloe - didn't they all want to climb the social ladder by latching onto men? The position they worked so hard to reach was just her starting point.

After collecting the payment, Chloe had someone carry Maya's things to her car, and Maya left with them.

Peter gave Chloe a meaningful look, then slowly turned to leave. She was very perceptive - she grabbed a tie and quickly caught up with him.

"Mr. Jackson, please wait a moment."

Chloe jogged a couple of steps. When she stopped in front of Peter, she was slightly breathless, her chest rising and falling, making it hard not to notice.

"Since you spent a large amount at our store, I specially used my points to get this tie for you. I hope you'll like it."

Chloe had been around nightclubs and business clubs, so of course, she knew how to read people. This tie cost her half of today's commission, but she understood long-term planning for bigger gains. It was obvious Peter was interested in her, so she had to throw out the olive branch quickly.

Peter took the tie without hesitation, opened it for a look, and was very satisfied. The pattern on this tie was similar to the one he was wearing today, but made him look even younger.

"I see you're about the same age as my daughter, but you're so much more thoughtful."

Chloe immediately put on a sad expression.

"Life forces me to be this way. If my parents could be as young and successful as Mr. Jackson, I think I'd have a stable life too. But my parents bringing us into this world was already hard enough - we should learn to be grateful."

These words really struck a chord with Peter. He had given Donna life, but instead of spending the rest of her life repaying him, she turned against him and teamed up with outsiders to nearly bankrupt his company.

If he hadn't connected with the Russell family, the Jackson Group might have really gone bankrupt.

He was very satisfied with his daughter Maya so far - at least she was easier to control than Donna. But today he discovered Maya wasn't considerate at all. Knowing the company was on the verge of bankruptcy, she still spent so much money without any concern for how hard he worked to earn it.

"You're very good. Here's my phone number. If you ever need help with anything, come find me."

Peter took out his business card and handed it over, seemingly accidentally touching Chloe's hand.

Dino clearly had his eye on Maya, but she was pregnant now, so it really wasn't suitable to send her over for him to mess with. Peter figured he'd just find someone to substitute.

Dino said he liked other men's wives, but really he was just a womanizer who liked anyone good-looking - other men's wives were just a bonus.

Before getting to Donna, sending someone over first to keep Dino's mood stable was important. Peter had noticed Chloe's extraordinary qualities as soon as he entered the store. He could see the ambition in her eyes very clearly. This type of person was easiest to win over with money - he didn't even need to think much about it.

She looked up with a shy smile, understanding his meaning.

"Being noticed by Mr. Jackson is my life's good fortune. Well, take care. I still have things to do at the store, so I'll head back now."

Chloe kept looking back every few steps. Only after Peter turned away did she quickly return to the store.

The middle-aged woman working with Chloe looked at her with complete disdain.

"Shameless."

Chloe didn't argue with her like usual. Instead, she confidently smiled back at her.

"I'm using my own skills to make a living. I don't think there's anything shameful about that. I'll just take what you said today as a compliment."

She wanted a better life. Since her mother gave birth to her with this face, she had to use it to accomplish something - otherwise it would be a waste.

...

After partnering with the Russell family, Peter went to the company every day to keep a close eye on things. Although Robert wasn't as sharp as Edward, he was still part of the Russell family. Peter knew the Jackson Group's profits were tempting, so he showed up in person, afraid the Russell family would secretly hollow out his entire company.

After seeing everyone leave the house, Maya felt like she had some say in this home and bossed Helena around to her heart's content, finding her sense of importance through her.

Just like last time, before Maya had enough fun, Remy's call came through. She hung up several times in a row before he sent her a message.

[If you dare hang up on me again, I'll tell Donna about that day.]

Knowing it was a threat, she had no choice but to comply. She went back to her room, locked the door, and called him back.

It sounded very noisy on Remy's end. Before Maya could speak, he couldn't wait to start cursing.

"Damn it, you actually dare hang up on me? Are you rebelling or something?"

Maya frowned, her voice a bit impatient.

"If you called just to lecture me, then I'm hanging up. I don't have time to chat with you."

"No, no, no. Don't you know why I'm calling? Last time I had my friends help you with that thing, you only paid the deposit. Why haven't you sent over the rest of the money?"

Having people trash Donna's store before her opening - that was Maya who asked Remy to do it. It was only fifty thousand dollars. Maya originally didn't plan to owe them, but not only did Donna open successfully that day, but her business was also so good. Maya was holding onto her anger, so she deliberately held back the money.

"I don't have money now. If you guys hadn't screwed up, how could Donna have made so much money that day? If she hadn't stolen my customers, all that money would have been mine. I was planning to give you guys double once I made big money."

Before Maya finished speaking, Remy shouted on the other end.

"You're not trying to back out, are you?"