Chapter 109 *

Chapter 109 Chapter 109
Angelina’s POV
David's lawyers exchanged glances.
"We can provide audited financial statements," David said stiffly.
"For how many years?"
"Three years."
"I want five. And I want them reviewed by our own accountants before we proceed."
David's jaw clenched. "That's highly unusual."
"So is partnering with Blackwater Cartel." I tilted my head. "Unless you have something to hide?"
"Of course not."
"Then five years of financials shouldn't be a problem."
David looked like he wanted to argue. But he couldn't. Not without looking suspicious.
"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "Five years."
I sat back in my chair. Let the silence stretch for a moment.
Then I asked the real question.
"And frankly, Mr. Pierce, given what you said last night about people with 'zero ambition' and 'no future'—why exactly do you want to partner with Blackwater Cartel?"
Everyone in the room froze.
Victor's smile disappeared.
David's lawyers stared at me.
David's face went from red to purple.
I kept my expression neutral. "Is this about legitimate business opportunity? Or do you need our capital to rescue some failing Meridian projects?"
The assistant's hand stopped moving on her tablet.
David stood up. His chair scraped back.
"That is completely inappropriate—"
"Answer the question." My voice didn't rise. "Are you in financial trouble?"
David's hands were shaking. He grabbed the edge of the table.
Victor spoke up. "Miss Sterling, perhaps—"
"No." I didn't look away from David. "This is relevant. If we're investing millions, I need to know if Meridian is stable or desperate."
David took several deep breaths. Trying to control himself.
Finally he sat back down. "Meridian is not in financial trouble. We're pursuing this partnership because it makes strategic sense. Diversification. New revenue streams. That's all."
"Then you'll have no problem providing those five years of financial statements."
"I already said yes."
"Good." I picked up my pen again. "And you'll submit to an independent financial audit before we sign anything."
David looked like he wanted to punch something. "At whose expense?"
"Yours."
"Absolutely not—"
"Then we're done here." I started to stand up.
"Wait!" David half-rose from his seat. "Wait. Just... give me a moment."
He turned to his assistant. Whispered something urgently.
She pulled out her phone. Walked to the corner of the room. Started making a call.
Victor leaned toward me. His voice was low. "You're really putting him through the wringer."
"He can afford it," I whispered back. "And we need to know if this is legitimate."
David was pacing near the windows now. His phone pressed to his ear. Talking to someone. His CFO, probably.
His lawyers looked uncomfortable.
Five minutes passed. Then ten.
Finally David hung up. Walked back to the table. Sat down heavily.
"Fine." His voice was tight. "Due diligence at our expense. Full financial disclosure for five years. Independent audit before signing."
I nodded. "And one more thing."
David closed his eyes. "What now?"
"A sixty-day pilot program. One property. Limited investment. We test the waters before committing to anything larger."
"A pilot program?"
"Yes. If it succeeds, we talk about a broader partnership. If it doesn't, we walk away clean. No penalties. No hard feelings."
David stared at me. "You're fifteen years old."
"Sixteen next month," I said. "Is that a problem?"
He laughed. But it sounded bitter. "No. No problem."
He looked at Victor. "Is this really how you do business?"
Victor shrugged. "Miss Sterling has full authority over West Coast operations. If she says these are the terms, these are the terms."
David rubbed his temples. "I need fifteen minutes. To make some calls."
"Of course." Victor stood up. "Let's take a break. Fifteen minutes."
Everyone stood. David and his team went out into the hallway. I could hear David's voice through the door. Talking rapidly on his phone.
Victor walked over to me. "You're enjoying this."
"Should I not be?"
"No, it's perfect." Victor grinned. "But you're making him squirm."
"He deserves it."
"Oh, absolutely." Victor poured himself coffee. "But remember—we do actually want this deal. Don't push so hard that he walks away."
"He won't walk away."
"How do you know?"
"Because he needs this more than we do."
Victor studied my face. "You think Meridian is in trouble?"
"I think David Pierce doesn't usually accept terms like this. Which means he's desperate."
"Interesting." Victor sipped his coffee. "Very interesting."
Fifteen minutes later, everyone filed back in.
David looked tired. But more composed.
He sat down across from me. "We accept your terms."
"Due diligence at our expense," David continued. "Full financial disclosure for five years. Independent audit. Sixty-day pilot program with one property."
He paused. "And I'll sweeten the deal. If the pilot succeeds, we'll give you first right of refusal on three premium properties in Orange County."
I considered this. Orange County had good demographics. Wealthy population.
"Deal," I said. "Have your lawyers draft the preliminary agreement. We'll review and respond within forty-eight hours."
David stood up. Extended his hand across the table.
I stood. Shook his hand.
"You drive a hard bargain, Miss Sterling."
"I learned from the best, Mr. Pierce." I held his gaze. "You just gave me a masterclass last night."
His face went through several emotions. Embarrassment. Grudging respect.
"Touché," he said quietly.
Victor's assistant pulled out a folder. "We have a standard MOU template. Memorandum of Understanding. Just to formalize what we've agreed to today."
Everyone gathered around. The lawyers went through it point by point. Finally both sides signed.
I wrote my name. Aria Sterling. Head of West Coast Operations, Blackwater Cartel.
David signed on behalf of Meridian Corporation. David's assistant packed up the laptop and presentation materials.
Everyone stood. Professional handshakes all around.
"Thank you for your time," David said to Victor. Then he looked at me. "Miss Sterling."
"Mr. Pierce."
He and his team left.
When the door closed, Victor started laughing.
"That was brutal," he said. "Absolutely brutal."
"He'll recover."
"I'm not worried about him." Victor was still grinning. "I'm impressed by you. Where did you learn to negotiate like that?"
"Books," I said simply. "And observation."
"Well, you're a natural." Victor started gathering his things. "I'll have our lawyers review that MOU. Make sure everything is solid before we proceed."
"Good."
"Want a ride back?"
"No."
Victor nodded. "Suit yourself. I'll be in touch about next steps."
He left with his lawyers.
A black Mercedes S pulled up in front of my house around 6 PM. I got out and walked toward the front door. The front door opened before I reached it.
Leo stood there. He had his phone in one hand, keys in the other. Like he'd been about to leave.
"Aria! Perfect timing!"
I walked past him into the house. "What?"
"The guys want to hang out this weekend. Get food, maybe hit the arcade. You should come."
I stopped. Turned to look at him. "The guys?"
"Yeah. The Apex team." Leo grinned. "They keep asking about you. Said it's been forever since we all hung out together."
"When?" I asked.
"Sunday night. Around seven. We're thinking that new burger place downtown."
I thought about it. I didn't have anything planned for Saturday. And it might be good to actually spend time with the team outside of racing.
"Fine. I'll be there."
Leo's grin got bigger. "Awesome! They're gonna be so excited."
Then I remembered something. The Lamborghini Veneno sitting in the garage. I'd barely driven it. Maybe once or twice.
And Leo had races coming up. Multiple events over the next few weeks.
"Leo."
He looked up from his phone. "Yeah?"
"Do you like that car? The Veneno?"
His eyes went wide. "The Lambo? Are you kidding? That car is insane! The acceleration, the handling—"
He caught himself. Cleared his throat. "I mean, yeah. It's a nice car."
I almost smiled. "You remember how it drives?"
"Of course! That one time you let me take it out, it was the best driving experience of my life."
"You have races coming up."
"Yeah, four in the next month. Why?"
I pulled the Veneno keys out of my jacket pocket. Tossed them to him.
Leo caught them automatically. Stared at them. Then at me.
"What—"