Chapter 52 Dinner Trap
Mason's teasing made me sick.
I decided to teach him a lesson.
Just as he was about to let go of my hand, I suddenly gripped his hand tightly.
Mason looked at me in surprise.
I smiled and squeezed harder, but this little warning clearly didn't make Mason back off. The smile on his face grew even wider, and he even flirtatiously rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb.
A cold look instantly flooded my eyes. The next second, I pressed down hard right at the base of his thumb!
The human body has many weak points - like the eyes, like the throat. These spots can be fatal if injured. But there are also places like joint connections where just a little pressure, though not deadly, can cause unbearable pain.
Mason's smile froze as he cried out in pain, "It hurts! Let go of me!"
He tried to pull his hand back, but I held on tight until he was grimacing in pain, cold sweat beading on his forehead, his body curling up.
Cressida and Roger, who had been arguing, looked over in surprise.
I let go. Gideon asked, "What happened?"
I took the handkerchief Adrian handed me and wiped my hands, saying with a slight smile, "Nothing, just discussing proper handshake etiquette with Mason."
Mason forced a smile, "Isabella was just joking around with me."
He shook his hand, "You're really strong."
I ignored him. Cressida clearly knew what kind of person Mason was and curled her lip in disdain.
But she just looked down on Mason. She glanced at me without any intention of helping me or showing the slightest bit of apology.
She looked at Doyle's notes and asked suspiciously, "Are these really Doyle's belongings?"
I was about to speak when Roger said mockingly, "You can't even tell if it's real or fake, what a waste! If you want to buy it, buy it. If not, leave. Plenty of other people want to buy it."
"What's wrong with asking if it's real or fake?" Cressida was furious. "Who knows if you're all working together to scam people? If these are really Doyle's authentic work, why would you be willing to sell them!"
I noticed quite a few customers listening in on our conversation. I cleared my throat and said, "I bought these notes on the black market, so the source can't be traced, but they've been verified as authentic. The formulas in the notes are all extremely valuable. I'm making these notes public because I want to exchange knowledge with colleagues in the field and make progress together. Charging a course fee is all - strictly speaking, it's not really selling."
Gideon said gently, "Most people would keep something this precious to themselves. It's not unreasonable for you to charge a fee for sharing it publicly."
I gave him a grateful smile.
Cressida frowned, "Who are you trying to scam? Eighty million dollars is too expensive! If it were thirty million dollars, I'd buy it."
"Cheapskate!" Roger had worked so hard to get me to give him a discount. There was no way Cressida was getting these notes for even less than he paid. Dream on!
"If you can't afford it, leave. Don't hang around here." Roger had Adrian print out two signs saying "The Langford family not welcome, Cressida not welcome" to post at the entrance of our booth.
Cressida was furious and said sharply, "It's not that I can't afford it, it's that you can't even prove whether your stuff is real or fake! Only an idiot would fall for this!"
Gideon frowned in displeasure, "Prince Elias and I both bought these notes and the medicine Bella made. Are you saying we're idiots?"
I said coolly, "Government official Barry bought them, too. Is he an idiot as well?"
I listed several more customers' names. Cressida's expression became increasingly uncomfortable, and the watching customers looked at her with growing hostility.
Although the Langford family was very powerful and prestigious, there were plenty of families in the world even more formidable than the Langfords.
With one sentence, Cressida had offended quite a few people. Her face changed slightly, "I... I didn't mean it that way."
"Cressida just misspoke," Mason spoke up to explain. "She's been on a plane too long and is tired. We'll head back to rest now."
Cressida didn't deny it and quickly left in displeasure.
Mason casually handed me a business card. I hadn't expected that after just being taught a lesson, he hadn't given up - in fact, he was looking at me even more eagerly.
I threw the card in the trash right in front of him. Cressida shouted Mason's name from a distance. Mason shrugged and left, chasing after Cressida, who had already walked away.
This little episode didn't affect the rest of the business. In fact, more and more people heard that many important figures had visited my small booth and wanted to come see what made my booth so appealing.
In the evening, I returned to the hotel office to handle work.
James came to get the documents I'd signed and handed me a handwritten invitation. "Mason wants to buy a copy of Doyle's notes and order a large quantity of blood-clotting medicine. He's asking to meet with you in person."
Just then, my phone buzzed. Lucas had sent me a picture of dinner with the caption, "Tastes bad."
Mason was currently in the hotel restaurant. I was a bit curious about how Cressida could have fallen in love with the "Miracle Surgeon," so I agreed to meet with Mason.
As for Lucas's message, I deliberately ignored it.
When I got to the restaurant, Mason was alone in the private room.
"Just you?"
"I figured you definitely wouldn't want to see Cressida again." Mason raised his wine glass to me gracefully. "Thank you for your medicine - it's giving Anika a healthy heart!"
He said, "I'm very sorry about this morning. Cressida wasn't targeting you specifically. She just thinks her bloodline is noble and looks down on most people. But she doesn't have the Langford name. I hope you won't let her give you a bad impression of the Langford family."
Without Cressida there, and having no good feelings toward Mason, I planned to make this quick.
I glanced at my watch. "Let's get straight to the point. Doyle's notes are a fixed price - eighty million dollars."
"No problem." Mason paid readily, then brought up ordering the blood-clotting medicine.
"Can you actually make this decision?" I asked.
I wasn't deliberately looking down on Mason. The fact was, I knew the Langford family owned several pharmaceutical factories and companies, and I was interested in working with them.
But from what I understood, the person in charge of pharmaceutical affairs was John Langford - Mason's older brother. Mason was just a playboy.
"We can agree on a cooperation plan verbally first, and my brother John can discuss the specific details with you."
Mason had a good attitude. I patiently talked with him and was surprised to discover that although he had a frivolous personality, he wasn't useless. He also ran a hotel and had quite a bit of insight into management.
The atmosphere gradually relaxed. Mason glanced at Adrian and Cole behind me and suggested, "Let your people go rest."
Adrian and Cole didn't move.
"It's just us in the private room. There's no need to be so on guard." Mason joked, "Having dinner with one of me facing three of you is pretty stressful."
I turned to Adrian and Cole. "Wait outside the door."
"Yes, Ms. Sorelli."
After they left, Mason got up and walked over to me, personally pouring wine for me.
"This is Golden Pine Cone champagne I brought from home. Only twenty bottles are produced worldwide each year. Try it."
The restaurant lights seemed to dim a bit. The warm yellow light fell on his face as he gave me a handsome smile, silently hinting with his eyes.
I picked up the wine glass. The clear liquid had restless bubbles floating on the surface, and the sweet fragrance wrapped around a rich wine smell that made one feel tipsy before even drinking.
Mason leaned his hand on the back of my chair, very close to me.
I swirled the glass and laughed softly. "Such good wine, but you put an aphrodisiac in it. What a waste."
With that, I tilted my hand and splashed the entire glass of wine in Mason's face.