Chapter 368
“My time is valuable as well, so I can only give you five more minutes p>
“I was hoping to have a pleasant dinner with you, Mrs. Stapleton p>
“No one feels pleasant after being kept waiting for so long p>
Hans’ smile vanished completely. No wonder they had warned him about Penelope’s sharp tongue. Now he was seeing it for himself.
“Very well, then. I’ll be brief.” He paused for a moment. “I want you, Mrs. Stapleton, to withdraw from the competition for the Higgins Plaza project p>
Penelope just shook her head with a smile. Instead of retorting, she glanced over at the commotion nearby. Rebecca was lying on the floor, pale and desperate, in a growing pool of blood, her screams of pain echoing through the restaurant. “Help! Someone, please, save me and my baby p>
This, Penelope thought, must be karma.
She turned her gaze back to Hans. “Mr. Bishop, why should I withdraw just because you ask me to p>
Hans placed two items on the table: a check and a file folder.
“What’s this p>
“I would never expect you to walk away empty-handed, of course. The amount on this check should be more than satisfactory. However, if you are a woman of ambition and money holds no appeal, this folder contains a project for another shopping plaza, one with even greater potential than the Higgins Group’s. I’m prepared to give it to the KINY Group, no strings attached p>
Penelope raised an eyebrow. “I don’t understand. Either choice seems like a losing proposition for you, Mr. Bishop. And what businessman willingly makes a bad deal p>
“I’m not speaking to you as a businessman right now p>
“Then as who p>
“As Yvonne’s grandfather p>
“My granddaughter is brilliant, sharp, and exceptional in every way. As a result, she has always been proud and we have carefully protected that pride. She is just beginning to take the reins at the Bishop Group, and I don’t want her to face a
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A grandfather’s love for his granddaughter?
She couldn’t indulge him. She’d never had a grandfather like that, had never known
that kind of love. Why did Yvonne get to have it, when p>
“I’m sorry,” Penelope said, taking a deep breath. “Your granddaughter has her pride, and I have mine. I cannot accept p>
“This is an offer with no downside
for you. Why would you refuse?
Unless you are intentionally targeting Yvonne, or perhaps our entire family? Hans voice was faced with displeasure.
“Rather than me targeting your family, isn’t it your family that has been targeting me?” she shot back. She had never once provoked the Bishops. The thought alone was repulsive.
“Penelope, think carefully. Do you really want to make an enemy of the Bishop family p>
“Ha!” Penelope scoffed and stood up. “Your five minutes are up p>
With that, she turned to leave.
“Young lady, I am offering you an opportunity. You’d be wise to accept my generosity p>
Generosity? The Bishops truly were a condescending lot. Others may have catered
to them, but she certainly wouldn’t.
As she passed Rebecca, their eyes met.
“Penelope Rebecca whispered.
Penelope gave her a single, dismissive glance and kept walking.
“You… you have a heart of stone p>
A few days later, the deal between KINY Group and the Higgins Group was all but finalized. That afternoon, Penelope left work early, planning to take M. Johnson out for a nice dinner. But as she approached his study, she saw him kneeling on the floor. Seated across from him was Hans.