Chapter 165 You Can’t Afford the Price
One slip of the finger, and she accidentally picked up the call. “Stella.”
It was Ethan’s voice–low, seething with restrained rage.
Stella’s breath caught. “What are you, a ghost? Can’t you stay dead and buried?”
So all those missed calls earlier. they were his!
A whole list of unfamiliar numbers–he must’ve used every single employee in the Keene Group to call her.
“That man–is he the owner of Verdant Villa?”
Ethan bit out each word like he was grinding glass between his teeth.
Stella snapped fully awake. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Tell him to sell it to me. Name the price–anything”
Stella was speechless.
From the tension in Ethan’s voice, she could tell he’d spent the whole afternoon going insane trying to reach her.
Now that he finally got through, he wasn’t even trying to sound polite. He was coming in hot, direct, and utterly overbearing.
“Sell it to you?” Stella repeated.
“Yes. Name your price!” he said again.
Stella scoffed. “And who gave you the ego? The man bought up the entire Seaflats Cove. You think he needs your chump change?”
On the other end, Ethan’s face turned green.
“What did you just say?”
Chump change? Was she mocking the Keene family?
Stella said slowly, “Let’s not play coy. Sure, the Keene family is the top in Rivermount. But how much can you personally put on the table?”
Ethan said nothing.
The silence spoke volumes.
Stella’s voice turned mocking. “Everyone says you’re the Keene family’s most outstanding heir–but that’s only because your mom only gave birth to one son. No options.”
“People kiss up to you, and you actually believe it?”
Blunt Brutal And true
Ethan almost blacked out from sheer rage “You–1”
You’re technically the CEO of Keene Group, sure. But do you really want me to remind you who actually runs the place
“Shut up!”
4:40 PM c
Chapter 165 You Can’t Afford the Price
Each sentence was a dagger. Each word, a carefully placed blade.
Ethan’s skull felt like it was going to explode.
+8 Pearls
At this point, he almost hoped she’d just beat him up again–anything to shut her up. Her mouth was too damn vicious.
But the worst part? She wasn’t wrong.
After Lillian came back, the company’s financial approval system had changed.
Big–ticket expenses now required not only the acting CEO’s signature, but also the chairman’s
What Stella had said was spot–on. Not a hundred million. Ten million and up required Judson’s direct approval.
Ethan growled through gritted teeth. Then name your price.
Stella replied coolly, “Didn’t I just say you couldn’t afford it? Still asking like you’re gonna snatch it?”
That hit him like a punch to the gut.
Ethan wanted to hang up, needed to hang up–but it had taken him all day just to get through. He clenched his teeth and endured.
“In my face? And you think I’d let you get away with it?” Stella scoffed.
“I’m not trying to
“Can you even afford it? Scaflats Cove alone is worth at least five hundred million, no?”
Five hundred million.
The number nearly made Ethan’s face fall off. He wanted to yell You’re crazy! But deep down, he knew–it was a fair valuation. Verdant Villa was worth that much.
Ethan exhaled sharply. “I can’t get that kind of money right now.
This woman. How had lie never realized she was this shrewd?
She’d dissected the Keene Group’s structure as if she had the blueprints.
She wasn’t wrong. Judson had once promised to pass down control. But ever since Lillian returned, most of that power had been clawed back–masked as policy changes, but in truth, a total rollback.
Stella said lazily, “Oh. No money? So you’re begging, then? With that tone?”
Ethan was speechless.
Begging? That word hit like a slap.
Beg Stella? Who did she think she was?
“I’m just asking you to help me make an introduction to him.”
He’d already run into the man twice–and both times, things ended badly.
But right now, he had to meet him.
Stella’s voice curled with mockery. “Still sounds like begging to me. Is that your begging voice?”
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