Chapter 113

Van stood by the window in the dining room, watching her figure get farther and farther away, until she disappeared at the edge of the distant cliff, becoming a tiny dot that contrasted sharply with the blue sea and sky. "She was fine yesterday, why is she suddenly so irritable today?" Eric teased as he held a cup of coffee. "She asked me for money, and I didn't give it to her," Van smiled and took a sip of his coffee. "How much did she ask for?" "70 million in advance, 30 million loan, a total of 100 million." "That's quite a sum," Eric raised an eyebrow. "But it's already a big deal for Miss Loxley to ask you. Her personality makes it hard for her to ask for help. Are you really not going to help?" Van smiled lightly, a trace of amusement in his eyes. "She's smart and independent. If I really lend her the money, she'll only see me as a creditor. Our relationship will become complicated. Why would I want to make things more troublesome for myself?" "But you're not losing anything," Eric said calmly. "She's already asking you. Can you really just ignore her?" Seeing that Van didn't answer, he shifted the topic. "The antique you mentioned earlier, the Renaissance-era Italian marble sculpture, was sold yesterday. The 1990 Henri Jayer red wine will be delivered tonight. Should we decant it early for you, or wait for Mrs. Marlowe to arrive so you can taste it together?" Van casually asked, "What was the final price?" "The sculpture went for 10 million. It's already been sent to Mrs. Marlowe; she loves it. The Henri Jayer red wine, 410 thousand, a set of six bottles—good price." Van fell silent for a moment, lowered his head in thought, then suddenly looked up and smiled. "Are you saying I was wrong?" Eric smiled slightly and nodded. "She's angry, but it's not entirely your fault." Van wasn't bothered and smiled. "I didn't say I wouldn't help. Transfer 20 million to her account as an advance on her earnings, then arrange for her to meet me." His gaze shifted back to the garden. When he saw that Winnie had gotten into the car, he felt at ease and walked toward the dressing room to change into a suit, ready to face the new day. Winnie sat quietly in the car, arms crossed over her chest, still fuming. The villa was so large that, no matter how angry she was, she couldn't just slam the door and walk out. This kept her anger in check, making it less intense. As the car drove into the city, she suddenly changed her mind. "Go to the nearest 4S dealership." By the time Winnie was choosing a car, her mood had calmed down. After getting home, she slept for several hours. During that time, she received a phone call from Wendy asking for leave, but she didn't pay much attention and agreed casually. She slept until 3 PM, and when she woke up, Yulia quickly reported, "The final step for the Celestial Excellence Awards. is nearly done. After that, you'll be able to peacefully choose a script. By the way, Director Li's script is ready. He wants to have dinner with you and asked you to pick a time." Winnie lazily leaned on the sofa, thinking for a moment. "Let's wait until after the Celestial Excellence Awards." "Okay," Yulia nodded, then added, "The Celestial Excellence Awards sponsor this year is Marlowe Group." "Got it," Winnie said, her tone a bit cold. Seeing that her mood was off, Yulia quickly changed the subject. "The company's annual meeting schedule is out, and Alan will be attending." "When?" "December 21st." Winnie nodded. "Then I need to speed up." "Speed up? Speed up for what?" Yulia was confused. "Oh, right, Terry tried to reach you this morning. He said you were sleeping and asked you to return his call in the afternoon." Winnie suddenly sat up straight, her eyes lighting up. "He's back?" "He said they're resting in Pokhara today, and they'll be going back to film the reshoots later. The weather's unpredictable, so it's hard to say." Yulia found the number and called for Winnie. The sunlight in Pokhara streamed through the white pagoda, and Terry was leaning against the tower, soaking up the sun. When he answered the phone, he laughed before speaking. "Hello, beautiful." "Why did it take you so long to find me? I can't hold on much longer..." Winnie sighed softly, tears falling steadily. Terry paused, quickly sensing her emotional shift, and cautiously asked, "Did my name make the trending list? Did something happen?" Only he could easily turn the situation into a joke, with a hint of teasing in his voice. Winnie cried harder. "If you don't show up soon, I'll really break down..." Terry patiently waited for her to cry for a few minutes before speaking. "Go ahead, ask for money. What's going on this time?" Winnie, still sniffling, spoke with a hint of playfulness. "Yes, I need you to lend me some money." Terry frowned, laughing lightly. "Three months without seeing each other, and you're already asking to borrow money? You do know how to make me happy." "How much?" he added. "100 million." Winnie's voice was slightly choked. Terry sneered. "Even if you sold me, you wouldn't have enough for that." "Then 50 million." Winnie's voice lowered, as if this was her last plea. "No." "Then 30 million, 20 million. I don't want Stephan's money." Stephan sat quietly beside them, listening in silence, while Terry swallowed his words and asked in a low voice, "What's going on?" Winnie opened her mouth as if to say something, but was interrupted by Terry. "You want to break the contract?" "How did you know?" "David called me, asking me to talk you out of it." Winnie leaned back heavily on the couch, her fingers unconsciously twisting the tassels on the pillow. "Then convince me."