Chapter 85

“She has agreed to sign the loan documents. LuxeArt showroom is going to be her collateral. The entire building”
Spencer leaned back in his chair, a smug smile curving his lips as he looked at his grandfather who had just received the news and said, “It’s about time. This is good news, grandfather.”
Robert Collins looked at his grandson and chuckled slowly. “I must say, Spencer, you’ve surprised me this time. When your mother kept complaining about how you were holding her back and taking things slow, I figured it was because you had a soft spot for Melanie. But now…” He shook his head, impressed. “Now I see what you’re doing. Very clever. But are you sure she’ll sign?”
Spencer’s smile widened. “She will. The papers she received originally don’t include that clause. And even if she decides to reread them at the bank, the wording is buried deep — just a small part of the contract. She’ll miss it.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
“Then we’ll create enough pressure that she won’t have time to question it,” Spencer said confidently. “Melanie’s stretched thin — fixing LuxeArt, chasing suppliers, dealing with staff. She’s in no state to notice a little extra legalese.”
“Still…” The man drummed his fingers on the table. “If she catches on—”
“She won’t.” Spencer’s tone hardened. It is why I went to see her today. To make sure that she would be distracted when she should be reading the papers. And she’s too proud to think she’s missed something. She’ll sign.”
***
Melanie tapped her pen against the desk, her gaze flicking between the loan documents and Ben. “It looks fine,” she muttered, more to herself than to him.
“I told you.” Ben grinned, setting her coffee on the desk. “You read the papers all morning. Twice. Everything checks out.”
“I know.” Melanie’s pen tapped faster. “It just… feels too easy.”
“Easy?” Ben scoffed. “You’ve been sweating over this. That bank manager practically handed you the golden ticket. The collateral is indeed heavy but once we have the money, all our stopped operations will be off the ground and you can repay the loan quickly.”
“Exactly.” Melanie’s fingers paused over the signature line. “But something about this is bothering me.”
“Boss” Ben dragged out the word, exasperated at the overly cautious nature. “It’s a bank. A real one. Not some back-alley loan shark. Just sign it. The manager outside is already fretting.”
Instead of signing, Melanie flipped the page back to the first contract. Her eyes skimmed the paragraphs — legal jargon she had memorized by now — yet she kept turning pages. Her fingers twitched as she reached the final section again. Something felt off. It was definitely off.
“Boss, seriously?” Ben groaned. “You’re just psyching yourself out now.”
“Shh.” Her eyes narrowed as she reached a clause buried midway down the page. She didn’t know why but something about what she had read in the morning draft papers and what she had now seemed different.
“Ben. Bring me the file I read this morning. The papers you printed.”
“The draft agreement? But… why?”
Melanie looked up from the file she was holding and sent him a look. “Just do as I say. And ask the manager who brought these papers to come inside for a few moments.”
Ben nodded and went outside, casting a glance over his shoulder at her paranoia before he went outside and sent the manager inside.
The manager entered the room with a friendly smile. “Miss Melanie, is there a problem?”
Melanie straightened and looked at the man before asking directly. “I just have a question. Why is the bank willing to approve this loan so easily? I don’t exactly have a solid credit history, and LuxeArt’s financials are still in shambles. This seems like a big risk for you.”
The manager chuckled softly. “I understand your concern. Frankly, this is a high-risk loan. But your reputation speaks for itself. LuxeArt’s turnaround under your leadership will be impressive. We’ve taken into account what you did for ABC Industries. More importantly, your business plan is sound — solid projections, clear strategies — and your collateral is strong. The bank believes in you.” He smiled reassuringly. “Our goal is to see LuxeArt back on its feet. With this funding, we believe you can make that happen.”
“So you’ll disburse the money immediately?” Melanie asked carefully.
“Yes,” the manager confirmed. “The funds will be available by the end of the day. All you need to focus on now is getting LuxeArt back in shape.”
Just then, Ben returned with the papers that he had printed in the morning and brought them to her. He stood there for a few moments as she continued to scan the documents until Melanie finally nodded, her hand hovering above the paper. “I guess I’m just being paranoid,” she murmured, then sighed. “Fine. I’ll sign it.”
“Thank God,” Ben muttered under his breath as he watched her sign the papers. Thankfully, now they could proceed with the next part of their plan.
But while Ben nodded in relief about achieving this, and Melanie was signing the many pages, both failed to notice the sly smile on the manager’s face. He’d been promised a great reward if Miss Melanie really signed this deal and now she had… Now all he needed to do was transfer these papers to Spencer Collins and he would be able to retire already.
For a moment he felt bad for this woman. After all she was being fooled with the hidden clause but it was her own fault for being too overconfident. In front of him, she continued to sign the fifth page that clearly read- ” The bank reserves the right to transfer this loan agreement to a third-party lender at its discretion. The third-party lender maintains full authority to revise and increase the interest rate in accordance with their internal policies, without prior consent from the borrower.”
Melanie thought she was signing the document to revive LuxeArt when in truth, she was signing its death warrant.
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