Chapter 93

Chapter 93:

Fernanda approached, and the car door swung open. Joselyn motioned for her to get in, signaling that they needed to talk privately. Without a second thought, Fernanda accepted the invitation and slid into the car.

Joselyn glanced at Fernanda. “You’re quite the risk-taker. You didn’t hesitate at all before getting in. Aren’t you worried I might do something to you, considering we’re at odds p>

“Mrs. Ross, I trust you’re not the type to go that far,” Fernanda responded with a slight smile. “At the very least, I don’t think you’d harm someone who is injured. And honestly, what’s there to fear? Do you plan on locking me up? That seems unlikely. The Ross family’s already in turmoil. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to stir up even more trouble for yourself p>

Joselyn scoffed lightly, observing Fernanda’s composed expression. “You’re sharp. No wonder Ava can’t compete with you p>

Fernanda raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. “Compete? I never saw her as any competition. But she’s always giving me trouble. This time, it almost got me killed p>

Fernanda realized that Joselyn had come to talk about Ava’s situation. However, since Joselyn wasn’t rushing to get to the point, Fernanda saw no need to hurry either. If Joselyn wanted to dance around the issue, Fernanda was more than happy to play along.

After all, it was Ava who was in police custody, and Fernanda had no reason to feel anxious.

Since Ava had been mentioned, Joselyn continued, “So, what do you want? We’ve been trying to reach you, but you’ve been unreachable. The only person we could get hold of was your brother, Ector. And it seems like he’s taking a very strong stance on this p>

“Well, my brother cares deeply about me,” Fernanda replied. “When he sees me hurt or upset, it hurts him more than anything. Of course, he wants your daughter to pay for what she’s done p>

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Causing me pain. But I think her actions should be handled by the law. After all, what she did almost cost me my life p>

Joselyn’s gaze turned icy as she stared at Fernanda. “Name your price,” she said coldly. “What will it take for you to drop the charges p>

If Fernanda dropped the case, it could be reduced to a civil matter. Ava would likely get a warning from the police and be allowed to go home. But if she refused, things could escalate, and Ava might even face jail time—a fate the Ross family couldn’t afford.

Aside from worrying about Ava’s pain, they couldn’t let this incident stain her reputation. The only way to save Ava was to get Fernanda’s forgiveness and convince her to drop the charges.

“Drop the charges?” Fernanda leaned back in her seat, looking as relaxed as if she were in her own bedroom. She didn’t seem at all like someone caught in a negotiation. “I haven’t really thought about it p>

“Fifty million dollars? Will that be enough?” Joselyn asked, her tone calm. “For anyone, that is a lot. Take some time to think about it p>

The Morgan family owned their own company, but Joselyn knew the Morgan Group was nothing compared to the Ross Group. And Fernanda? She was a nobody from a poor, rural area—someone who probably never dreamed of having that kind of money.

If Fernanda turned it down, Joselyn was ready to offer more. She’d already made her decision—she wasn’t going beyond one hundred million dollars to wrap this up.

After all, Joselyn didn’t think anyone could resist the lure of money.

“No,” Fernanda answered without a second thought.

Joselyn thought Fernanda was greedy, her eyes narrowing with a flash of suspicion.

Inside, Fernanda rolled her eyes. She couldn’t help but think Joselyn was being utterly ridiculous. Joselyn’s daughter had tried to harm her, and now Joselyn was here, practically pleading for forgiveness—yet still had the nerve to look down on her.

“Not enough, huh?” Joselyn’s sharp gaze flicked over Fernanda, her lips curling into a small, smug smile. “Alright, let me sweeten the deal with another twenty million. That’s seventy million in total. It’s a massive sum. You might be young and not fully appreciate how much that is. But think about it—if you asked your parents for seventy million, do you really think they’d hand it over p>

“So what?” Fernanda responded, her voice tinged with intrigue.

“If you refuse, Ava will only be in custody briefly before she’s released. In the end, you’ll get nothing. But if you agree now, you’ll leave with a fortune. Besides, what’s the point of making Ava suffer a little? Will it really bring you joy p>

“Oh, definitely. It would make me more than happy,” Fernanda shot back, her smile wide. “Ava has tried to take me down over and over. To me, she’s no different from an enemy. So if she suffers, why wouldn’t I feel pleased p>

Then she sneered. “And Mrs. Ross, if, as you say, this whole situation wouldn’t affect your daughter that much, why are you here, practically begging me to drop the lawsuit? I might be young, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see through it all p>

Joselyn, stunned by Fernanda’s directness, was left speechless. A deep flush of embarrassment crept across her face.

As the polished and capable wife of Hunk Ross, Joselyn had handled countless business negotiations. She had dealt with seasoned professionals, older counterparts, and even individuals who controlled larger enterprises than her own without breaking a sweat.

But today, as she sat across from a young woman nearly the same age as her daughter, Joselyn felt completely out of her depth. For the first time, she found herself at a loss for words.

What Joselyn failed to realize was that her past negotiations had always been with fellow businesspeople—conversations that followed a certain set of rules, allowing both parties to maintain their dignity and reputation. In business, everything came down to one thing: money. As long as the price was right, there was always room for compromise.

But Fernanda was not a businesswoman. She had no interest in preserving Joselyn’s pride, and she was not motivated by money. The bargaining chip Joselyn thought she held meant nothing here.

In that moment, the balance of power in their conversation tipped entirely in Fernanda’s favor. She was now in control.

“So, you’re set on taking legal action, then?” Joselyn asked, her voice turning sharp.

“That’s what I had in mind,” Fernanda replied, thoughtfully resting her chin on her hand as if weighing her next move. “But something you said just now gave me a new idea. I believe there might be another way to handle this p>

“Oh really?” Joselyn shifted uncomfortably, subtly changing her posture. “Tell me what you want p>

“You mentioned money earlier. Sure, money matters, but I’m a student. What would I even do with such a large sum? Why not turn that money into something more useful for me? Like… shares in the Ross Group p>

“That’s absurd!” Joselyn snapped. “Don’t even consider it p>

“Oh, is that so?” Fernanda shrugged lightly, shaking her head. “Well, that makes things easier for me. No need to convince Ector anymore. I’ll just go ahead and take the legal route p>

Joselyn’s eyes widened as she looked at the young woman across from her, barely even twenty years old.

Fernanda was completely serious. She wasn’t asking for cash—she was after a stake in the Ross Group.

“To be honest, my request isn’t all that extreme. I’m only asking for one percent of the Ross Group’s shares,” Fernanda said, her calm smile never leaving her face as she met Joselyn’s gaze. “Since the company’s value is estimated at around six billion, one percent would be about sixty million, which is actually a bit less than what you offered, Mrs. Ross p>

“One percent is still a significant amount. I can’t make that decision by myself,” Joselyn replied, her voice firm, her reluctance clear.

Most Ross Group shareholders only held tiny fractions of a percent. If Fernanda gained even one percent, she would immediately become one of the company’s largest stakeholders.

“That’s easy enough to fix,” Fernanda said, her tone relaxed. “You hold thirteen percent of the company. All you need to do is transfer just one percent of your own shares to me p>

Joselyn’s lips curled into a cold, knowing smile.

Moments ago, Fernanda had claimed this was a new idea—a spur-of-the-moment suggestion. But now it was obvious she had come prepared. Not only did she know the Ross Group’s exact value, she was also aware of Joselyn’s precise shareholding. This wasn’t some passing thought; it was part of a carefully laid plan. No wonder Fernanda had turned down the initial cash offer. She had always been aiming for something much bigger.