A Vengeful Ex-Wife

Chapter 94 A Win-win Situation

Maria stopped and bit her lower lip, as James had seen through her. She coughed to clear her throat and continued, "Mr. Xi, you are an excellent businessman. So you must know the business better than me. We just need to perceive the market environment and seize the opportunity to cooperate. Only through profit-sharing can we collaborate in-depth, right?"

"Do I look like a fool to you?" James sneered. He knew that Maria only wanted to play a trick on him. According to the contract that she drafted, HL Group's holding would be at fifty-one percent, and he could get a three percent rebate.

Even if she asked for a five percent share in the profit, he wouldn't mind either. But James was the investor. Maria wanted him to open a company for her, and she would manage it by herself. In short, aside from her five percent share in the profit, she would also receive the regular monthly salary and other bonuses. Obviously, she was the biggest gainer in this deal.

He couldn't help but wonder if she was dreaming.

"Of course not. Mr. Xi, you are never a fool in my eyes. In this deal, although you will only be behind the scenes, you are still the big boss. I won't ever forget that. You will be the biggest shareholder, and I will just be next to you. We can make money together here, so it's a win-win situation."

Maria was trying to lure James into her offer. But unfortunately, he always had a clear mind when it came to businesses and investments. So, in the end, he said, "Ms. Song, I'm not interested in your empty talk. Please leave now."

Also, he didn't want to read the plan she drafted anymore. He knew that she was just bluffing.

"It's not some empty talk," Maria denied. She bypassed his desk and approached him, trying hard to entrap him. "I'll just get a little more profit, but you are still the biggest gainer."

Everyone in H City knew that HL Bank, which was owned by HL Group, was the largest in their city. Its headquarters was in H City, but it had branches worldwide.

This bank, which had been providing services in different financial centers, had around three hundred thousand employees all over the world. Some of its main businesses included financial transaction processing, investment management, commercial banking, and personal banking.

So Maria thought that if she could open a retail financial service under the name of HL Bank, money would automatically come to her pocket.

James didn't admit anything after having sex with her, but she must make use of this fact to do something. It was Colby who benefited a lot from what happened. And in return, she only gained his trust. It was too small compared to the sacrifices she did at that night.

James picked up the lighter from his desk and played with it. A few moments later, he burned the document in his hand. He ran out of patience listening to Maria's bragging, so he thought that it was the best way to stop her. Maria watched the flame with mouth agape. He succeeded in quieting her down.

As she watched the white piece of paper gradually turning into black ashes, she bit her lower lip, pretending that she felt a sharp pang in her heart. Anyone who could see her face would think that she was in pain as if a dagger pierced through her.

James sneered upon seeing the expression on her face. Didn't she know that he had written countless business plans and contracts before? Judging from the way she outlined the document she had shown to him, he surmised that it only took her at most ten minutes to complete such a business plan full of crap.

When there was only a small part of the document left in his hand, and the flame disappeared, James threw it into the trash can beside his desk. Maria's business plan just turned into ashes.

She deliberately put on a disappointed look and reached out her hand as if she was trying to save the document. He held her hand and casually pulled her into his arms. "Don't put an act in front of me. I assure you, I won't believe a word that comes out of your mouth."

Maria took advantage of the opportunity that they were very close to each other. She hastily sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. With a pout, she complained, "Why are you doing this to me? I'm your old flame, after all. Why don't you just support me for old time's sake? I can give you anything you want. Just say it." She winked at him and played with his tie.

The look on her face and the way she spoke were both suggestive.

James sneered, "Thank you for being so considerate."

"Of course. For you, I can't only be considerate, but I can also be good at stripping you off." Maria grabbed his tie, pulled him closer to her, and kissed his lips. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

But James just sat still with a straight face. He exposed her intention right away. "Are you trying to allure me with your charm?"

"Oh, Mr. Xi. How can you be so damn smart?" she praised him. But deep inside her, she was cursing him for being so unromantic. She felt bored every time they talked because he always made things so clear at once. There was no thrill at all. "Mr. Xi, if you agree to invest in my—

"Stand up!" James interrupted. He would never agree to her nonsense.

"I can't. My knees are too weak to stand," Maria reasoned out. It was not easy for her to get the chance to sit on his lap, so she wanted to seize this opportunity.

James sneered and retorted unhurriedly, "Well, I didn't notice that you had weak knees when you beat Mr. Wang."

Maria was shocked after hearing what he just said. Never did she thought that he knew what she did to Mr. Wang. But she tried her best not to show the surprise on her face and pretended to be confused. "Mr. Xi, what are you talking about?"

She couldn't help wondering how he had found out that she taught Mr. Wang a lesson. 'James Xi, you son of a bitch! Good thing that you mentioned that today. Otherwise, I would never know that you know my secret,' she swore under her breath.

James stared at her beautiful eyes and said word by word, "T Country. Mr. Wang. Black sportswear. Sack."

She was amazed that he knew every detail. He obviously knew that secret of hers, so it was meaningless to continue playing dumb. She thought that he was so terrible. But how did he know? Did he hire someone to follow her while they were in T Country?

"You have two seconds to stay away from me," he growled impatiently. The truth was, the scent of her body was tormenting him. His heart skipped a beat when he felt her soft buttocks on his lap.

"No way," Maria refused, shaking her head. She hadn't achieved her goal yet, so she wasn't willing to let him go.

"Are you sure?" James' expression darkened.

Maria hadn't realized that the two simple words she said just now instantly changed the ambience of the office.

"Yes," she said firmly.

James' tone suddenly changed. He said evilly, "Do you still remember what happened when you also refused to go last time? I wonder if the same thing will happen today." He pinched her smooth chin and snickered. "Who cried for mercy that night?"

Maria gaped at him. She didn't know if she would feel shy or excited. 'Damn it! What does he mean? Is he talking dirty?' she thought inwardly.

All of a sudden, everything that happened in Fairview Villa that night flashed in her mind. Only the two of them knew what really happened that night.

Maria tried her best to remain calm. She was no longer a virgin, and she had even given birth to a child, so she reminded herself not to blush. Trying her best to maintain the same expression, she looked at him when he continued, "That night, someone bit me and begged me to continue..."

Maria covered James' mouth to stop him from finishing his words. And to hide her panic and ease her embarrassment, she lowered her head for a few seconds. When she raised her head again, she had already returned to her usual look. She raised her right hand and said innocently, "Mr. Xi, look at my hand. Isn't it good looking? How about having my handprint on your handsome face?"

James just stared at her without saying anything. He remembered that what happened after their dinner that night in Fairview Villa was all because of her slap.

Anger flashed across Maria's eyes, and James saw it. He grabbed her wrist tightly, pressed her against the desk, and continued teasing her. "Don't pretend. Your face is like a sun-blushed apple now." Maria could feel that her cheeks were hot, so she knew that she was blushing. But still, she pretended that his words meant nothing to her. Upon noticing the pride on his face, she couldn't help but snort inwardly. 'Such a childish old man!'

She was confused by the sudden turn of the situation. She was the one who deliberately sat on his lap and flirted with him. But now, it seemed that she was the one being embarrassed. Did it mean that James had finally learned to fight back by flirting with her as well?

At this thought, she felt overjoyed. She blinked at him and remarked, "Mr. Xi, with just a few words, I've already aroused you." Heedless of his gloomy face, she smiled enchantingly and continued,

"This doesn't match your usual cold and aloof image at all. You are indeed a beast hidden in a man's handsome face."

The next moment, Maria was spun in the air and was pressed tightly on the desk.

The smile on her lips was immediately covered by his punishing lips. She couldn't even make a sound.

For a moment, Maria was in a daze. She realized that every time James couldn't win against her on an argument, he would retort to punishing her this way. This was the second time already.

In an instant, the atmosphere in his office changed. Even if the air-conditioner was set to a low temperature, it seemed that the air was so hot. Good thing, Maria thought of wearing trousers today. At least, she didn't look porny in her current position.

James grasped her shirt and was about to tear it when the door swung open. "Hi, James..." The visitor's voice hung in midair.