Chapter 537

Daniela had expected that sooner or later, someone from the commerce association would come and visit her.

What she hadn't anticipated, however, was that it would be two.

They arrived separately, one after the other.

Winslow was the first to show up, patiently waiting downstairs for more than an hour.

As lunchtime neared,he finally stepped into the dining area,stopping beside Daniela. "Ms. Harper, may I have five minutes of your time?"

Daniela lifted her gaze,briefly glancing at Cedric.

"You're hee for me?" she asked, her tone measured.

She had always thought the association members were blind fools, clinging to the illusion that Cedric was the true power behind everything. Yet here stood someone who actually seemed to have some sense.

Winslow, ever reserved, simply nodded,his posture and tone radiating deference towards Daniela. "Yes. I came to speak with you." Daniela gave a slight nod. "What do you want?"

Lowering his voice, Winslow spoke. "Most believe Cedric is the mastermind, but I know better. Yourtitle as the world's richest person is no accident-it's earned. I've always respected your business acumen,though I've never had the opportunity to say so in person."

Daniela brushed off the compliment. "Get to the point."

Winslow got straight to the point. "When the association was first formed, I was the last to become a member, holding the eighth position. Many of its earlier dealings had already taken place by then,including that particular matter. By the time I became part of it, everything was already nearing its conclusion, and I had no role in that incident whatsoever."

That "incident" was Brylee's death. He deliberately left it unsaid, trusting that Daniela would catch his meaning.

As he spoke, he pulled a check from his pocket. "I won't deny that I profited from it-roughly fifty million dollars. I did the math yesterday. That money never sat right with me, and it's time it went back where it belongs. With interest, calculated at your earning rate,that brings the total to two billion." Winslow slid the check forward. "Regarding the eighty billion you demanded, the others refuse to pay, but l will. If we split it evenly among the eight of us,that's ten billion each. I'll add five billion on top of that,as an apology. That makes my total fifteen billion.Please review the numbers. If anything is off, let me know,and I'll correct it immediately."

Winslow kept his head lowered as he spoke, the very image of sincerity and humility.

Daniela's eyes flicked to the check resting on the table.

Winslow had spoken of fifteen billion, yet the check in his hands boldly displayed twenty billion.

He was indeed a smart man.

Daniela's lips curved into a faint smile as she passed the check to Lillian. "Please donate this to a charity for those less fortunate, on my behalf."

Winslow bent even lower in a deep bow. "Ms. Harper,I'll take my leave now. If you ever require my assistance again, simply have Lillian notify me, and I'll give it my all."

With those words, Winslow departed with great respect, never once lifting his head during the entire exchange. From the moment he entered until his departure, a mere five minutes passed.

As soon as he was gone,Lillian commented to Daniela,"He's clever, knowing to come to you instead of Cedric. His humility speaks volumes. He's quite impressive."

Daniela picked up her fork, taking her time with each bite.

Hackett had just exited his car when his attention was drawn to a sleek black car, weaving through the rain.

He pointed to the car, asking his secretary, "Whose car is that? It looks familiar. Could it belong to one of our members?"

The car sped off, and the secretary adjusted his glasses, straining to get a better look, but it had already blended into the flow of traffic. "Mr. Graves,I can't make it out clearly."

"Never mind, let's head inside."

The secretary quickly held an umbrella over Hackett.

Hackett wasn't tall, but his well-tailored, elegant suit gave him an air of dignity.

He took his seat across from Daniela at the dining table, a smile playing on his lips. "Mr. Phillips, may I have the honor of sharing a meal with you?"

Compared to Winslow, Hackett seemed far less appealing. His purpose was to speak with Cedric, so he merely nodded politely at Daniela before shifting his focus entirely to Cedric.

"I wasn't expecting company," Cedric said, dishing out some food for Daniela, his tone flat. "Mr. Graves,what brings you here?"

Hackett chuckled lightly. "Indeed, I have a matter to discuss with you."

Having held the presidency of the business association for far too long, Hackett was unwilling to lower himself.

He managed a strained smile, attempting to appear polite. "Mr. Phillips, may we speak privately?"

His request clearly implied he wished to exclude Daniela.

Before Cedric could respond, Lillian let out a soft chuckle from the side.

Hackett, slightly puzzled, asked with a forced smile,"What's so amusing?"

Lillian crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. "I'm amused by how clueless you are, begging the wrong person.It's surprising you've made it as president of the ommerce association."