Alexander grinned. “Of course. Like I said—just wire the money straight into my account.”
Sandra Taylor clenched her fist. “Three hundred million? That’s insane! The most I can do is fifty million.”
She bit her lip, her voice trembling. “Eighty million. That’s it!”
But Alexander just shook his head, falling silent, his dissatisfaction clear.
Sandra’s whole body was shaking with anger, but she didn’t dare refuse outright. At last, she swallowed her pride and hissed, “Fine. A hundred million. Not a penny more.”
Seeing her cave, Alexander finally relented. “Alright, then. A hundred million. But I want it in U.S. dollars. Remember, three hundred million was my opening offer. With those extra photos thrown in? That’s a premium, Sandra.”
He smirked. “I mean, you’re the richest woman in Harrisburg. This should be pocket change for you.”
Sandra stared at him, stunned. “Are you out of your mind?!”
She couldn’t believe how shameless this guy was.
“That’s not what you said just now!”
Alexander just smiled. “I never said I was joking, did I? And besides, we never specified the currency, did we? Think about it, Sandra—a hundred million dollars to buy yourself a lifetime of peace. That means you get to stay Mrs. Smith forever. Pretty good deal for you.”
He leaned back, still grinning. “The Smith Group is a business. You’ll make that money back in no time. You’re not exactly losing out.”
Sandra was practically vibrating with rage. “What do you even get out of this, huh?! Haven’t you thought about Daniel at all? He’s your son! Blackmailing me like this—aren’t you worried he’ll get caught in the crossfire?”
Alexander shrugged, utterly unconcerned. “You raised him. How close could he be to me? I bet he’s off somewhere calling Jordan Smith ‘Dad’ right now. Like he ever cared about me.”
He let out a dry chuckle. “If fate wanted us to be family, we’d be closer. But it is what it is. I want the hundred million, Sandra. You have until this time tomorrow. If I don’t get an answer, I’ll play your videos and photos on a loop in the middle of Harrisburg Square for the whole city to see.”
Sandra’s face went crimson, but she couldn’t do a thing about it. Furious, she stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
Alexander didn’t bother to stop her. After closing that deal, he was in high spirits. He went ahead and ordered himself a feast—steak, loaded fries, buffalo wings, and a cold beer to celebrate.
---
Meanwhile, Camila Davis had no idea what was happening downstairs. She’d returned to the private dining room and was sharing a meal with Mr. Morris.
Back at The Smith Estate, Sandra Taylor was still fuming. On the drive home, her mind raced through ways she could squeeze some money out of Jordan Smith. There was no way she could come up with that kind of cash on her own.
She was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice anything odd when she walked through the door—until she looked up and saw Barbara Jones standing in the foyer.
Sandra jumped, but quickly forced a sweet, polite smile. “Barbara! When did you get here? Why didn’t you let me know?”
Barbara Jones had been in a foul mood ever since learning the truth about Camila Davis. She’d come over to warn Sandra to behave herself and stop causing trouble for the Smith family. But when she arrived, Sandra wasn’t even home. That only annoyed her more, and she’d been waiting for ages before Sandra finally showed up.
No longer bothering with pleasantries, Barbara demanded, her voice crisp, “Do I really need to tell you before I visit my own son’s house? Where have you been, Sandra?”
Normally, Sandra would’ve snapped back at a remark like that. But now, with her nerves frayed, she kept her temper in check and replied hastily, “I just went out for some fresh air…”
Barbara snorted. “Fresh air? Please. You mean you went out to embarrass us—again. Thanks to you, the Smith family’s reputation is in shambles! You married into this family, and you don’t even have a real job. The least you could do is take care of Jordan. Instead, you leave everything to the staff… Sometimes, I wonder why I ever thought you were better than Camila Davis.”
Sandra’s face darkened at the comparison. She shot back, “It’s not that I don’t want to help. Jordan just worries about me and won’t let me do anything.”
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