Chapter 163: Fire With Fire
Lisa alighted the plane a mere twelve hours after speaking to Luna. She had booked a ticket for the last flight out to Gespa to attend a marketing event with her friend. Luna had laid out an intricate plan in which she wanted to strike before being stricken.
Apparently, some sleazy man was trying to make use of Luna in an unscrupulous way, and Luna intended to get even. She told Lisa that if they could get Cylus to agree to help, the Anders Corporation would not have to invest any real capital into the project. All Lisa had to do was pretend that Luna was her main investor, and the money would come pouring in.
Lisa was skeptical, but Luna promised to help her recover her losses, if any. Luna did not know it, but Lisa had already instructed her brother to put together false documents that would detail their lost profit for the last two years, just in case. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and Lisa would get all she could out of the stupid girl.
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Luna waited outside the airport and as she expected, one of Shai Cal's men had been tailing her from the moment she left the hotel. She boiled at the thought of the man trying to use her in such a dishonest way. After the event yesterday, she had called Zane to inquire about Mr. Cal and found out that he was nothing like Ian. Not only did he trick women into his bed by pretending they were the first woman who gave him a 'reaction,' but he also made use of his bad reputation to blackmail the fathers of daughters into investing in his company. Apparently, being seen alone with the man was enough to jeopardize a woman's future and it would cast her character into question. Even if the woman vehemently denied any relationship with Mr. Cal, he would only 'clarify' the misunderstanding after a sizable investment was made. Still, it was often not enough to save his victim from ridicule.
When Luna saw Lisa, she was at a loss. 'Has Lisa always been so… sexy?' She thought to herself. Since they had graduated from high school Lisa had been simple and reserved in her style. That same woman was currently wearing a skintight dress that accentuated her body's curves. Today, Lisa was letting her god-given assets show. It was much better than the overstuffed look of her padded bras, and somehow, it made the cosmetic work she had done to her nose look natural.
Shaking her head to remove the unnecessary thoughts, Luna waved to get Lisa's attention and quickly ushered the woman into her car. She gestured for Lisa to remain quiet during the ride. She did not trust the chauffeur, and only spoke about their plan after they reached the hotel room.
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Luna had switched to a double room, where she and Lisa would stay. She explained to the woman that it was for both of their safety, as they were alone and away from the shields of their respective brothers. Lisa wholeheartedly agreed. She did not want to give anyone the chance to jeopardize her relationship with Ian, especially not someone who built their empire on blackmail. Luna explained her plan to Lisa yet again and insisted that they remain together throughout the entire event. Lisa nodded her head in understanding.
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Just as Luna had said, from the moment they entered the banquet hall a certain person had not pulled his eyes away from them. Lisa could have been imagining things, but she swore the man had been looking at her instead of Luna. She had not filled her chest up as usual, as she had no one she needed to impress, however she was clad in an elegant fitted dress that in her opinion, hugged her just enough to tease the eye. She had often thought of revealing this side of herself to Ian, but she had noticed him looking at the breast of another woman when she was still a teen, and although she could not convince herself to get enlargements, she invested heavily into clothing that had the same effect.
As they walked, the women made occasional small talk with a few of the attendees before taking their seats.
"Luna, I want to thank you again for your contribution," Lisa said.
"Please, we have been friends for years. It's a promising endeavor," Luna replied.
"Still, asking one billion from anyone is no easy feat."
"But with the CEO's backing, the billion I invested will be returning to me three-fold," Luna replied.
"Perhaps I can still make room for small scale investors; someone who can contribute one hundred million?"
"It might be a good idea, but…" Luna was cut off, when an old and presumptuous man sat at their table without waiting for permission.
"I find myself quite interested in your venture if you consider one hundred million 'small scale,'" the man said. Lisa politely smiled.
"I am sorry sir, but the nature of my business is confidential. The Lee family has gladly offered their backing and I have promised to keep this matter private," she said.
"I see. What if I can offer fifty million? Would that change things?" Lisa looked at Luna and pretended to be confused. She was acting just as she was supposed to, but her natural aptitude for it startled her friend. Luna had taken classes to get her acting skills to the level she was at, but she was still no match for Lisa.
Seeing the small interaction and misunderstanding it as Lisa taking permission, the old man spoke again.
"I am willing to go as high as seventy-five million. It is a blind investment after all," the old man said.
Lisa was trying hard not to smile. They had already done the research on how much it would cost to fully renovate the space. Not including the cost of the equipment that Cylus had already promised to provide, they would need one hundred million in additional funds. The old man in front of them, based on the presence of Luna Lee alone, was willing to dish out nearly all the required funding.
"What if someone were to invest 200 million?" A voice called out. Both women looked in the voice's direction and in unison rolled their eyes and continued to talk to the old man before them.
"Sir, your capital would have to be invested first, then upon the signing of a legally binding contract, we would release to you the details of our operations," Lisa said. She was still addressing the old man, but she spoke loud enough for everyone around to listen in.