Chapter 196: Chapter 196

Summer Spencer sighed with relief, feeling that Kenneth Osborne was willing to negotiate. As long as she laid out the terms completely, Kenneth would have to be a fool to reject them.

She instructed the driver to park at the corner ahead.

There was indeed a café there.

Before getting out of the car, Summer Spencer checked her makeup once more in the mirror, then opened the car door and got out.

She hadn’t been seated in the café for long when Kenneth Osborne walked in.

He was wearing a simple white shirt and khaki work pants, but the belt on his waist was surprisingly from Hermès. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱

Summer’s gaze had just moved from Kenneth’s captivating face when she was dazzled by the belt around his waist.

Is that really a Hermès belt?

Didn’t the information say that Kenneth’s parents were ordinary employees in an obscure small town?

How could they afford a Hermès belt?

Summer suppressed her doubts and watched as Kenneth sat down in front of her, quickly saying, "What kind of coffee do you like? I ordered a latte."

Kenneth shook his head, "I don’t want coffee right now. If you have something to discuss, let’s do it; I have other matters to attend to."

Summer was a bit embarrassed by Kenneth’s attitude.

But she needed his help, so she took a deep breath, pushed down her frustration, and said with a forced smile, "The thing is, I think there might still be some misunderstandings between us. Should we communicate further?"

Kenneth smiled faintly, looking down slightly at the coffee cup on the table painted with a playful smiley face, and said blandly, "I declined your offer; there’s no misunderstanding about that. Isn’t this supposed to be a mutual selection? I didn’t sign anything."

Summer retracted her smile, leaning back in the high-backed chair of the café, speaking in a low voice, "I know you were standing up for Lawrence Winters, and I have already apologized. We were in the wrong."

"To make up for her grievances, we have shown the utmost sincerity, and the offer has doubled. But she was enticed by the unreliable playboy from the Foster Consortium and signed with their company. She will regret it later!"

But Kenneth thought to himself, given Lawrence’s years of experience, who will regret it in the future is still uncertain...

He continued to smile, the curve of his lips unchanged, and said mildly, "What you did to her is already enough to go to court. Do you really think an apology solves everything?"

Summer felt a sting, staring at Kenneth, puzzled as to how someone so handsome could be so sharp-tongued when speaking!

The key was that his smile was extremely captivating, carrying a very strong charisma.

It was as if a charming and unparalleled noble prince stabbed you, still elegantly discussing whether the knife in your chest felt a bit chilly and whether you needed an extra coat...

This extreme contrast between warmth like a March breeze and coldness like the extreme northern ice was almost fatally attractive to women.

Summer only felt her heart being tossed about by him, constantly teetering between immersion and clarity.

She sighed inwardly, wondering who had the fortune to win the heart of this man, both warm and cold?

Could it really be that Lawrence Winters?

Summer recalled Lawrence’s rustic attire at the interview that day, clearly showing the aesthetic style of a nondescript small county town.

Her face could stand out, but in their circle, looks were the least useful, because money could buy them...

At this thought, Summer regained her confidence, crossed her arms over her chest, sat up straighter, and smiled, "So we didn’t just apologize; we showed sincerity."

Kenneth couldn’t help but think of how Lawrence often talked about "sincerity," and when she spoke of it, her eyes seemed to gleam as if there was gold shining within.

Only he knew it was literal "gold," the kind that could serve as hard currency and a general equivalent.

The corners of Kenneth’s lips slightly curved upward, a flash of amusement passing through his exquisite phoenix eyes.

Summer was so captivated that her eyes became fixated.

She retracted her previous thoughts, realizing that such looks, even in their circle, were a rare resource!

More importantly, the man in front of her had not only looks but intelligence!

That was truly terrifying.

Now Summer felt regret, deep regret.

If she could return to the day Lawrence Winters came for the interview, she would have welcomed her into the company with fanfare and immediately issued an offer!

But sadly, time cannot be reversed, and there is no medicine for regret in this world.

Summer tried to pull her thoughts back, immediately adopting her sister Spring Spencer’s suggestion, and straightforwardly said, "Our group is genuinely showing great sincerity in inviting you to join us."

"This time, we are offering you shares, not as an employee, but as a boss."

"Twenty percent original shares of the new company, as well as equity in the Spencer Group. All at executive level, with half having no maturation period and can take effect immediately, how about it?"

"The annual salary is also doubled, household registration will be immediately resolved, plus a brand new three-bedroom modern apartment in a good school district in Capital City."

Kenneth Osborne: "..."

The offer is indeed extremely generous.

Even Kenneth himself didn’t anticipate they would offer such a substantial sum.

In reality, he knew exactly how much his patents could contribute.

As of now, they didn’t actually match the terms being offered.

In other words, they were acquiring above value, sparing no expense to ensure he joined the Spencer Group.

He was also well aware that, as with Lawrence Winters, these terms he received were a result of the ongoing struggle between the Spencer Group and the Foster Consortium.

He had become a pawn, albeit a more significant one than Lawrence Winters.

So their offered price was higher.

Kenneth fell into silence.

Seeing him remain silent for so long, Summer was elated inside, believing that her sister’s advice was truly powerful. Doubling the very best offer could indeed touch Kenneth Osborne’s heart!

But before she could bask in her joy, Kenneth had already calmly said, "Okay, I believe you are very sincere, but I still refuse."

This is the first update, the second update at 1 p.m., the third update at 7 p.m.

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