At that moment Jerry leaned back in his chair, completely unfazed by the question.
With a detached, expressionless face, he finally answered Ramos's question.
"She asked me to marry her for one billion dollars."
The reaction was immediate.
Ramos's cheeks sequenced with anger. Amelia's hands tightened around the edge of the table.
Even Owen, who had been trying to be detached, couldn't suppress the flash of fury from crossing his eyes.
Abigail really did it.
She really took it upon herself to married a complete stranger—all because of power.
Owen's jaw was clenched.
' If I he'd known she would be this desperate, i would have had her locked up all day.'
"Damn it!"
He'd overestimated.
Horribly.
Now, this strange stranger—a man with no history with Abigail, no relationship with the family, no struggle in this entire plot—was now the most commanding individual in the room.
At that moment Owen's fists clenched beneath the table.
This was not right.
He had spent years constructing this.
Plotting. Manipulating. Watching Abigail fall into their trap.
And now?
This nobody would be receiving a bigger piece of the pie than him.
Owen's teeth ground together, but he kept himself from talking.
He didn't want anyone to notice his feelings.
Ramos, though, was about to say something—
But Jerry interrupted him casually.
"Of course," Jerry said smoothly, his voice completely uninterested.
"I turned down the offer."
Again the table fell silent.
Owen, Ramos, and Amelia all came to a halt.
Amelia's lips parted by a fraction in shock.
Owen's narrowed eyes winced.
At that moment Ramos stared at Jerry, his smirking grin crumbling for the first time.
Before any of them could fully process what he had just said, Jerry continued.
"Then she raised it to two billion dollars."
in an instant again more silence fell, an absolute and complete silence.
Jerry's words had hit with the impact of a bomb.
Ramos, Owen, and Amelia stared at him, their faces was now turning into suspicion.
This man—this stranger—was now claiming Abigail had given him two billion dollars?
It didn't make sense.
It couldn't make sense.
There was no way.
Ramos laughed cruelly, forward in his chair.
"Now I believe you're just running your mouth," Ramos sneered.
Amelia crossed her arms, tilting her head.
"Do you really expect us to believe everything you say?" she asked, her voice laced with doubt.
Owen remained silent, his jaw clenched.
They all thought the same thing. Jerry was joking.
He was stalling, trying to up his price.
Trying to make them offer him more.
Ramos exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
"Fine," he said, with a confident voice.
"We'll pay you one billion dollars if you divorce Abigail."
Amelia's eyes gleamed a little at the possibility.
That would be more than enough.
More than what Abigail originally offered him for five years.
It was a simple proposition.
He would take the money upfront and be done with it.
But Jerry? He simply raised an eyebrow.
Then, he smirked.
"You're not listening," he said smoothly.
"Abigail didn't just offer me two billion dollars."
His voice was calm—almost mocking.
"She said she'd pay it over a ten-year span."
Hearing what terry just said, The realization hit them all at once.
Ramos's smirk faltered.
Amelia's fingers twitched.
Even Owen felt a chill run through him.
This was no bluff. Jerry was telling the truth.
There was utter silence for a split second.
Then—Owen derided.
His lips curled into a sneer, his head shook.
"Abigail's a mad dog," he growled.
His low, biting tone laced with contempt.
"She's damned desperate."
It was then that Ramos realized that he was sitting on hot seat. The Pressure was on, with such a deal in the deal.
He could feel Owen and Amelia's eyes on him, not wanting him to mess this up before they lost control of things.
Then his fingers started tapping restlessly against the table.
Then—he spoke.
"Alright," Ramos said firmly.
"We'll give you one billion dollars right now."
Jerry didn't answer.
"And," Ramos continued quickly, "we'll give you the rest 500 million dollars within a year."
Owen nodded slightly, backing the offer.
Amelia watched Jerry closely, hoping for the man to take a bite.
But—Jerry laughed.
He shook his head slowly.
"I don't agree," he said smoothly.
The air grew suddenly heavy with tension at that moment.
Owen clenched his jaw.
Amelia curled her fists.
Ramos could feel his temper rising, but he struggled to keep it in check.
They couldn't afford to offend Jerry.
Not now, not when he had all the leverage.
At that moment Ramos breathed deeply, and leaning forward, spoke in a softer tone.
"Listen, Jerry," he said, trying to be reasonable.
"You're lucky to be here at all."
Owen concurred.
"You were in the right place, at the right time," Owen went on.
"Don't try to overplay your hand," Amelia cut in, her voice dripping with a warning.
"Take the offer before it gets pulled back."
However Jerry didn't blink.
He leaned back, unmoved, his arms crossed.
"I rejected two billion dollars," he said bluntly.
His lips twisted into a sneer.
"So why," he slurred, "should I worry about 1.5 billion dollars?"
The room tensed.
Owen's teeth gritted in rage.
Ramos' fist clenched.
Amelia's eyes flashed with outrage.
Just as Owen was about to strike out—
The restaurant door burst open.
All eyes turned. Mrs. Penelope walked in.
She came in, her steps slow and deliberate, her presence only demanding attention.
Her eyes was on Jerry, her face unreadable.
Then—She spoke.
Her voice honey-sweet, acid-tipped, and stone-cold serious.
"We'll give you two billion dollars."
Her lips curled.
"Immediately. No year intervals."