Chapter 535

Bringing gifts to Daniela was nothing more than a gesture of respect for Cedric.

Upon arriving at Elite Lux, Bruno made sure Cedric had already departed before rushing upstairs.

Just as he neared his destination, Ryan and Lillian blocked his path.

Bruno's brows furrowed. "What's the meaning of this?Step aside!"

Lillian folded her arms, her gaze cold. "And what exactly do you want?"

Bruno hoisted the bags slightly. "I'm dropping off gifts,isn't it obvious? Lend me a hand!"

To Bruno, Lillian was nothing more than a mere secretary.

When she didn't budge, his temper flared. He jabbed a finger at her. "You're just a secretary! Who gave you the guts to talk back? Do you even realize how easily I could ruin you?"

Deep down,Bruno never saw women as his equals. In his mind, they existed only to serve his whims.Respect? That was laughable.

"These are high-end luxury goods, worth millions.Take them to Daniela's office-and be careful! You couldn't afford to replace them if you tried!" he spat.

A passing janitor, oblivious to the tension, casually carried the gifts into Daniela's office.

Bruno's smugness swelled. He sauntered in, let his gaze wander critically around the room, then lowered himself onto the sofa, preparing to cross his legs.

Before he could settle in, Lillian's steady voice rang out. "Bruno Deleon is inside."

A moment later, Daniela stepped in.

Bruno sprang to his feet, flashing a practiced smile."Ms. Harper, my apologies for dropping by unannounced."

His words carried an apology, but his expression certainly did not.

The smile was forced, his eyes laced with barely concealed contempt.

"What do you need?" Daniela didn't waste time with niceties. She simply walked past him and took her seat. Bruno hesitated, expecting an invitation to sit,but none came.

Irritation prickled at him, but he couldn't let it show.

Forcing a chuckle, he lowered himself into the seat."Yesterday, I let my mouth run and said some things l shouldn't have. I came to apologize. And I hope you'll like these gifts."

Daniela gave them a brief glance, then let out a soft chuckle. "And what makes you think I'd like them?"

Her response nearly made Bruno choke on air. These gifts were worth a fortune! And she had the nerve to say she didn't like them?

"I was in a bit of a rush." Fishing a check from his pocket, he extended it forward. "Please accept this."

Daniela gave it a glance, a faint smirk playing on her lips.The same two-hundred-million-dollar check from the day before.

"Look, we're all businesspeople. No need to make things so difficult. Think of this as a goodwill gesture,"he added.

Daniela leaned back slightly, her tone measured. "And what exactly do you want from me?"

Bruno's eyes gleamed with anticipation. He believed Cedric was the real power behind all this. Daniela? She was just a pretty face. But with Cedric wrapped around her finger,she held influence.

Of course, what he said was the opposite. "Last night,Mr. Phillips took extreme action against my company,leading to severe losses. Could you have a word with him? Ask him to ease up a little?"

Daniela chuckled, plucking the check off the table. "If my memory serves me right, Cedric mentioned a hundred billion dollars yesterday, didn't he? And if l recall correctly, you lost around eighty billion last night. Had you acted sooner, you wouldn't have ended up paying this much."

Bruno swallowed his pride, his jaw tightening. "Yes,I was foolish."

Unhurriedly, Daniela placed the check back on the table and slid it toward him. "Cedric told me this morning-he gave you a chance yesterday, and you didn't take it. Now? A hundred billion won't cut it. It's a trillion. So, are you going to come up with it,or pretend this meeting never happened?"

The sheer number nearly made Bruno choke. "A trillion? You can't be serious! Even if all eight of us pooled our wealth, we wouldn't have that much!"

Daniela's voice remained unhurried. "But you haven't even tried. How can you be so sure?" Ultimately, Lillian tossed both Bruno and his gifts right out the door.

"Scram! Who do you think you are, acting all high and mighty? Please! When I was spending millions like pocket change,you were still scraping by in the slums!"she mocked.

A powerful business mogul, yet here he was-thrown out like a nobody. Onlookers gawked, and some even pulled out their phones to record.

By nightfall, Bruno's humiliation had become industry gossip.

Word spread like wildfire-Bruno Deleon was tossed out of Elite Lux by a secretary.

In a dimly lit private lounge, Bruno fumed at the remaining seven.

"I haven't been humiliated like this in years! Daniela is insufferable! Absolutely unbearable! What now? Does she run the market? She demands a hundred billion,and we just hand it over? She demands a trillion, and we magically find it? Who does she think she is? It's all because of Cedric! She acts untouchable now, but back when she was chasing after Alexander, wasn't she meek and submissive? Hackett! Say something!"

Hackett,silent until now, narrowed his eyes and turned to Bruno. Bruno frowned. "What are you getting at?"

Hackett smirked. "Even the most powerful men have their weaknesses-especially for beautiful women.If we can't sway Daniela, we need someone else in Cedric's ear. Someone loyal to us, and utterly irresistible."

Bruno blinked in disbelief. "Isn't Daniela exactly that?"

No matter what they thought of her, they had to admit-Daniela was stunning.

Hackett let out a knowing chuckle. "No matter how beautiful she is, I'm sure Cedric would get bored.Bruno, that beauty you've been keeping under wraps might be just the answer."