Ch. 531..540

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 531

"Wow, you're so kind, Ms. Rivera!" Jessie smiled, throwing in some flattery.

Hesper smiled then remembered something. "One more thing."

"What?"

"You mentioned there was something you wanted to tell me when we met."

"Yes…" Jessie uncharacteristically became quiet. She pressed her fingers together and looked at Hesper with eager eyes. "Can I not tell you yet?"

Hesper sighed. "Tell me if you want to, or don't. But if you come across any problem that you can't solve, come to me."

"Alright!"

Jessie smiled. However, when Hesper lowered her eyes, her smile faded and was replaced by worry.

Renee soon got news about Jean Yates. They were completely off the mark.

"He works with Carter Wilson?" Hesper frowned as she read what Renee sent over.

The document had a clear timeline that showed that Jean used to work for Nathaniel, but then he raked up a huge debt and went to Genecity, where Carter cleared his debt for him and took him under his wing.

Hesper sighed with relief when she read that. She was glad it wasn't Nathaniel, or she wouldn't know how to face him.

"If it's Carter, we don't have to be cautious about it," Hesper said. "His wife and children are innocent, so I don't want to drag them into this. I'll let you handle this."

"Alright." Renee agreed. She wanted to say something when she saw how tired Hesper was but didn't.

Hesper looked up and noticed that. "Just say what you want to. There's nothing to hide between us."

"…I think you should take a good rest."

Ever since Hesper returned from Fredonia, she never had a good rest. All kinds of issues piled up and she knew that Renee saw her as family, caring about her.

Hesper sighed again, touched.

"Even though I am tired, for future stability, I have to bear with it."

Renee always thought how nice it would be if Hesper was just a normal person. She wouldn't have to worry about all kinds of things and keep a constant frown. However, when she thought about that, that would mean that Hesper wouldn't be Hesper anymore.

"I've asked Jessie to help me at the studio, so she'll take some of the work off your shoulders in a few days," Hesper said. "There's also something else I need your help with."

"Alright."

Hesper looked up.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 532

"Acquire Duval Group's loose shares."

Renee paused out of shock.

However, she did it anyway because it was Hesper's decision.

Hesper thought about it then called Matthew.

Matthew frowned on the other side of the call. "Why are we getting involved with Rickard again? From what I know, he still has 43% of the company's shares and is the biggest shareholder in the group."

"Yes, but you said he only has 43%," Hesper casually said. "What if someone finds a way to acquire all the shares from the other shareholders? He wouldn't be the biggest shareholder anymore even if we just acquire 44%. "

"…What are you trying to say?"

Hesper replied, "Do you remember my promise to Mrs. Wight? She told me about Juniper's plan so that I would save Juniper."

The message Ariana Wight sent to her was about that.

In the past year, Carter and Juniper acquired Duval Group's shares through various channels. The biggest reason they both got married was that the Wights held 5% of it.

The 5% was a token of appreciation for the help the Wights gave the Duvals in the past. It wasn't a small sum. Even if they didn't do anything, they would still be able to live a normal life with just the dividend earned.

Matthew realized what Carter and Juniper had been doing recently. They were ambitious and wanted to take over the Duval Group.

"Now that Rickard is poisoned, I'm guessing he won't have time to manage the company. However, if Carter and Juniper get their way, Genecity and Emperion will both see a huge shift."

The Wilsons weren't an ordinary family to begin with. If they got their hands on Duval Group, it would impact Emperion too.

"Alright, I'll get it done."

After hanging up, Hesper stood in front of the window and sent a message to Professor Miles.

"He'll become better after drinking that." The doctor frowned as he looked at the unconscious Rickard then sighed.

Even when Rickard was paralyzed, the venom kept attacking his body. If they couldn't find an antidote, Rickard's life would end within a month's time.

Benji fed the medication to Rickard. When he saw Professor Miles' expression, he knew that Rickard's condition wasn't looking good.

The doctor said Rickard falling unconscious was not necessarily a bad thing, but now his expression looked more and more worried, so Benji couldn't help but ask, "Is it really alright for him to be unconscious for so long?"

He slept for two to three hours a day in the beginning, but now he could only stay awake for about seven to eight hours each day. The time he spent awake shortened over time; Benji was worried sick.

Professor Miles tiredly rubbed his eyes.

"Even though being unconscious helps slow down the spreading of the poison, his being awake for fewer and fewer hours a day is the result of the poison. One day he might never wake up."

The doctor couldn't hide it. Anyone who saw Rickard's current condition would be able to tell that constantly staying unconscious wouldn't be a good sign.

"No news from Julian yet?"

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 533

Benji shook his head. Since the incident, Daybreak moved out of their base overnight and no one could find their exact location. There was dead silence on their end, and it was obvious they were just delaying so Rickard would die of poisoning.

"We have another problem…" Benji said awkwardly. "The young master insists on seeing Mr. Duval. He's a lot smarter than other children Ms. Rivera has been stirring up a storm recently, so now that she's back, he has probably guessed that Mr. Duval is back too."

Professor Miles frowned. The offspring of these two brilliant minds could not be dumb. However, there was no way they could let Renfrew see his father in his current condition.

There was an alert on his phone. Professor Miles looked down at the message from Hesper.

Hesper hadn't been in contact with any of them since her return to Halwanest. The doctor thought that Hesper had given up on Rickard, but she was asking about his condition now.

[Miles: How else could he be? He's dying.]

Hesper's face fell when she got the message.

Professor Miles told her that Julian knew poisons better than him. Even though there was still time, if this continued, Professor Miles probably wouldn't be able to develop an antidote.

Even though Hesper hated Rickard, he was poisoned because of her and she didn't want Renfrew to lose his father. She had to deal with this no matter how reluctant she was.

After hesitating, Hesper typed.

[Hesper: I have something more important to work on. Please tell Rickard when he wakes up.]

[Hesper: Carter and Juniper are acquiring the shares of Duval Group. I don't know how much they have now, but it couldn't be a small percentage. If Duval Group wants to keep its name, he needs to take action ASAP.]

Professor Mile's heart dropped when he saw that.

Even though he stayed away from the business world, he could tell that this was severe. Carter and Juniper were trying to take his life's work from him while he was down. By the time Rickard was saved, Duval Group would already be in their hands.

The time that Rickard was awake for the day had passed, so he could only tell him the next day.

The doctor felt that he could trust Benji, so he showed him the message from Hesper.

"Um… How did Ms. Rivera find out about this?" Benji looked grave. "I need to verify it. Please take good care of Mr. Duval."

As Rickard's right-hand man, Benji knew how many shares Rickard currently held.

It was 43%, which was a lot, but if Carter managed to persuade a few other shareholders to sell their shares to him, the 43% might not be enough, and that was before taking into account the loose shares that Juniper acquired in the open market.

If they manage to get all of that, Duval Group would be in danger.

Rickard calmly laid in bed. Professor Miles watched Benji anxiously leave and sighed.

When it rains, it pours. He didn't know if Rickard or Duval Group were going to make it, but he hoped that nothing more happened. Rickard probably wouldn't be able to handle anything more.

Thinking about that, he sent a message to Hesper.

[Miles: The time that Rickard could stay away is getting shorter, and there's something else that you need to worry about… No one is taking care of your child.]

Hesper immediately decided to bring Renfrew over.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 534

When Renfrew saw Hesper, he knew that something had happened to Rickard. He was glad to see his mom after so long, but he didn't know if he should be under these circumstances.

"Daddy isn't in a good state, is he?"

Renfrew held Hesper's hand. She was silent for a while then decided to be honest. "He's been poisoned, and it's hard to undo it. He sleeps most of the day, so he wouldn't be able to take care of you."

Even though Renfrew was more mature than children his age, when he heard that, his eyes welled up.

"Is he going to die?"

"…I don't think so." Hesper avoided his eyes. "Good people don't live for long, but the evil ones have a long life. Based on that, your dad is going to live for a few more decades."

Renfrew had a feeling she was trying to sound positive, but since she said that Rickard would be alright, he chose to believe her.

Jessie signed her employment contract with the new studio which was just starting out. Hesper insisted on paying her as soon as she signed the contract, so she was currently on paid leave.

"This huge task is yours now."

Renee walked toward her while holding Renfrew's hand. Jessie blinked and looked into Renfrew's eyes for a few seconds, unsure. "My task is to take care of Ren?"

"Yes." Renee nodded. "Ms. Rivera has a lot on her plate right now, so she wouldn't be able to spend time with him. You're in charge of him now."

Jessie met Renfrew before and they had a nice relationship. She knew Renfrew was a genius and an understanding child, so she happily accepted the task, but when she thought about it, she thought she might not be good enough.

Hesper paid her handsomely, so if all she did was spend time with Renfrew… It didn't seem very fair.

That afternoon, Jessie realized that she was too naive. Renfrew was a five-year-old, yet he had more discipline than her. He had a clear schedule for studying and work. His small hands flew around the keyboard and typed out a bunch of zeros and ones that she didn't understand.

She was worried that he might turn around and ask her how to solve something and the truth that she wasn't very academically gifted would come out.

Fortunately, Renfrew was quiet throughout their time together and didn't seem to need any help from her. When he saw her fast asleep on the couch, he even covered her with a blanket.

"Um… Your mom seems to have work tonight, so the two of us are going out for dinner together." Jessie sounded awkward. "I can't cook."

Renfrew pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose and nodded. "Don't worry, Mommy expected that and gave me a card. What do you feel like having?"

Jessie was shocked. She felt guilty because of how caring Hesper was.

Hesper was busy acquiring the Duval Groups' shares from the shareholders.

One of the shareholders who she contacted had an amicable relationship with her, and she was nice to him when she was working at Lane Holdings. They had a pleasant partnership, so it was a symbiotic relationship.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 535

"I'm sorry but Mr. Weber was in a meeting. He's coming over now."

Hesper nodded and didn't say more. Renee could tell that Tristan Weber wasn't delayed by anything. He just wasn't giving Hesper the courtesy because she was no longer Ms. Lane of Lane Holdings.

"I wonder what big projects Mr. Weber is working on. Isn't the project with Lane Holdings the biggest one he's working on?"

Renee smirked, and Hesper raised her hand.

The secretary smiled awkwardly. "Ms. Lane, Mr. Weber really was busy, but he's on the way over now. Please be patient."

Hesper raised her brow. When Renee got the order, she stood next to her and stopped speaking.

After another half an hour of waiting, Hesper sat in the chair with her eyes closed. Before Renee could speak, Hesper opened her eyes and said, "If Mr. Weber won't extend his courtesy, I have no reason to pretend that we were friends."

Hesper tilted her head and Renee walked to the doors and pushed them, exposing a linked room.

"Mr. Weber, you've been watching the entire night, so I wonder how much more sitting your old back could take. I don't have time for this." Hesper stood up and smirked. "I'm sure you know that the hotel is a subsidiary of Lane Holdings. I was coincidentally the person in charge back then."

Tristan and Rachael awkwardly sat on the couch, especially Rachael. She only went over because Tristan said he was going to show her something funny.

Weber Enterprise put in a lot of effort to continue their partnership with Lane Holdings, but Rachael never told him anything, so he came up with a plan. Even though everyone said that Rachael and Hesper were amicable, he didn't buy it. If he were the heir to the Lane family and an imposter took his place for so long, he would have loathed that person.

"Hessy… I didn't know Tristan was going to do this. I didn't know anything when I came over."

Tristan's eyes widened and he was going to refute, but he couldn't think of anything to say because Rachael never said she hated Hesper. He was still the villain in this situation.

Hesper ignored Rachael and stared at Tristan. "I just need the shares you hold. I don't care or want to know about anything else. I'll pay whatever price you offer. It's that simple."

"Hmm…" Tristan had known long ago that Duval Group was going to expand, so he acquired 4% of their shares. This foresight gave him a lot of returns in the past few years.

"It's not that I don't want to sell it to you, but someone already booked it. That person is someone with status, so I can't afford to offend them." Tristan chuckled awkwardly. "You're just putting me in a tough spot."

Renee looked at Rachael and Tristan with a cold expression. "If that's how you feel, then you shouldn't have agreed in the first place."

Rachael realized that Hesper was ignoring her, so she stood there relieved. She was confused listening to their conversation. Hesper was trying to acquire the shares, but why was Tristan looking nervous?

"The price isn't an issue. As for status…" Hesper smirked. "Do you think that I'm someone you can push around?"

"Um…" He smiled awkwardly.

Even though Hesper was no longer in charge of Lane Holdings, she still wasn't someone he could afford to offend. Now that Hesper was standing before him, he didn't dare deny her.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 536

After getting the 4% from Tristan, Hesper could finally relax.

The 4% could be a turning point. Matthew managed to get 1% from elsewhere, and when that was added to what Rickard had, they should have no problem.

Hesper got into the car and said to herself, "This is for helping to heal my legs."

Meanwhile, Rachael looked at Tristan, who was sitting in a chair looking miserable. "Mr. Weber, can I ask what shares Hessy got from you?"

Even though Rachael sold him out, when he thought about the partnership with Lane Holdings, Tristan still controlled his temper. "Shares of Duval Group. Didn't your siblings tell you? They've been acquiring the loose shares of Duval Group. My cut of the share was booked by Carter Wilson; we'd agreed on that. However, Ms. Lane made an offer I couldn't refuse."

"Carter Wilson?" Rachael thought about it. "Isn't Duval Group the biggest company in Genecity? Why are they buying their shares? Do they have something planned?"

"Who knows…"

Rachael gave Juniper a call and told her about Hesper acquiring Duval Group's shares.

Juniper fought with Carter over this, so she smirked. "I told you to take care of Tristan Weber, but you were too greedy. Do you really think they care that you're the eldest descendant of the Wilson family? Dream on."

Her phone suddenly pinged and she took a look at the message, then couldn't help but call Rachael stupid.

"So Hesper bought it. Her acquiring the shares of Duval Group now… Something is up," Juniper said. "Does she know our plan? If she gives what she has to Rickard, our plan will be ruined."

"That's impossible. Do you think she's psychic?"

Carter scoffed but looked worried.

"We have to get the loose shares or else we won't be able to get half of the total shares. Rickard might have more than us at any moment."

Juniper went to work while Carter stood in the living room, looking more awake.

"Hesper… I'm not surprised."

After Hesper and Matthew got home, they calculated how much they had and realized that after adding it to the 43% that Rickard had, they only had 49.4%… Still a little more to go.

"Duval Group's annual board meeting is being held tomorrow. If Carter and Juniper manage to get half of the shares, Duval Group will be in peril."

"I'm trying to get less than one percent. It shouldn't be a problem." Matthew felt a little helpless. "Isn't our biggest problem now Rickard not waking up?"

Rickard never woke up since that day. Professor Miles said this had never happened before because even if he was mostly unconscious, he would still wake up for a short time.

His condition had been worsening, but what was most urgent now wasn't his health. If he didn't wake up before the board meeting, Duval Group would have to undergo a name change.

"I'm going to call Benji."

Benji was troubled when he saw Hesper calling. He felt anxious and immediately picked up. "Ms. Rivera, how much did you manage to get?"

"Almost enough. Has Rickard not woken up yet?" Hesper still sounded calm. Benji hoped that Rickard would wake up, but he didn't. He had been sleeping for three days already.

"The doctor is still urgently trying to develop an antidote, but I don't think Mr. Duval is going to wake up tonight."

Hesper frowned. "If we can't get the 43% that Rickard holds, all of this would have been in vain. If he doesn't wake up, I don't know what there is to do."

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 537

"…I have an idea," Benji said hesitantly. "The truth is… you could take the 43% held by Mr. Duval."

"What?"

On the overnight flight back to Emperion, Hesper was sleepy yet she just couldn't fall asleep.

"The agreement you signed with Mr. Duval included various 'personal gifts'. Only the first few didn't contain weird clauses to lower your suspicions. One of them included gifting the shares to you."

Hesper couldn't understand what was on Rickard's mind, but his random decision managed to save his own life.

"I'm glad I didn't touch those agreements."

Matthew was anxious because he would never expect Rickard to put such a huge amount of shares for the huge Duval Group into a tiny clause in the contract.

What if Hesper had used them back then…?

Hesper was silent throughout the journey home. When she found the agreement Benji told her about, she was relieved.

"Yes, that one." Benji looked at the agreement through their video call and seemed more relaxed. "I'm glad it's still there. I'll get in touch with the lawyers now. Are you… in Genecity?"

Hesper nodded and didn't say anything.

Rickard and Duval Group's current predicament didn't allow her to sleep.

Emperion and Genecity weren't far apart and a private flight would only take about four hours, but when they landed, dawn was breaking.

Hesper tiredly pinched the bridge of her nose while Benji waited at her apartment with the lawyer.

"…You knew where I was staying?"

Benji paused. He had been so busy with the shares that he forgot Hesper never told him her current address.

"Mr. Duval has eyes everywhere here." Hesper was expressionless but scoffed after a moment of pause. "Come in. Don't waste time standing around."

Benji exchanged looks with the lawyer and wiped his sweat away, then walked into the apartment after Hesper.

The next day, the board meeting started as scheduled.

The shareholders there knew what was going on because they sold most of what they had to Carter. Rickard hadn't shown up in Duval Group for a long time. This would be the day Duval Group had a new owner.

"Good morning."

The staff watched curiously as Carter walked into the conference room.

"What's going on? Why is Carter Wilson joining the board meeting?"

"Mr. Duval hasn't been to the office all week. Did something happen to him?"

Carter walked in with his arm around Juniper's shoulders. He glanced at everyone and chuckled arrogantly. Rickard wasn't present, so he scoffed. "Is Mr. Duval not going to show up?"

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 538

Benji had arrived there earlier and stood in the main seat with an icy expression. Carter and Juniper sashayed over.

"This is my seat now, Benji," Carter said. "You don't seem to be very bright."

"Really? Tha isn't confirmed yet." Benji glared at him coldly but he was very nervous. Hesper had been on the way there when she suddenly got a message saying one of the loose shareholders wanted to sell it to her, so she went over instead.

However, the person reneged when she arrived.

They had known that Hesper didn't have time to bargain with them. Realizing that it was just a decoy, Hesper didn't waste any time and immediately got back into the car.

Even though she was on her way again, Benji was still worried. They didn't have more than half the shares, and when he saw how smug Carter and Juniper looked, he wasn't sure if they already hold the rest of the shares.

The couple exchanged looks, but Benji continued. "No matter the outcome, the board meeting hasn't begun, so Mr. Duval is still the biggest shareholder of Duval Group. Please take another seat."

The air was tense even before the meeting began. All the shareholders there just sat and watched silently. There was no way Rickard would show up that day, so how would he be able to turn things around?

Benji knew that he was still standing there only because everyone was waiting for Rickard to show up to turn things around. However, Rickard had shown no signs of waking up, and the biggest portion of the shares were held by Hesper.

Based on the relationship between Hesper and Rickard, he shouldn't have given the shares to her, but this was the only solution.

"Why isn't Mr. Duval here yet? Are you just pretending?" Carter impatiently slumped in his chair.

The other people around him spoke up. "It's time. Since Mr. Duval isn't here yet, we should start the meeting without him."

Benji received a message from Hesper just then, asking him to try to delay a little longer.

As Benji read the message, he smiled sadly in his heart. He would have to face a group of hyenas.

"Please be patient. What's the point of starting the meeting if not everyone is here yet?" Benji pretended to be calm. "You just can't wait to see Duval Group fall into someone else's hands, can you?"

After Benji said that, everyone fell silent.

Most of the people there respected Rickard because they had seen him manage the company. His actions gave them a lot of good returns, so if Carter didn't manage to take over the company and Rickard turned against them, they wouldn't be able to handle it.

"What time will he get here then? We need to know the time at least. Are we just going to sit and wait?"

Carter glared at all the cowards, then scoffed and leaned back. "We'll wait ten minutes. I'm curious to see what kind of miracle he'll pull off in such a short time."

Benjji worriedly checked the time. Hesper didn't say how long she needed to get there, but these ten minutes were the longest he could delay.

Even though he had a lot of authority at the company, he was just the secretary of the CEO. If the shareholders rejected him, he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

"Final minute, Mr. Lynch. Has Mr. Duval even left home yet?"

Benji frowned and didn't reply.

Carter sat up straight and looked serious with his dark eyes. "Alright, the show needs to end. Begin the meeting."

 

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 539

"There's half a minute to go," Benji said stubbornly. "You'll honor what you said, won't you?"

Carter chuckled. "What difference will half a minute make?"

"A lot." The doors to the conference room opened and everyone looked over. Hesper and Renee walked in with subtle smiles under everyone's gazes. "Hello everyone, nice to meet you."

Everyone started chattering when they saw Hesper.

Although this was the first time Hesper was meeting them, she had been under their radar for some time. She was the woman who managed to take Rickard down all by herself.

There was also the love-hate relationship between her and Rickard too.

Dressed in a white suit with her hair tied up, Hesper looked powerful. Renee stood behind her, holding a folder with mysterious content.

Benji sighed with relief the second he saw her. He was glad he hadn't given up.

"Isn't Mr. Wilson anxious to start the meeting? Now that everyone is here, let's begin." Hesper walked to the end of the table and took the main seat. Even though Benji was surprised, he didn't stop her.

"What's the meaning of this?"

Carter didn't even have the chance to say anything. Everyone there was at the edge of their seats. "Ms. Lane, this is a board meeting for Duval Group, not Lane Holdings. You can't just do whatever you want here."

When Juniper saw Hesper, her heart sank. Now she looked up at her.

Despite the protests, Hesper still looked calm. She tilted her head and Renee opened the folder she was holding. "This is the document confirming the transfer of shares from Mr. Duval. We're done with the legal procedures… It's Monday, right?"

Hepser checked her watch and smiled. "It's public now."

"What?"

Everyone was in disbelief. However, Renee held the agreement for all to see. The shares that belonged to Rickard had been transferred to Hesper. Was it the end of Duval Group?

"Now, can we start the meeting?"

Carter balled up his fist, frowning. "How very clever, Ms. Lane. You're no longer a part of the Lane family, yet you've still managed to make men fall head over heels for you."

"Thanks." Hesper smiled politely and waved to Benji. "Begin the meeting. Let's not waste more time."

"Yes, ma'am!" Benji smiled. Even though he didn't know who held more shares, Hesper's presence managed to push Carter back, which was satisfying.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 540

Hesper's presence managed to compel everyone there. Furthermore, she held at least 43% of the shares, so any smart person would know that she was there to challenge Carter for the company.

Carter leaned forward to get closer to Hesper. "Ms. Lane, I'm sure you hate Mr. Duval. Why don't we work together and turn the Duval Group into the Rivera Group? Tsk tsk, that sounds like a good name."

Renee put out her hand to block Carter with an icy expression. "Control yourself, Mr. Wilson."

"…Fine, self-control." Carter sat up straight but still tried to convince Hesper. "Think about it, Ms. Lane. We can manage the company together. What's it called? Co-managing? We could make Rickard fall to his knees begging us, hmm?"

"Carter!" Juniper observed the expression of all the shareholders and felt embarrassed. She tugged at his arm and whispered, "Enough. Don't forget why we're here."

Carter pulled his arm around while still keeping his eyes on Hesper. He smiled. "How about it?"

"It's a sweet fantasy." Even though Hesper said that, her eyes were on Juniper, teasing her. Then, she smiled. "Even though it isn't a bad idea, I'm not here to play pretend with you, Mr. Carter. I'm very interested in taking over the company. You see, I'm very selfish and don't like sharing."

Carter raised his brows. "Oh? Really? I guess I underestimated you."

Benji watched their exchange nervously. Carter sounded so confident that it made him anxious.

"If that's the case, I guess I won't be nice anymore." Carter raised his brow and seemed sad. "Now that everyone has made their intentions clear, it's time to find out who holds more shares."

The opinion of everyone else there didn't matter because they all knew. What they held had been sold to either side, so they had only showed up to see how it would end.

Benji's heart grew cold.

Carter must have brought it up because he was very sure.

Was the Duval Group going to be stolen? Benji lowered his head. He had been working alongside Rickard since he graduated from university and witnessed all the milestones of the company. If it was the end of Duval Group… He would be ashamed to face Rickard.

"Alright, we'll see how many shares we hold then," Hesper said.

Everyone looked toward. She looked toward Renee, who opened the agreement. After all the percentages were added up, they had 49.4%, almost half.

Benji's heart shook. They only had so much time last night, so it wasn't possible to get more loose shares. Benji knew Hesper and Matthew had done all they could.

From the way Hesper spoke, Carter thought she had a lot more, but…

"I'm sorry to break it you, Ms. Lane, but even though you hold a lot, I have more." Carter clapped his hands and Juniper brought out their agreement. He sighed.

"I don't have a lot more, just 0.1% more. Thank you, Ms. Lane."

Everyone's eyes fell on the agreements on the table. Benji's heart sank.