Chapter 6 Lend Me Two Hundred Thousand Dollars
"Who's calling?"
Before Quinn could answer, Carl's voice cut in as he walked out of the bathroom, towel-drying his hair.
Even though she'd seen it yesterday, she still wasn't used to that chiseled body of his—those firm muscles, those sculpted lines. She quickly hung up the phone, ready to explain.
She shifted her foot, and pain shot through her, making her wince and suck in a breath.
Carl stacked two pillows and helped her lean back against them. "I've got some work to do at the office."
"Can I borrow two hundred grand?" Quinn blurted out, and Carl's face changed instantly.
Just as Carl suspected, Quinn was only after his money. But at least it saved him some trouble. With that thought, he got up and walked out of the room.
Quinn started to panic. Even though they were married, they'd only met three times. Asking for two hundred grand straight up? No one would lend that. She forced a bitter smile.
"Now he probably thinks I'm just a gold-digger."
About ten minutes later, Carl came back with a bag, a piece of paper, and a pen.
He tossed them on the bed. The bag was open, showing stacks of hundred-dollar bills, fresh from the bank, seals still intact.
Seeing the stacks, she guessed it was about two hundred grand.
She didn't expect Carl to be so straightforward, handing over the money without a word.
Given their situation, she felt a mix of emotions. She was glad he lent the money but sad he probably thought she was just a gold-digger.
At this point, she couldn't worry about it. She picked up the pen and started writing an IOU. After she finished, Carl took it and grabbed her phone.
"Password?"
Quinn was confused but unlocked the phone.
Carl scanned and added her on Facebook, transferring six thousand dollars at the same time.
Seeing the transfer, Quinn felt a pang of sadness. Just as she thought, rich people were cold. The six thousand was probably for their first night together.
Feeling down, Carl started dressing in front of Quinn, explaining as he did.
"Steven told me you spent money last night, so I gave you six thousand. Since we're married, I'll handle the household expenses."
Hearing this, Quinn got angry and glared at Carl, tears in her eyes. "Then what about you sleeping with me?"
Carl paused, then continued buttoning his shirt. "You're my wife, not a prostitute. I don't need to pay!"
With that, he left the room.
Quinn threw a pillow at the door and cursed. "Bastard, jerk."
Carl suddenly returned, picked up the pillow, and carefully placed it back for her to lean on. "Louis will be with you today. Whatever you need, just let him know."
He turned back and added, "I suggest you rest at home today. You can order food delivery. I've already arranged for the medicine to be delivered. If the vaginal tear feels severe, apply it yourself."
Quinn shouted, "I can take care of myself! No need for you to worry!"
Back at the office, before Carl even got out of the car, his secretary opened the door, handed him a coffee and a tablet, and started reporting. "Mr. Ward, this is the information we gathered overnight."
The secretary continued, "Elegance Group suddenly demanded we raise prices. But our contract still has two months left. If we can't raise prices, the contract will be void. This would mean terminating the contract early."
She added, "Elegance Group anticipated our refusal and coordinated with competitors to cut off our business. If this continues, it will negatively impact the group."
Carl sipped his coffee and handed it back to the secretary, quickly reviewing the details of Elegance Group's business and the reasons for the breach.
As they entered the elevator, the secretary suggested, "Mr. Ward, should we issue a public statement to clarify?"
Carl shook his head. "Set up a design studio for me ASAP. I want it operational today."
He added, "Also, I don't care who you hire, place a large order with Elegance Group."
The secretary was puzzled. "Mr. Ward, they won't cooperate with us. Why place an order?"
Carl didn't explain. After the secretary left, he made a call. Whatever the other party said made him laugh.
After Carl left for over an hour, Quinn got up, took a shower, and looked at the bedsheet. She thought, 'Carl must think I'm a very casual woman!'
She quickly convinced herself. Their marriage was contractual, without feelings. She married to avoid being used by her foster father to pay off debts. Besides, they had set ground rules last night.
She replaced the bedsheet with a new one and made herself a simple breakfast.
After eating, she had Louis take her to the bank, deposited the two hundred thousand dollars into a card, and returned to Oakridge Springs.
Seeing Emily's face had healed a lot, she felt relieved. She would find a way to pay for Alan Sherman's school fees.
"Quinn, Jake is a bastard. Don't take such risks again."
"Mom, I'm married now. Even if I wanted to take risks, my husband wouldn't allow it."
After changing at home, she left Oakridge Springs in front of Louis. She took a cab and called her best friend Clementine Bennett.
"Clementine, I'm sending you a number and a location. If I don't message you in an hour, call this number and have them come to this location to save me."
"Quinn, what are you doing in an hour?"
After giving a brief explanation and hanging up, she kept observing her surroundings. The place they chose was definitely not simple.