?Chapter 162:


    “I’ve been in this industry long enough to know how it works, Dani. Some parts need top-notch materials, while others don’t. I’ve made sure to bnce things out to keep costs down. Believe me, the profit here is more than fair.”


    Still silent, Dani watched him. Cedric began to fidget, wiping the sweat forming on his forehead.


    She took off her sses, grabbed a tissue from the desk, and handed it over to him. Cedric epted it, using it to wipe his forehead.


    She gave him a slight, almost tired smile.


    “The more you talk, the more it feels like you’re just trying toe off as innocent.”


    His eyes widened in surprise.


    “What? No! That’s not true!”


    His voice dropped, carrying a note of grievance, as if the usation stung him deeply.


    Dani rested her chin on her hand and motioned for him to take a seat across from her.


    After he sat down, she pushed a sheet of paper towards him.


    “This is the payment schedule from here on out.”


    Cedric didn’t even spare a nce at the paper, quickly blurting out, “That’s not needed.”


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    Dani inteced her fingers on the desk and looked him in the eye.


    “Then I’ll just cancel the contract.”


    She grabbed her calctor, tapping it with a small frown.


    “Let me figure out what I owe you for the penalties.”


    Cedric went still, a chill creeping in. No matter how sharp he was in business, Dani always had a way of trapping himpletely.


    “Fine. Let me at least offer you a discount.”


    “Seriously, you don’t need to do this.”


    Just then, Ryan stepped into the room, catching the moment. It wasn’t exactlymon to see someone turning down money like that.


    Dani meticulously calcted the final settlement figures and presented Cedric with an impressive 80% profit margin.


    She further sweetened the deal by reserving five expansive floors in the uing skyscraper for Phillips Group’s office space. Cedric, fervently punching numbers into his calctor, suddenly realized his oversight—his good fortune had inadvertentlye at a cost.


    As he stepped out of the building, a veil of frustration shadowed his expression.


    Numbers were her yground, and his skills simply couldn’t match her extraordinary intellect.


    Lillian couldn’t hold back her frustration any longer.


    “Honestly, Cedric, you’re acting like a total coward! What’s got you so terrified?”


    Ryan observed the exchange with keen interest, his arms folded tightly against his chest.


    Lillian continued, “Just open up to her! Admit you’re smitten.


    You’re clearly putting in the effort; so what’s holding you back? See how she takes it! Or are you really just going to hide behind this ‘just friends’ facade?”


    Cedric’s frustration reached its peak.


    “I want to confess, I really do. But every time I approach her, her piercing gaze and her unyielding grasp of the data intimidate me. I’m used to the rough and tumble of construction sites, not the sharp world of numbers. Each time I try to speak, her incisive stare cuts me off. What can I do?”


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