Chapter 24: Taking A Step Forward
After a few minutes, the waiter returned with their order.
They sipped the coffee under the veil of warm sunlight.
While drinking, Klaus asked, "Miss Murrow, how much has Martin told you about me?"
Sophia spat the coffee and coughed a few times.
Klaus furrowed his brows and shifted his gaze to Martin, only to find him looking away at the tree on the other side of the road.
’This guy... what did he tell her?’
Considering the look in her eyes before and now this, he was sure Martin had told her something stupid, making his plan of cementing his superiority fall apart before he had even thought of it.
I didn’t know he was that good at strategy... or maybe he is just a dickhead?
Sophia cleaned herself with a napkin and said, "Uncle hasn’t told me much about you; I only know that you two are friends and you want to have some sort of deal with me."
A mischievous glint passed through Klaus’s eyes. He slid his fingers together and said, "Your uncle is right." Making sure to put more weight on "uncle"
His gaze flickered to Martin for a moment. His face was dark, and he was staring at his palms as though contemplating his very existence; it seemed being regarded as an uncle had caused him to enter an existential crisis.
Sophia also looked at Martin over her shoulder, a faint smile creasing her lips.
Klaus’s gaze switched between the two like a ping-pong ball, and he remarked, ’It’s not that right...? Nah, I am looking too much into this. There’s no way it’s that.’
Is it really not that?
He shook his head and tightened his fingers.
Focus.
A sharp, determined glint appeared in his eyes, and he said, "I have heard about the difficulties you are going through."
Sophia frowned, a somber look in her eyes.
Before she could spiral into sorrow or sadness, Martin gently held her hand and softly whispered in her ear, "Don’t worry, Sophia. We are here to help you. You trust me, right?"
Her eyes regained their warmth and sharpness, and she nodded.
Seeing them, Klaus narrowed his eyes.
’They’re definitely giving off that vibe.’
’There’s no way... right?’
He frowned.
’I’m definitely reading too much into this.’
"I am aware that you need a lot of money, but the assets you have do not have enough value."
Sophia nodded.
"We are looking to establish a finance company, and we require land that you can provide us."
Sophia frowned deeply.
"How will that help me...? I don’t think you are going to pay me more than what my assets are worth, right?"
"Heh." He chuckled, and with an impassive look, he said, "I am going to pay you nothing."
Sophia’s brows furrowed upward; she looked at Martin, then back at him. "Is this a joke?"
At the same time, Martin glared at Klaus with a look that said: "What the fuck are you saying, you stupid bastard?!"
Klaus ignored him like a professional and explained to Sophia, "What I will give you is a part in our company; you will hold 10% of it in return for allowing us to use your place."
Although she wanted to dismiss it right away, with Martin being here, she thought about it for a few seconds and then said flatly, "That’s no different than giving me nothing. The company that you are going to establish has no value for me to judge whether it’s worth it or not."
Klaus nodded; he could understand her and Martin’s worries because, unlike him, they didn’t have a seer spouting bullshit in their head.
"I understand why you can’t trust me, but... one thing I can assure is – my company and I will never fail. If you cannot put your trust in me, you can place it in the hands of my friend here."
A convoluted expression appeared on her face as she slowly turned her gaze to Martin.
"...what do you think, uncle?"
Martin met her gaze and said slowly, "Sophia, I do not want you to make such a big decision based on my thoughts and relations. You are a smart woman; you can make your own decisions."
Sophia fell silent. She knew selling her assets wasn’t enough to repay the debts her father had left her with, but giving her house to Leo Maker solely over a promise and a mere 10% would close multiple doors for her.
She slowly sipped her coffee and thought for a long while.
Martin and Klaus also stayed silent.
After a few minutes, she placed the empty cup on the table and said, "25%."
Klaus chuckled.
A proud sheen spread in Martin’s eyes, and he whispered, "So you’ve decided to give him your house?"
Sophia nodded slightly.
"25% is too much; the most I can do is 12%," Klaus stated as he also put his empty cup on the table.
Sophia thought for a few moments and demanded, "15%, nothing less than that."
Klaus stared into her eyes. She was determined and serious about her demand.
He raised a hand to her and said, "Alright. It is good to have you aboard, Miss Murrow."
She smiled, took his hand, and shook it. "I only wish your work is just as good as your words, Mr. Maker."
At the same time, Martin placed down his empty cup on the table.
Klaus smirked and said, "My work is way better than my words. I’d say my words are rather weak in comparison."
All of them stood up at once, and Klaus stated while looking at Martin, "You know what to do, right?"
Martin nodded.
Sophia looked at the two with curiosity, wondering what Martin’s position was in this so-called finance company.
Klaus looked at her and said with a smile, "I can guess your thoughts."
"Haha. Am I that easy to read?" She chuckled. "So?"
Klaus turned around and moved toward his bike. "He is the CEO of Maker Finance."
"???"