Chapter 161 - 159: Goodbye
Yannick looked at Cecilia Sterling, his eyes exceptionally bright with the fiery passion unique to youth.
"I just wanted to say goodbye, I..." Yannick lowered his gaze slightly, avoiding Cecilia Sterling’s direct look. He licked his lips, a sign of his uncontrollable nervousness. After a long moment, he said, "I just felt... I should say a proper goodbye to you."
His feelings seemed subtle, but Cecilia Sterling could sense them completely.
She was moved, and also very grateful.
"I hope you have a brilliant future, and that your career path is smooth sailing from here on out." Cecilia Sterling offered him her most sincere blessings.
Yannick looked at her again and smiled. "Thank you. I hope you get everything you wish for, too."
Goodbye.
Cecilia Sterling turned and started walking toward the other side of the road. Yannick watched her back, the expression on his face changing unconsciously.
Seeing she was about to cross, the feelings for Cecilia Sterling that Yannick had suppressed for so long finally broke free. "Cecilia Sterling!"
He shouted to stop her, afraid that if he missed this chance after she turned away, he would never get another opportunity to say it.
Cecilia Sterling stopped and turned her head to look at him.
Yannick looked slightly nervous, but his eyes were filled with impulse. He gritted his teeth and said, "I like you. You know that, right?"
Cecilia Sterling looked at him, a bright smile gracing her lips, and nodded gently. "I know. Thank you for your feelings. I’m honored."
In that instant, Yannick felt an unprecedented sense of release in both body and soul. He had said it. Now, there were no regrets.
Goodbye.
On the way back, the two of them sat in the back seat of the car. Blair couldn’t help but ask, "I’m just curious, you know Yannick likes you, so if he had confessed earlier and asked to be with you, would you have said yes?"
Cecilia Sterling looked at Blair, blinked, and shook her head gently. "I don’t answer hypothetical questions."
Blair nodded, seeming to understand Cecilia Sterling’s way of thinking.
If it never happened, what’s the point of "what if"?
"Actually, I have a question for you," Cecilia Sterling said, suddenly looking at Blair. "You’ve been behaving yourself lately. I haven’t seen you go to the fighting rings."
Blair furrowed his brow. "You’re really forgetful. Did you forget I told them the other day I wouldn’t be fighting this month?"
Cecilia Sterling frowned in thought. It did seem vaguely familiar.
"So you still want to go back? Aren’t you afraid your master will get angry?"
Hearing this, Blair’s expression sobered, and he lowered his voice. "I don’t want to make him angry either, but more than I’m afraid of my master getting angry, I’m afraid of losing my master’s wife."
"He’s already listed the ancestral home with an agency. If someone really takes it, the money problem can be solved. I want to stop him, but it’s no use."
Cecilia Sterling nodded in understanding and patted Blair’s hand gently. "Don’t get worked up. No matter what, your master is just worried about you. As for the ancestral home, I can help you with that."
"You’ll help me?" Blair was stunned. "How can you help me?"
Cecilia Sterling raised an eyebrow and said casually, "By throwing money at it, of course. You guys need money, don’t you?"
Blair soon found out what Cecilia Sterling meant by "throwing money at it."
Jade Forest Hall was housed in The Courtyard, a traditional residence in an excellent location. In Lorcain, the value of such a property was self-evident. Its market price was likely comparable to, if not more than, the best-equipped villas in Hearthstone Villas.
But Blair’s master, in a hurry to sell and liquidate, had listed it for only 9.5 million dollars. This attracted many potential buyers. Upon learning the owner was in urgent need of money, these shrewd individuals tried to push the price even lower to make a larger profit.
The highest bidder had only offered a price of 8.8 million dollars, claiming the number was for good luck.
Keep in mind, 9.5 million was already below market value. If Jade Forest Hall sold at this price, they’d catch hell from all the neighboring property owners. A sale at that price would inevitably affect the value of all the courtyard homes in the area.
But unexpectedly, these people were vultures, taking advantage of the owner’s desperation to suck him dry by pushing the price down again and again.
"8.6 million? Didn’t we agree on 8.8 million? Why the change?"
Today, that same prospective buyer had shown up again, and the first words out of his mouth were an attempt to knock another 200,000 dollars off the price.
Bruce Coleman, naturally, refused. "8.8 million is already far below my bottom line! 8.6 million is absolutely impossible. You can’t just go back on your word like this! Squeezing the price down time and time again... if you’re not going to buy, then don’t bother us!"
The buyer was a heavyset Linfaller. He wore God beads and sunglasses, and spoke with a thick Linfall accent. "Master Coleman, haggling back and forth is just part of business, especially with houses. There’s no such thing as a one-price deal. I’ve made so many trips out here these past few days, I’m the one who’s been inconvenienced! If I weren’t serious about buying, would I go through all this trouble?"
Theodore Coleman snorted at his words. "You come here and try to knock 200,000 off the price. I think you’d better not bother at all. Last time you were lowballing us to 8.8 million for ’good luck,’ and now you’re trying to push it down again? Do you really think you’re our only option?"
The chubby man chuckled and looked at Theodore Coleman. "Don’t be so hot-headed, young man. 8.6 million is a lucky number, too! It means ’get rich’ and ’smooth sailing.’ In Linfall, both 8 and 6 are good numbers, you know."
Bruce Coleman was tired of the man’s silver tongue and had completely lost trust in him. He waved his hand impatiently. "Just go. We’re not selling to you."
He then turned to the young real estate agent who was smiling apologetically on the side. "And you! Stop bringing just anyone over here. None of the previous ones were reliable either. Is my courtyard so hard to sell? I know exactly what you agents are scheming. I don’t need you anymore!"
"Master Coleman, please don’t be angry! We can still discuss this," the young agent said, starting to panic. If he blew a commission this big, his manager would definitely fire him.
He quickly shook his head at the chubby man, signaling him to stop.
The price was already extremely low. You couldn’t find another courtyard home anywhere in Lorcain that you could haggle down this much.
Seeing this, the chubby man knew the seller was truly at his limit and quickly relented. "Ai-ya, Master Coleman, I was just joking with you! 8.8 million is the deal, just as we agreed. Let’s sign the contract today."
Bruce Coleman’s eyes widened in anger, his temper flaring. "I’m not selling for 8.8 million anymore! The price is 9.5 million. Take it or leave it. If you’re not buying, get out now!"
At this, both the agent and the chubby man became frantic.
"Come on, Master Coleman! We already had a deal. You can’t go back on your word."
Bruce Coleman snorted coldly and said irritably, "There are no deals to be had with people like you."
The agent also tried to persuade him. "Master Coleman, the market isn’t great right now. If you don’t sell today, who knows when the next buyer will show up. Besides, aren’t you... in urgent need of the money!"