Reborn Heiress: Taking Back What Is Rightfully Hers!
Chapter 328: The Deal

Chapter 328: The Deal

Ella glanced at the two bodyguards and calmly instructed, "Wait for me outside. I’ll be fine."

The bodyguards hesitated. "But, Young Madam, Mr. Nelson told us to stay outside only if..."

"If Mr. Nelson holds anyone accountable, I’ll take full responsibility," Ella said with a light smile.

Even though Ella wasn’t the one paying their salaries, she was still their master, so they had no choice but to quietly leave.

Leah looked around. "Are there any other guests here?"

The balcony on the eighteenth floor was quite spacious, with private rooms on both sides, all of them luxurious and elegant.

At that moment, a server arrived with tea. Ella smiled and asked, "Miss, are there any guests in the private rooms on either side?"

The server replied with a smile, "Miss, the private rooms on both sides are typically empty."

Hearing this, Leah and Julia finally relaxed.

Once the server left, Leah eyed Ella’s handbag suspiciously. "Ella, we’re having a private conversation, and I don’t want you recording anything."

Leah was sharp—Rachel had tried to frame Ella in the past, but Ella had caught her by recording a video.

Ella chuckled. It seemed they were planning to discuss something very private, likely about shares. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so cautious.

Ella opened her small handbag and emptied its contents onto the table. There were only a pack of tissues, a phone, and a wallet—nothing else.

Julia smiled gently. "Miss Davis, I’d like our sincere conversation to remain private. I wouldn’t appreciate it being recorded."

Ella unlocked her phone and handed it to Leah. "Miss Carter, check if it’s recording."

Leah inspected the phone carefully. It wasn’t recording—typically, when a phone is recording, a status icon would appear at the top of the screen.

Ella set the phone aside and confidently faced Julia. "You can speak now."

Julia gracefully sipped her tea, then said, "The Nelson Group’s eco-friendly project was exposed for having quality issues. Miss Davis, what are your thoughts?"

Ella calmly replied, "Mrs. Carter, do you have any evidence to support such claims? Those faulty materials were swapped out by someone else."

Mrs. Carter shook her head gently. "It’s possible that other Nelson Group projects were compromised long before this. After all, not everything passes through Mr. Nelson’s hands. Some greedy individuals might have taken advantage of the situation for personal gain. Even if Mr. Nelson wasn’t responsible, any exposure would still throw the Nelson Group into crisis."

Ella blinked. What did Julia mean by that? Was she suggesting there were other problems elsewhere? That was impossible. Eric was so meticulous—there was no way he would overlook such a thing!

She trusted him.

"Impossible. I trust my husband. This incident is a first, and it hasn’t even affected the project yet!" Ella responded confidently.

Leah couldn’t hold back anymore and sneered. "Ella, you’re so confident. Since this scandal broke, do you even realize that Nelson Group’s stock price has dropped by eight percent? How much time has passed since this morning? Do you know how many billions Nelson Group has lost in the stock market? And you’re still so confident? If Mr. Nelson had a solid plan, he would have acted by now!"

Ella shook her head. "This wasn’t done by anyone within the Nelson Group’s leadership. It’s a setup, and I believe that one day, Nelson Group will clear its name."

Julia’s smile grew even softer, her voice almost hypnotic. "Miss Davis, as far as I know, Mr. Nelson hasn’t rested since this morning. He’s been tirelessly meeting with executives, trying to resolve this issue."

Ella fell silent.

Seeing the dimming light in her eyes, Leah couldn’t help but feel triumphant. "If no evidence is found, Nelson Group will likely go under! Ella, can you really stand by and watch Mr. Nelson’s hard work go to waste?"

Ella remained quiet.

"I’ve heard that Mr. Nelson skipped lunch today. He’s exhausting himself trying to save the company. Don’t you want to help him?" Julia’s voice was calm as she took a graceful sip of tea, her wrinkled hand holding the cup steadily.

The aroma of the tea filled the air as Ella lifted her gaze, looking at Julia with curiosity. "Mrs. Carter, do you have a solution? Let’s hear it."

Julia laughed coldly inside.

People often said that Ella was a clever woman, and bringing her down wasn’t easy.

But now, it seemed Ella was tempted by her enemy’s words.

Did she really think someone would offer her help out of kindness?

"There is a way," Julia said lightly, her eyes fixed on Ella. "But we would need to make a deal, Miss Davis."

Ella appeared hopeful, seemingly eager to relieve Eric of his burdens.

"Speak plainly, Mrs. Carter. If the terms are reasonable, I might consider it."

Ella chuckled inwardly. This old woman really thought she’d fall into such an obvious trap?

"A friend of mine stumbled upon some documents that could prove Nelson Group’s innocence," Julia said with a soft laugh. "But in exchange, we would like the 15% of Carter Group shares that you hold."

Ella stared at Julia in disbelief. "Mrs. Carter, are you serious?"

"Of course she is!" Leah chimed in, looking smug. "Ella, you’re Mrs. Nelson. Can you really stand by and watch Mr. Nelson run himself ragged over this?"

Ella’s expression darkened slightly. "What kind of documents are these? Can I see them?"

Julia quickly shook her head. "I’m afraid not. These are confidential. We can only exchange them after you transfer your shares to us."

Ella’s lips curled into a cold, sarcastic smile. These people were unbelievably greedy. They were trying to trick her into giving up 15% of Carter Group’s shares!

"Ella, Mr. Nelson adores you. Making this deal for the evidence is the right thing to do. If you’re unwilling to give up the shares, it shows that Mr. Nelson means nothing to you. You care more about your shares than about him!" Leah, seeing Ella hesitate, grew both angry and frustrated, pressing her further.

Julia, on the other hand, remained silent, calmly sipping her tea, as if waiting for Ella to fall into her trap.

Ella let out a soft laugh, her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.

"That’s fine too..." Ella stretched her words, and Julia and Leah’s faces lit up with excitement.

"But... I’ll only consider the deal once I’m sure there’s no other way. For now, I still believe my husband will find the mastermind behind this."

The final part of her sentence made Leah leap to her feet in anger.

"Ella! What do you mean? Are you saying you won’t go through with the deal?" Leah asked urgently.

Julia’s face darkened as well. At her age, she couldn’t believe she had been played by Ella!