Vanessa''s eyes showed a hint ofpromise. "Ian, I''ve thought it over. I''ll sign the
new contract on the condition that you don''t interfere with my marriage or ns to have children. After I''m married and have a child, I will continue to cooperate with theb and make regr donations."
"Gavin," he said.
Gavin, who was waiting nearby, slid the document over to her. "This is a supplement to the old contract, with a new use explicitly stating there will be no interference in your marriage or childbirth. Please review it, Miss Shannon. If there are no issues, you can sign."
Vanessa saw the words "lifelong donation" and it felt like a needle piercing her heart. Her fists clenched under the table. Ian was truly ruthless; he wasn''t giving her any way out.
Was he nning to squeeze everyst drop of blood from her? Did he expect her to keep donating for his descendants when she was seventy or eighty years old?
A suffocating sense of humiliation and resentment wrapped around her heart. From now on, whenever the Goodwin family needed it, she would have to be a mobile blood bank, ready to be tapped at any time.
Vanessa also knew thatn was unwilling to let her go because her blood still had value. On one hand, it was for research exclusive to his family. On the other, it was a precaution in case future generations inherited the condition and needed her blood to survive.
The thought made her breath catch.
Her life was meant to guarantee the health of Eleanor''s descendants?
"You can sign it, or you can refuse,"n stated, his voice devoid of emotion.
Vanessa looked up at him. Silhouetted against the harsh light,n looked cold and untouchable, watching her with the detached indifference of a man who held all the cards.
Since she had already made her decision, she had to sign.
She flipped to the page with the penalty use and gasped, her head snapping up. "Why has the penalty doubled? It was ten billion, why is it twenty billion now?"
"You can think about it, or you can choose not to sign," Ian said, leaning back slightly in his chair, his tone still perfectly t.
Vanessa stared at him, trying to find a trace of sympathy or pity for her on his handsome face.
There was nothing.
He didn''t even bother to exin why the penalty had doubled.
And she was in the pathetic position of not even being able to negotiate.
She realized then that the man she''d met when she was eighteen wasn''t a god-he was a devil in disguise.
Still, Vanessa had her own calctions. As long as she got her hands on Walden''s assets, twenty billion would be a small price to pay.
''é
She found a specific use: upon marriage, she would be granted a 36-month exemption for childbirth, during which all blood collection obligations would be suspended.
This was exactly what she wanted. Those three years were crucial. She needed to restore her health,
elg
sessfully conceive and solidify her position:
"Fine, I''ll sign," Vanessa said without hesitation. She picked up the pen and signed her name.
After signing both copies, she took
her own. A thought urred to her,
and she narrowed her eyes. "So, the benefits I had before are stillin effect?"
She was referring to the exchange of resources and the annual stipends specified in the contract.
Color rushed to Vanessa''s cheeks. She straightened her back and walked out of the conference room with her head held high.
As soon as she was gone, Gavin remarked, "It seems Miss Shannon is determined to be Mrs. Wells."
Gavin understood. His boss wasn''t oblivious to Vanessa''s ambitions; he just didn''t
care.
Eleanor''s research had cured the Goodwins'' condition, making Vanessa''s blood less critical.
The only reason their boss was still willing to pay to maintain the arrangement with Vanessa was to prepare for any future uncertainties.
It was a safeguard for the Goodwin family.
Perhaps Vanessa''s blood would one day be ineffective, but their boss would never stop taking responsibility for his family''s lives.