Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 1045

Noreen glanced down at the numbers on the contract, a wry smirk tugging at her lips. "This offer is a full thirty percent below the secondary market rate. Do you think I'm running a charity here?"

"That's not how you should look at it."

Jasmine leaned forward, resting her folded hands on the desk. She feigned a tone of friendly advice. "You're desperate for liquidity right now. With the bank pulling your credit line and your stock plummeting, you know better than I do how much pressure Winrich's cash flow is under. At a time like this, someone stepping up with hard cash to solve your immediate crisis..."

"That's not called lowballing. That's called throwing you a lifeline!"

She heavily emphasized the word 'lifeline', a flash of concealed triumph gleaming in her eyes.

Noreen met Jasmine's gaze with absolute calm.

She perfectly understood the underlying message.

This wasn't a lifeline; it was flat-out extortion.

Just like Crystal, Jasmine was trying to kick her while she was down and bleed her dry.

Both women had calculated that her supply chain was stretched to the breaking point and were trying to snatch her most valuable assets for pennies on the dollar.

"A lifeline?"

Noreen let out a soft laugh that didn't reach her eyes. "Your lifeline is practically burning up. Careful you don't scorch yourself."

Jasmine's expression shifted slightly, but she quickly masked it with a professional facade. "Business is a battlefield. Opportunities are fleeting."

"If you keep stalling, Winrich's position will only get weaker. When that happens, we might have to reevaluate even this price."

Noreen didn't respond immediately. She just extended her slender fingers and idly flipped through the pages of the acquisition contract.

The rustling of the paper sounded exceptionally loud in the quiet office.

After a long moment, she closed the folder and slid it back across the desk.

"A twenty percent discount. That's my absolute bottom line." Noreen looked up, her gaze steady. "You can think it over. At that price, I could easily sell these shares to anyone else."

Jasmine knew she was telling the truth, and her face immediately soured.

She had planned on taking full advantage of the situation, never expecting Noreen to remain such a tough negotiator.

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