Chapter 129

"Mr. Neill, Mr. Loftus, Mr. Henshaw, are you guys having a good time?" Elaine smiled, glancing around the table like a gracious host. "Of course! Had a blast," Mr. Neill grinned, giving her a thumbs-up. "It's been a while since we met someone this sharp." Elaine didn’t waste time. "Then I’m guessing an extra billion doesn’t really matter to you, does it?" Mr. Henshaw was the first to react, feigning shock. "Mrs. Sinclair, that’s not fair. We’re all businesspeople here—bargaining’s part of the game." Mr. Loftus nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and the price Mr. Sinclair set? It’s steep. We blink and—poof—a billion’s gone." Elaine leaned in slightly, picking up on the shift in tone. There was wiggle room here, and she knew it. "So what you’re saying is..." she prompted. Mr. Loftus held up two fingers. "We could shave off two hundred million. That’s as far as we’re willing to go." Normally, Elaine might’ve backed off. But tonight’s goal was non-negotiable. If she couldn’t bring the deal down b