Chapter 549: Better Get a Brain Check!
Paula carried herself with haughty arrogance, as if simply "talking things over" with Selina here was already giving Selina tremendous face. "For Aunt Amelia’s sake, I can agree to amend the wager contract."
Mr. Perry the Second immediately chimed in, "Luckily Miss Paula is so magnanimous. Selina, hurry up and apologize to Miss Paula and speak properly with her, otherwise we’ll all be forced to clean up your mess!"
Mrs. Perry the Second added, "You’ve gone too far, Selina. Talking about twenty billion so casually—spending our money, using our resources, and still being so extravagant. It’s outrageous!"
Not only Logan and Selina, even Butler Miller couldn’t help but laugh at the sheer absurdity.
Selina made her own money. Her SL Group was worth more than several Perry Families combined, and yet Mr. and Mrs. Perry the Second dared to speak so shamelessly.
But Selina wasn’t angry.
With a faint smile, she asked, "Miss Paula agrees to change the terms of the wager?"
Paula sneered at her.
She had expected this. Of course Selina would agree—since in perfumery, Country Y was unrivaled. If Selina didn’t want to pay the twenty billion, she’d have no choice but to comply.
Paula lifted her chin proudly. "Beg me, and maybe I’ll agree."
Before Selina could even respond, Amelia hurried to speak, wearing the expression of someone acting "for her own good." "Selina, just beg Miss Paula. Don’t be so stubborn about saving face."
Mr. Perry the Second frowned. "Amelia worked hard to get Miss Paula to offer this chance. Don’t be ungrateful, Selina. Do you hear me?"
Logan’s eyes darkened, but Selina caught his wrist, stopping him.
She brushed her hair back casually. "And how exactly should I beg?"
Amelia smiled as though the matter were already settled. "Miss Paula is reasonable. I’m sure it won’t be anything excessive."
Paula, feeling increasingly triumphant, said, "Aunt Amelia is right. I didn’t come here to make things hard for you. Here’s the deal: as long as you agree to one request, I’ll amend the wager."
Selina nodded slightly. "I’m listening."
Paula glanced at Logan, a wave of self-satisfaction washing over her as if her long-awaited wish was about to come true. With supreme arrogance, she declared:
"Divorce Logan."
The words dropped like a bomb.
The living room instantly fell into dead silence.
The butler and servants all looked displeased, but given Paula’s status, none of them dared to speak. Still, they exchanged glances that clearly said: Is she insane?
The daughter of a duke, laying bare her desire to play the mistress out in the open. Did she even know the meaning of shame?
Selina let out a derisive laugh. "Divorce?"
Paula spoke as if it were only natural. "You don’t deserve Brother Logan. Because of you, Aunt Amelia and the Perry Family had to beg me. You made Logan’s family bow and scrape before me. This is all your fault. Do you really think you’re worthy of him?"
Selina was genuinely amused by Paula’s twisted logic.
—The one who proposed the wager and challenged her was Paula.
—The one who set the stake at twenty billion was also Paula.
And yet, by Paula’s reasoning, somehow it was Selina who was in the wrong.
As for whether the Perry Family had ever bowed and scraped—what did that have to do with her? Even if they had, what did that have to do with Logan? And Paula actually dared to call them Logan’s "family"?
Selina’s voice was calm, cold. "Keep dreaming."
Mr. Perry the Second scowled. "Amelia, look at your daughter-in-law. She’s made such a mess, and now when there’s finally a solution, she refuses. How unfilial!"
Amelia turned to Logan. "Logan, divorce Selina. Whether the wager holds or not, you won’t have to pay the twenty billion. I’m only thinking of you. Divorce her! What’s wrong with Miss Paula? How can you throw away a watermelon just to pick up sesame seeds?"
Logan’s voice was utterly indifferent as he echoed Selina’s words. "Keep dreaming."
"You—!" Mr. Perry the Second nearly choked with fury.
He already knew the truth: the twenty billion Paula had pledged in the wager was, in reality, meant to be invested into Perry Group and Reid Group.
Perry Group alone would receive at least ten billion.
And all it would take was for Logan to divorce Selina and then marry Paula.
For the Perry Family, this hardly even counted as a cost. Not only would it clear the way for Owen, but they’d also pocket ten billion for free. Who wouldn’t be tempted?
Even if Paula used that twenty billion as part of the wager, no one actually believed she would lose.
At this point, Paula said that since she would eventually be family with Logan anyway, she was willing to give the Perry Family some "face" and help settle the wager—as long as she could marry Logan.
To Amelia, this was a no-lose situation. After all, knowing Logan’s nature, if Selina lost, he would surely pay the twenty billion himself.
Paula’s proposal seemed beneficial to everyone, and it could even cement a powerful business alliance. Why not?
Amelia had assumed Selina would certainly agree. She had even pictured Selina in tears, begging Paula for forgiveness.
But instead, Selina simply said lightly, "Keep dreaming."
Unbelievable!
Paula was practically shaking with rage. She, the dignified daughter of a duke—compared to Selina, she was leagues above, like heaven and earth. Where did Selina’s confidence come from?!
She stared at Logan’s handsome face. No—she couldn’t give up.
They say feelings grow with time. As long as she stayed by Logan’s side, one day he would recognize her worth!
In Country Y, everyone praised her as a fairy descended from the heavens, claiming no woman on earth was more beautiful than her. Paula believed it, too. With that confidence, she lifted her chin and spoke in a coy, bashful tone:
"Brother Logan, as long as you agree to divorce Selina, you can do whatever you want with me."
Selina: "..."
Everyone else: "..."
Selina was dumbfounded, her mind full of question marks.
Wait a second... was Paula actually... batting her lashes at Logan?
She was seducing him?!
The words "you can do whatever you want with me," said in such a tone to a man—nobody present was stupid; they all heard the implication loud and clear.
But those words, if spoken by a true beauty, might indeed be considered seduction.
Paula, however...
Selina was left confused. Could it be she didn’t understand Country Y’s culture? Did they perhaps consider ugliness as beauty, which explained why Paula had such confidence in her looks?
Butler Miller, on the other hand, looked as though he had just swallowed a fly.
He had accompanied Logan to Country Y many times and knew very well that people there valued beauty the same way those in Country M did.
The Queen of Country Y herself was a top-tier beauty. Yet Duke William—rumored to have royal blood—and his daughter Paula both looked painfully average.
What he hadn’t expected... was that Paula, so plain-faced, truly believed herself to be a peerless beauty.
The living room fell silent for a full ten seconds before Logan finally lifted his gaze. His tone was light, casual:
"Miss Paula, are you still dreaming in broad daylight? Miller, call Ethan and have him bring his medical team to check Paula’s head."
...
...
Silence.
Even more silence.
It took Paula a long moment to realize—Logan was mocking her for being brainless!
Her face twisted with fury. "Brother Logan!"
Then she turned angrily toward Selina, shouting, "It’s all your fault, you ugly wretch! Because of you, Brother Logan won’t accept me—it’s all your fault!"
Still reeling from the sheer shamelessness, Selina could only think: "?"