Four-year-old Michael Sussex, fair-skinned and adorable, glanced shyly at Florence Fuller and hid in Mrs. Sussex's arms, saying softly, "Hello, sister."
A sweet and crispy little voice.
"What a cute child," Florence Fuller praised.
Mrs. Sussex smiled helplessly, "This child is usually bold, but gets shy when he sees pretty girls."
Florence Fuller chuckled, "I've heard boys who know how to ride horses are quite handsome."
Michael Sussex, who was nestled in Mrs. Sussex's arms, suddenly puffed up his chest, "I ride very well."
"Is that so? Then I must take a closer look."
Mrs. Sussex patted Michael Sussex on the back, "Just like your father."
The three headed to the indoor riding arena. Chairman Sussex was already standing inside, holding a small horse.
Michael Sussex ran inside excitedly, "Daddy."
"Hey!"
Florence Fuller and Mrs. Sussex sat in the lounge area, watching the two figures in the arena. Florence asked, "Does Chairman Sussex always accompany the child's horse riding lessons?"
"Yes," Mrs. Sussex replied, "Michael is very precious to him."
David Sussex had been married to Mrs. Sussex for over twenty years before having this son, but as Florence Fuller knew, David Sussex also had an illegitimate child outside.
Mrs. Sussex could not be unaware of this.
Florence Fuller's gaze fell on Michael Sussex, the small figure astride the pony while David Sussex and the coach stood by the horse, showing how much he cared for his son.
"I was quite surprised when Mrs. Gardiner suddenly wanted to come ride with me today."
Florence Fuller knew she was probing her intentions and didn't conceal it, "There's a bit of ulterior motive in this."
Mrs. Sussex nodded, "Mrs. Gardiner has her career, maybe she's here for work matters."
Florence Fuller smiled, "If you're trying to schedule time with Chairman Sussex, you probably won't get to talk for half a month, but I heard it by chance, so I came today."
Mrs. Sussex hesitated briefly, "May I ask, is it about an artist under Light representing your company or something else?"
Florence Fuller smiled slightly, accepting the juice from the waiter and handing it to Mrs. Sussex first.
Mrs. Sussex took it in her hand, looking at Florence Fuller's smile with some confusion.
"I want DN Dawn."
Mrs. Sussex froze slightly, seemingly thinking of something, her face showing a hint of coldness, then she looked at Florence Fuller, "Mrs. Gardiner must have a way to get it, right?"
"Well... that depends on Chairman Sussex," Florence Fuller's gaze fell on Michael Sussex in the arena.
Mrs. Sussex also looked over, standing up after a while and heading straight to the arena.
Unknown what she said to David Sussex, he glanced in Florence Fuller's direction, handed the children's water cup to Mrs. Sussex, and came to the lounge area.
He sat in the seat Mrs. Sussex had just vacated, a middle-aged man with an air of authority, his expression slightly cold, "President Gardiner carries scandals outside, but Mrs. Gardiner is leisurely here at the arena."
Florence Fuller didn't miss the sarcasm in his words and unconcernedly leaned back in the chair, "What's the point of just watching a man?"
David Sussex pondered for a moment, then looked at Florence Fuller, letting out a slight snort.
"I'll be direct; I want DN Dawn. Name your price."
David Sussex, in terms of age, was in the generation of Florence Fuller's father, but marrying into the Gardiner family had elevated her status. There was no cordiality in his speech; his demeanor seemed determined.
He sneered, "Do you have the money? Business in the market is vastly different from your jewelry."
"Chairman Sussex," Florence Fuller gazed at him with clear coldness, "I hate dealing with people like you—hypocritical and arrogant. SJ's market is big enough not to miss Light Films, but when your company can't cover the bank's next repayment request, how many peers will be eyeing this piece of fat?"
David Sussex's face turned dark, "You investigated me!"
"You withdrew early from the Long Bay Island project, but with nearly ten billion invested and not returned, the gap isn't small, is it?"
David Sussex's expression turned especially grim as he stared at Florence Fuller, "Fine, ten billion, I'll sell DN Dawn to you."
"It's not worth ten billion," Florence Fuller's gaze met Mrs. Sussex's in the arena, her smile bright, "But if you include Light Films for ten billion, I might consider it."
"You're dreaming!" David Sussex gritted his teeth. He was indeed in a predicament with the bank loan, unable to repay on time, with SN Bank's interest accumulating.
"I've appraised DN Dawn. If you give it to me, I can draft a new contract with SN Bank for you, and your repayment interest won't keep rising."
"SN is a multinational bank. Can you?" David Sussex found it laughable, "It's under SN Capital and has no ties with the Gardiner Clan."
Florence Fuller stood up, "Then just wait for the repayment reminder."
She smirked provocatively, turned, and walked away.
David Sussex clenched his teeth, wondering how this woman knew he borrowed from SN.
Lily Lancaster waited for her in the lounge area of the arena; seeing her come out, Lily approached, "Should I send the contract now?"
"No need," Florence Fuller adjusted her hair, speaking impatiently, "Arrogant and conceited, if the next repayment isn't filled, it will be quite the joke."
"Though he withdrew early from the Long Bay Island project and wasn't discovered, shouldn't he be audited for his involvement? How did he evade it?" Lily Lancaster remarked.
"Did you forget about Mrs. Sussex's family background?"
Lily Lancaster pursed her lips, understanding, "If he refuses to let go, how will we get DN Dawn?"
"Getting it or not doesn't matter; I just feel more at ease holding it," Florence Fuller walked with her, "My intuition tells me he'll come."
"Intuition?"
"If he doesn't fill this gap soon, it could implicate the Sussex family too. If he doesn't care if both families face ruin, I'll have nothing to say."
Lily Lancaster nodded, "Should I take you back to the company?"
"Let's pay a visit to the hospital."
Lily Lancaster nodded.
SJXR Hospital.
The drive from the arena to the hospital took an hour and a half. Florence Fuller cautiously made her way to the ward, finding it empty through the window by the door.
She called Doctor Lane.
Doctor Lane, not busy at the moment, hurriedly arrived to lead Florence Fuller to the activity area.
This private, high-end hospital considers every aspect for the patients, dividing the activity area into sections for flower arranging, reading, listening to music, and such.
"Evelyn Shaw has been here since this morning; Ms. Linney's condition has been quite good recently; she's able to get out of bed and take walks."
Florence Fuller revealed a hint of relief in her eyes.
Near the music room door, several patients sat scattered inside.
By the window sat a frail woman at a triangular piano, wearing a knit hat, her hands intermittently producing broken music notes. Evelyn Shaw sat beside her, singing alongside the melody dryly.