Chapter 639: This Is Just a Business Negotiation

The car pulled up to an old-fashioned cafe not far from the manor. Duke pushed the door open and stepped out, signaling his bodyguards and driver to stay outside as he went in alone.

Winter in Wellington carried a chill. Pushing open the double wooden doors, Duke was met by a rush of warmth and the rich aroma of coffee. He let his gaze sweep slowly across the cafe, a place he had visited several times before. Perhaps because it was a weekday, it was largely empty. Only a tall blonde woman sat at a table to his right, far from the counter.

She was slowly stirring the coffee in front of her. Her falling blonde hair obscured part of her face, hiding her features.

She seemed lost in thought, her brow faintly furrowed beneath the golden strands, her level gaze somewhat vacant.

"A latte," Duke said to the waiter beside him, walking over. His eyes remained fixed on the blonde woman.

Perhaps sensing his approach, the blonde woman stopped stirring. She raised a hand to sweep back her long golden hair. Her gaze instantly locked onto Duke, tracking him before slowly retracting bit by bit as he stepped closer.

Reaching the table, Duke took off his coat and sat opposite her.

They looked at each other, neither seemingly willing to speak first. Only when the waiter brought the coffee did Duke finally murmur his thanks.

He added sugar and milk to his coffee before his gaze returned to the woman across from him.

"Hello, Evie," Duke said slowly, looking at Ivanka Trump's familiar face. "You're as beautiful as ever."

What had changed was her aura; it was far more composed now, her face carrying the distinct shrewdness of a businesswoman.

"You haven't changed much either," Ivanka said with a faint smile. "Where's Scarlett Johansson? Why don't I see her?"

"She had some last-minute work to take care of, so she stayed in North America."

Duke picked up his coffee and took a small sip. "The coffee here is just as rich as it used to be," he praised.

Ivanka didn't even glance at her cold coffee. Clasping her hands together on the table, she spoke like an old friend: "After wrapping up scenes for The Lord of the Rings, you used to love coming here for a cup of coffee."

As if awakened by the memory, a hint of a smile touched Duke's lips. "When we worked overtime on the shoot, you loved coming here to buy me a cup to take back."

"That was just my job as an assistant." Ivanka waved a hand, calling the waiter over. "I'll have a latte too."

Once the waiter took away her cold coffee, she spoke again. "In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed."

Duke set down his cup. "And you've gone from an assistant to one of the most famous businesswomen in America."

'A businesswoman?' Ivanka Trump sighed inwardly. 'Can someone who can't even control the fate of the company she founded really be called a powerful businesswoman?'

But she knew the character of the man sitting across from her. He was as hard as stone, absolutely ruthless toward anyone he deemed an enemy.

"Where are you planning to go next?" Ivanka asked, referring to his vacation.

Duke naturally understood what she meant. "To Australia. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman invited me to go hunting on their farm."

"You've been working with him all this time?" Ivanka asked casually.

"Mission: Impossible is about to launch its fourth installment." Duke rested his arms on the table as well. "Tom's box office appeal is still incredibly strong."

In truth, ever since the turn of the century when he realized the Academy was never going to give him an acting award, Tom Cruise had grown closer and closer to Duke in their business collaborations. Furthermore, without the negative fallout of divorcing Nicole Kidman or firing Pat Kingsley, his public image and box office draw were far stronger than they had been during this same period in his past life.

He was far from being reduced to relying solely on Mission: Impossible to prop up his career.

"Looks like you're going to have another massive expense," she noted.

Speaking of this, Ivanka Trump smoothly shifted the topic. "I heard you're also investing in James Cameron's new movie and a few other major projects?"

"That's right." Duke didn't deny it. After a moment of thought, he deliberately added, "James Cameron's project in particular might require two hundred million dollars in cash over the next two years. That kind of liquidity is no small sum."

Ivanka smiled faintly, speaking quite naturally. "If you run into any trouble, just ask. I believe I can still offer a little help."

Hearing this, Duke mirrored her faint smile. "With my fixed assets and credit, borrowing a few hundred million dollars from the bank won't be an issue."

Ivanka pursed her lips. Just as she was about to speak, the waiter brought her coffee.

She didn't add any sugar or milk, nor did she drink it. Just as before, she merely left it in front of her, stirring it slowly.

Duke knew perfectly well that the two of them could never go back to how things used to be. The massive divergence of their capital interests made it impossible for them to remain close friends.

The probing words they had just exchanged made it clear that they were both keeping their guard up.

Setting aside a conflict born from capital clashes wasn't something that could be resolved simply by grabbing a cup of coffee and reminiscing about the old days. Otherwise, the business world wouldn't be fraught with so many bloodless wars, and the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge wouldn't be such popular suicide spots.

Picking up her cup, Ivanka finally took a sip, only to find it intensely bitter. That bitterness slid all the way down, seemingly seeping into every corner of her body. The taste perfectly mirrored her current situation at the Instant Share Company.

If she hadn't been facing an exceptionally difficult predicament, given her pride and the almost irreparable rift between them, there was no way she would have taken the initiative to ask for a meeting in New Zealand.

She knew exactly what kind of man Duke was, and she was well aware that she wasn't on his side. But if she tried, there was at least a chance of success.

Sighing softly, Ivanka stopped beating around the bush. It was glaringly obvious that circling the issue any longer wouldn't do her any good.

She looked up at Duke. "What are your exact thoughts regarding Instant Sharing?" she asked.

Duke knew she was talking about the deal with Google, and he was just as direct. "I'm simply making a choice that aligns with my interests," he said flatly.

Hearing this, Ivanka frowned slightly. Duke's words had made his current stance perfectly clear: this had nothing to do with the past or any emotional ties. It was purely a business negotiation!

She abandoned any unrealistic hopes. "Ten percent above Google's offer. I want half of your shares!" she demanded.

Duke held nearly forty-five percent of the voting shares in Instant Sharing. If she could secure half of that, Ivanka would achieve a controlling stake. Even if Google came into the picture, she would still command the strongest voice within the company.

"That's impossible." Duke slowly shook his head. "I'm optimistic about Google's future."

That was only part of the reason. Beyond that, if he didn't hold the largest block of shares in Instant Sharing, why would Google use their own stock for a share swap? They didn't just want to buy a stake in Instant Sharing; they were betting on the future of the industry and ultimately wanted to turn the platform into a wholly owned subsidiary of Google.

If he transferred nearly half of his equity to her, the negotiation he had essentially finalized with Google would undoubtedly fall through.

"Evie, you know the value of that twenty percent stake," Duke pointed out another hard fact. "You don't have that much capital."

"I can secure financing from Wall Street." Ivanka seemed to have made up her mind. "Google isn't the only one eyeing Instant Sharing. Credit Suisse, Allianz, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase all have investment intent, not to mention..."

She hurriedly bit her tongue.

Duke finished the sentence for her. "Not to mention Donald Trump's Trump Foundation. Completing this acquisition would also allow the Trump Group to pivot their industry focus, right?"

There was no denying it, nor was there any need to. Ivanka Trump gave a small nod.

"Then I can only apologize." Duke picked up his cup and drained the rest of his coffee. "Once my vacation is over, this deal will officially go through."

Ivanka's grip on her coffee cup suddenly tightened. "Duke, is there no possibility of backing out?"

After all, she knew exactly what kind of man he was.

"What do you want?" Ivanka stared at him. "What will it take for you to drop this deal?"

Duke showed no sign of joking; he spoke with utmost seriousness. "It's simple. Something that can exceed the expected value the Google deal brings me."

"And that something..." He gently shook his head. "Evie, whether it's you or the Trump Group behind you, neither of you can provide it."

Donald Trump's net worth, at the absolute maximum, was only a few billion dollars. Even counting the funds his Trump Foundation could scrape together, how much could that really be?

What Google was offering was vastly more than they could ever afford.

Ever since he had figured out Ivanka Trump's true motive, Duke hadn't planned on letting their past relationship influence him.

This was just a business negotiation, and bringing too much emotion into a business negotiation was undoubtedly an idiotic move.

To put it bluntly, even if he despised Donald Trump, as long as the Trump Group could offer something tempting enough, Duke wouldn't mind transferring his shares to them.

But the prerequisite was that Duke had to know whatever they brought to the table would have as promising a future as Google.

If the Trump Group offered shares in Microsoft, Apple, or General Electric, Duke would certainly be willing to sell. The problem was that there was no way the Trump Group could procure them.

Seeing Duke's resolute attitude, Ivanka understood that this meeting was likely to be utterly fruitless.

The current financial and real estate markets in North America were trending in a rather ominous direction. For the Trump Group to pivot their business now amidst the rise of emerging industries, Instant Sharing was exceptionally crucial.

Ivanka didn't want to give up on Instant Sharing. Before she had left for this trip, her father had repeatedly warned her not to yield.

"Let's leave it at this, Evie." Duke stood up. "If the opportunity arises, you're always welcome to visit Duke Manor."

Seeing Duke getting ready to leave, Ivanka stood up as well.