Chapter 263: Vincent’s Resolve!

News quickly spread that Northstar Real Estate Company was partnering with the Windsors of Capital City to develop Plot No. 1.

At first, many people dismissed the report as fake news.

Although the two companies had cooperated on numerous occasions in the past, they were still competitors. No one could understand why either side would willingly share a project as profitable as Plot No. 1 with the other.

If Northstar was truly willing to give up such a valuable opportunity to its biggest rival, had its leadership lost their minds?

...

Maison Premier Headquarters

"President, do you really think Northstar will cooperate with the Windsor family?"

Vincent stood before the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing down at the city below.

After finishing his cigarette, he stubbed it out and dropped it into the ashtray.

"Don’t believe everything you hear just because someone from Northstar visited the building across the street," he said calmly. "Sometimes, what you see isn’t the truth."

Less than a kilometer from Maison Premier’s headquarters stood another towering building.

It belonged to the Windsor family.

The previous day, reports had surfaced that several senior executives from Northstar Real Estate Company had entered the Windsor headquarters to discuss a potential partnership.

Before a full day had passed, news of their supposed cooperation on Plot No. 1 had already spread throughout Capital City.

Vincent dismissed the report with a scoff.

Even a small project would be difficult to discuss and finalize in a single day, let alone a massive development like Plot No. 1.

Businessmen did not make decisions without considering their profits.

Such a quick agreement could only mean that one side had made significant concessions.

But that seemed impossible.

If two companies were competing in the same field, compromising with their rival would be no different from handing that rival an advantage.

Yet Vincent could never have imagined that Northstar had truly partnered with the Windsor family on the very project he considered the least likely, Plot No. 1.

Initially, Victoria had thought it would already be generous if Luca offered her twenty percent of the profits.

Even ten percent of the project’s earnings would be enough to make a fortune.

However, when the executives from Northstar arrived with the contract, she was left speechless.

She stared at the document for a long moment, almost as though she had been struck by an enormous, unexpected surprise.

The contract proposed an equal fifty-fifty split.

Luca was actually offering the Windsor family half of the entire development project.

What was that if not receiving half the land for free?

There were still countless details to negotiate, but the Windsor family had already secured half of the project’s overall direction and profits.

As Victoria looked down at the stack of contracts in her hands, she remembered Luca’s casual expression during their conversation in the study.

He had not been pretending to be generous or trying to maintain appearances.

He genuinely did not care about the money.

Hale-Viv Conglomerate, Northstar Real Estate Company, Capital City Gaming Center...

She had no idea how many other businesses Luca owned or how many operations he had hidden from public view.

’Arabella also mentioned that he possesses considerable assets in San Fierro.’

The more Victoria learned about him, the more extraordinary he seemed.

Just as the public was beginning to assume that the cooperation between Northstar and the Windsor family was nothing more than a rumor, a joint announcement was released.

The statement, published by both companies, confirmed their partnership on the development of Plot No. 1.

The news swept through Capital City almost instantly.

"Impossible!"

Vincent had been leaning back in his executive chair when his secretary delivered the report.

He slammed his hand against the desk and rose abruptly, his face filled with disbelief.

"Give me that."

He snatched the folder from her hands and lowered his head, reading through the documents carefully.

The secretary could not see his expression, but she could feel the atmosphere in the office grow heavier and colder.

Vincent’s fingers trembled around the folder.

"Impossible," he muttered through clenched teeth. "How could this happen? Has Northstar’s owner gone mad?"

Maison Premier and the Windsor family were not involved in exactly the same industries, but both companies were gradually expanding into emerging fields, particularly high-end technology.

Transforming an established company was never easy.

It required enormous financial resources, extensive research, and a considerable amount of time.

The Windsor family had originally been expected to suffer a major setback because of the problems surrounding Plot No. 2.

If that happened, Maison Premier would gain the advantage.

And once a company took the lead, it could continue widening the gap.

If things proceeded according to plan, Maison Premier might eventually surpass the Windsor family.

At that point, the Windsors might even have to rely on Vincent.

That was precisely what he wanted.

He was determined to defeat the Windsor family and repay Victoria for the humiliation he believed she had inflicted on him.

He wanted everyone in Capital City to know that he was worthy of Arabella.

But before he could achieve that goal, news had emerged that Arabella already had a boyfriend.

Worse still, Vincent knew the man in the photograph.

Luca was someone he had always regarded with caution.

Now, the crisis threatening the Windsor family had been resolved by Northstar Real Estate Company.

If Vincent had not been so rational, he might have believed that the heavens were deliberately working against him.

Even the most unlikely event, Northstar partnering with the Windsor family to develop Plot No. 1, had actually happened.

And behind the Windsors, the Halloway family was quietly providing support as well.

Vincent sank back into his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Has Summit Capital responded yet?"

With the Windsor family advancing so quickly, he had no choice but to focus on securing his own financial backing.

Summit Capital held an influential position in Capital City. If Maison Premier could obtain an investment from them, his plans might finally gain the momentum they needed.

The secretary shook her head.

"The response is still the same. They say the boss isn’t here, and they don’t know who the so-called owner is."

Even Vincent found the situation strange.

He had once assumed that Craig Arnold was the chairman of Summit Capital.

Later, he discovered that the real decision-maker had never appeared in public.

During meetings, Craig never sat at the head of the table. Instead, he always took a seat somewhere toward the end.

It was difficult to understand.

Vincent had become increasingly curious about the mysterious person behind Summit Capital.

If he could establish a connection with that individual, it might open the door to many future opportunities.

"We can’t put all our eggs in one basket."

He stroked his chin and considered the situation for a moment.

Summit Capital had always treated Maison Premier fairly, and the two companies had never experienced any serious conflict.

However, that did not guarantee that Summit Capital would agree to invest.

After thinking it over, Vincent raised his head.

"Contact Hernandez Finance in the United Kingdom. Find out whether they’re willing to invest in our project."

"Hernandez Finance?"

"Yes."

A confident smile appeared on Vincent’s face.

"Before I took over this position, my father met the successor of Hernandez Finance during a trip to the UK. We’ve maintained contact with them over the years."

He leaned back in his chair.

"As long as we explain the benefits our project can bring them, I believe they’ll at least consider the proposal."

There was another reason Vincent was interested in Hernandez Finance, though he did not mention it.

He knew the company had invested in numerous cutting-edge technology projects throughout Europe.

It was very likely that they had access to advanced technologies and experienced technical personnel.

If Maison Premier could establish a partnership with them, Hernandez Finance might even send specialists to provide guidance.

That would accelerate their progress and allow them to overtake both the Windsor and Halloway families.

And once that happened, Vincent would finally have the leverage he needed.

He could force the Windsor family to surrender Arabella to him.