Possessed No More: The True Star Returns to Claim Her Throne-Chapter 57: Solely Focused on Making Money

Rhona said, "That’s not right. I don’t know how to manage a company, and I can’t possibly take more than Ria."

Riley Perry shot her a look. "Are you being silly? Your family is putting up the money! Alright, talk to your dad first and see how much capital he thinks I should invest. If he’s fine with my proposal, then we’ll settle on that for now. We can always make adjustments later if any problems come up."

She had the confidence to ask for forty percent of the shares because she knew the true value of the formulas she was providing. Business was business, and she wasn’t going to let herself get a bad deal.

But, she hadn’t expected Rhona—a second-generation heir who had also worked as a CEO’s secretary for three years—to be so naive. She wouldn’t let herself get a bad deal, but she would never take advantage of a friend.

Rhona was naive, but her dad was a proper businessman. It was more appropriate to discuss this kind of thing with him.

However, his response was, "Huh? I don’t have any objections. You two young ladies can have fun with it.

"You just focus on running the pharmaceutical plant well. If you can really turn a profit, Dad will give you another five percent of our family’s shares. When you inherit the company in the future, the old board members will have to keep their mouths shut."

Rhona asked, "But what if we lose money?"

"If you lose money, you lose money. It’s not like our family can’t afford it. Besides, your brother doesn’t want to inherit the company anyway, so it’ll be yours sooner or later. Even if that good-for-nothing wanted to come and run it into the ground, I wouldn’t let him."

Rhona glanced at Riley Perry, her expression clearly spelling out a single message: ’Ria? You heard him, right? That’s what my dad means. He’s not getting involved. Whatever I say, goes. He doesn’t even care if I bankrupt the company!’

In the end, the two of them drafted a contract just like that. Riley Perry became one of the two major shareholders of Wellspring Pharmaceuticals, holding forty percent of the shares, while Rhona also held forty percent.

The two of them briskly signed the contract, each keeping a copy.

After signing the contract, Riley Perry acted like a triad boss from an ’80s or ’90s Hong Kong movie. She draped one arm over the back of the sofa, held a drink in her other hand, crossed her legs, and blissfully imagined the future.

’Her favorite thing to do was make money. Passive income!’

’In the future, with Rhona managing the company, all she had to do was provide the formulas, and she could rake in the money with ease.’

Rhona was also quite happy. "With how effective our medicine is, we definitely won’t have to worry about sales once it hits the market. In the future, I’ll be able to call myself a second-generation heir who’s also a successful entrepreneur."

Riley Perry savored the moment for a little while longer before remembering her business. She picked up a pen again, found a sheet of A4 paper, and started scribbling furiously on it. When she was done, she pushed it towards Rhona. "Here, the formula. So, you know what to do."

Rhona was speechless. ’You’ve got to be kidding me. She’d thought she would get to stay by Ria’s side this time, but now she had to go back right after arriving?’

’And it wasn’t as simple as just sending the formula to her dad. Some things had to be done in person, especially when it involved a formula. Every extra person who handled it was another risk of a leak.’

Rhona immediately ran to Riley Perry’s side, hugging her arm and preparing to wheedle her. "Ria..."

Riley Perry held out her other hand, pressing against Rhona’s face to push her away. "Pouting won’t work. Now go do your job properly. Just come back after you’ve taken care of business with the formula."

Rhona pouted. "...Ria, you really don’t love me anymore."

Riley Perry said heartlessly, "Nope. Never did."

...

Around nine o’clock that evening, Riley Perry was watching TV when her phone rang. It was William West, who had been out of touch for a long time.

[Hey, are you there?]

[Yeah. You finally have some free time?]

[Sorry, Riley. I just finished up with work today and contacted you right away. I also just found out something happened to you. Are you okay now?]

Riley Perry: [I’m fine. Let’s get down to business. Interested in starting a company together for fun?]

William West: ...

William West called her directly. "Riley, are you serious?"

"Do I sound like I’m joking with you?"

"What are you planning to do? Start an investment firm, too? I have some connections in that area, but... we’d be better off just giving the money to my brother and having him manage it for us."

At the mention of this, William West fell silent for a moment. There were two brothers in his family, and their family relationships were relatively harmonious. At least they didn’t have the kind of infighting between brothers common in other wealthy families, and his older brother treated him well enough.

But that harmony came at a price.

Back in high school, the thing he heard most often from his dad was: "William, don’t put so much pressure on yourself. With your brother around, you won’t have to worry about money for the rest of your life."

His mom also used to say that one outstanding child in the family was enough, and that he should just enjoy life without needing to be so exceptional.

He had originally planned to major in economics and financial management in college, but because he understood the hidden meaning behind his parents’ words, he switched to computer science.

’It actually turned out pretty well. He had made a name for himself in the hacker community, and even though no one around him knew about it, at least he wasn’t completely useless.’

’But in the end, there was always a lingering dissatisfaction.’

"No, I’m talking about making intelligent robots."

"You know how to do that, too?"

"I did a little research in this area back in college. Four years ago, I designed a basic robot that even won an award.

"Recently, I’ve modified that old system, and the new robot I’ve designed has multiple functions, including nursing care, companionship, conversation, learning, driving, and cleaning. I’ll send you the files in a bit, and you can have an expert take a look.

"Also, you’ll be in charge of acquiring this robotics company."

As she spoke, Riley Perry sent file after file to William West. "This company is about to go bankrupt because it hasn’t received any funding. I’ve looked into them. Their research team is made up of newcomers, but they’re very creative and the team is incredibly cohesive. They’re worth acquiring."

’Besides, acquiring an existing company is easier than starting one from scratch—assuming you have enough capital, of course.’

Listening to Riley Perry speak so eloquently, William West was dumbfounded at first. But slowly, he no longer had time to be confused. He cradled the phone between his shoulder and ear and began typing furiously on his computer, recording every single thing Riley Perry instructed him to do without missing a word.

The call didn’t end until almost eleven o’clock.

Once Riley Perry had said all she needed to, she went to bed as if nothing had happened, while William West was too agitated to sleep a wink all night.

...

It wasn’t until the next morning that Riley Perry met the driver Cole Sinclair had left for her. He had a buzz cut and a sturdy build, with a ramrod-straight posture. He was good-looking, too, but he had a cold aura about him, like a special forces soldier you’d see on TV. She subconsciously glanced at his hands, but unfortunately, she couldn’t see if they were calloused.

She had actually seen Samson Sinclair yesterday. He and another man with a roguish look had been following behind them. "Hello, Miss Perry. I’m Samson Sinclair. I’ll be your exclusive driver from now on."

Riley Perry smiled as she looked at him and asked, "Your surname is Sinclair, too?" ’A side branch of the Sinclair Family? Or do the retainers of the old family take the master’s surname?’

Samson Sinclair shifted his thumb uncomfortably. "Yes. I’m an orphan adopted by the Sinclair Family’s patriarch, so I took his surname."