Revenge is Best Served After Reborn (James)
Chapter 522

Sophie's words effectively cornered Bea, leaving her in an awkward position.

How could she not have a billion dollars? It's just that her finances were always managed by the accountants at Burker International, making it impossible for her to withdraw that amount at the moment. To say that she could produce a billion dollars on the spot was indeed beyond her reach.

Yet, as a member of the Burke family, Bea couldn't admit to being penniless in front of outsiders. Struggling to maintain her dignity, she told the Devins family, "I'm aware that you don't know the true worth of this treasure. If you don't want such a fine thing, then there's nothing I can do."

As she took back the ring, Sophie laughed and said, "That's more like it, Bea. I'll go with you to get the cash."

Sophie deliberately took Bea's hand. Bea couldn't just shake Sophie off and had to take her to her room.

Once again, Bea opened the large leather suitcase, which was filled with countless gold bars. Sophie glanced at them casually and showed a surprised expression, saying, "I had no idea you were this wealthy, Bea."

"Even though the Russell family has been renowned for its scholarly achievements for centuries, I imagine you've never seen this much wealth, have you?"

Bea proudly touched the gold bars in the suitcase, but Sophie laughed and said, "The money in this suitcase might be more than what some could earn in their lifetime, I reckon it's still not quite a billion dollars right?"

Bea's smile froze on her face. The gold bars looked impressive, but the suitcase contained only about a hundred million in assets, not more.

Sophie sighed and said, "I wondered why you didn't want to pay in cash. Turns out you don't have enough."

Bea, unfazed, replied, "I might not have enough, but James does. James can just cover the shortfall, and he can give it directly to the Devins family, right?"

"But James' money is all with me."

Sophie's words made Bea realize her intention, and she frowned, asking, "What do you want?"

Sophie smiled slightly and said, "I'm not against lending you the money. It's just that James and I have just remarried. Perhaps you could show some appreciation towards me?"

Bea scoffed, "Fine, Sophie. Your true colors are finally showing. Let me tell you, you won't get a penny from me!"

"You've misunderstood me. Why would I want your stuff? But if you can't produce the money today, I'm afraid the whole of Devonport will be laughing at you tomorrow."

Sophie had laid it all out, leaving Bea in a difficult position. Sophie smiled and took Bea's hand, saying, "Bea, I'm just trying to help you, not to take your things. I can lend you the money. I see that the items in this suitcase aren't worth much anyway. Why not use this suitcase as collateral? We'll make an official record, and when your billion dollars are available, I'll return the suitcase to you, and I promise not to touch anything inside."

Bea frowned and asked, "Are you really that generous?"

"Bea, as I said, I don't want to put James in a difficult position. If we can get along, I will certainly take good care of you."

Bea glanced at the suitcase on the floor. What Sophie proposed didn't seem to be a loss for her.

She said firmly, "Alright, I can use the suitcase as collateral. Now, produce the billion to settle this."

"No problem."

Sophie smiled slightly and said, "But let me make one thing clear beforehand."

Bea frowned, asking, "What is it?"

"The collateral is fine, but I don't want to lose out too much. This ring looks of good quality. How about you give it to me?" Hearing this, Bea laughed in anger. "Sophie, are you joking? Do you know how much this ring is worth? At least a billion!"

"I know. The market price of this ring is indeed a billion. If auctioned, it could even fetch a higher price. However, converting the ring into cash takes time, and replaceing a buyer willing to pay the right price isn't guaranteed. Auctions also mean giving a cut to others, involving time, effort, and resources. If the Burke family were to sell their jewelry out of financial necessity, it would likely affect the Burke family's business reputation."

Sophie outlined all the pros and cons, confident that Bea wouldn't sell the ring. She raised her eyebrows and said, "Bea, if you consider gifting this ring to me, your granddaughter-in-law, as a family heirloom, I will naturally be willing to provide financial support if you ever replace yourself short on money."

Sophie was making a point, and Bea found no reason to refuse. After all, though the ring was valuable, it was just a kept treasure that couldn't easily be sold. Giving it to Sophie as a family heirloom meant that it would still belong to the Burke family in the future. Should James and Sophie ever divorce, Sophie would have to return the ring.