Chapter 15 A Trap for the Sawyer Family

The Sawyers were dumbfounded on hearing what Hannah said.

Hannah felt a bit embarrassed under their gaze.

"Did I say something wrong? I think you don't want to take advantage of us cause you insist that you’ll repay the money back. So, I suggested writing a loan agreement. This way, even outsiders would know you keeps your word, and it would prevent any negative rumors about you."

Lee snapped out of his thoughts. He felt a bit annoyed because his attempt to showcase the strength of the Sawyer Group had been misunderstood.

But was it a misunderstanding?

He hesitated now. However, he couldn't believe Hannah had any ulterior motives. Thinking this through, Lee quickly spoke up, "Hannah is absolutely right. When borrowing money, a loan agreement is needed. Even if you didn't suggest it, Hannah, I would have written one myself."

Hannah smiled brightly.

Back then, they did indeed give 2 billion to the Sawyer Group. But after giving them the money, the Sawyer family never mentioned repayment again. This time, she wouldn't let them succeed. Lee immediately instructed the servant to bring paper, pen, and ink.

"I'll write it myself."

Without hesitation, Lee smoothly wrote it out. After finishing, he handed it to Miguel, saying, "Miguel, take a look and see if there's anything else to add. If not, I'll leave my thumbprint."

Miguel took the document and examined it together with Hannah. After reading it, Hannah looked puzzled and said, "Uncle Lee, you only wrote the loan amount of 2 billion, but there's no mention of a repayment deadline or what should happen if the deadline passes without repayment. It's as if this loan agreement is no different from not having one at all."

Hannah's seemingly innocent words directly made Lee blush. Hannah handed the loan agreement to Charles and asking, "Charles, you understand everything. Can you take a look?"

Hannah's words left Charles at a loss for words. If he agreed with Hannah, he would make his father embarrassed. But if he opposed Hannah, he would make himself embarrassed. Although Hannah's words were hurtful, they were all valid points.

"Look, I've never written a loan agreement before, so I didn't know how to write it. I'll add a deadline to the agreement now, and the deadline will be..." Lee had to explain immediately.

"Half a year should be enough." Said Hannah.

Lee was still contemplating whether to say three or five years when Hannah's suggestion of half a year surprised him.

"I read a financial report from the Sawyer Group a few days ago. Their net income for the first half of this year was 3.8 billion, and the trend is improving in the second half, so they should earn even more." Hannah explained with confidence.

"I didn't expect Hannah to be interested in financial news." Lee commented.

"Because both Cooper and Sawyer are both on the list, I took a few glances." Hannah said with a sweet smile.

"Alright, let's go with half a year." Lee finally wrote down the deadline.

Hannah watched his pen move and made another suggestion, "If the repayment isn't made within half a year, let's use Sawyer Holdings as collateral."

Lee's hand, holding the pen, visibly stiffened.

"A few days ago, I heard Susan talking about it, yes, Susan, the daughter of Phillips Bank's chairman. She's my best friend. She mentioned that Uncle Lee used Sawyer Group shares when you applied for a mortgage loan at the bank. She also said that you borrowed 5.4 billion with 18% of Sawyer Group's shares as collateral. So, according to the market value, 20 billion should be 6.67% of Sawyer’s holdings." Hannah spoke while calculating, as if she was merely stating a fact, with an innocent expression.

Even Lee, no matter how composed he tried to be, couldn't hide his displeasure. Miguel finally understood his daughter's intentions. Step by step, Hannah was leading the Sawyers into this pit, making it difficult for them to find reasons to refute or refuse. The Sawyer family was indeed in need of money. If they didn't provide the investment at this moment, the Sawyers wouldn't be able to sustain themselves. They simply couldn't afford to break ties, especially when faced with Hannah's calm and confident demeanor. If they rejected Hannah's proposal, it would be clear that they didn't want to repay the debt. The Sawyers couldn't stoop to that level.

Miguel chuckled inwardly, genuinely impressed by Hannah's cleverness. Her sharp intellect left the Sawyers in a dilemma.

"Was I wrong?" Hannah looked at Lee, who hadn't made any notes.

She deliberately counted on her fingers again.

Lee glanced at his son, who was visibly embarrassed by Hannah's actions. But their family had no other options at the moment. Without the bank's funding, they could only rely on the Cooper family. If they didn't follow Hannah's wishes, meaning rejecting Cooper's investment.

Lee was an old fox, and of course, he could foresee all of this. He gave his son a look, simply reminding him not to give Hannah an easy time in the future. Regardless of whether Hannah did it intentionally or unintentionally, she shouldn't expect to get away with putting their family in such a difficult position. Charles nodded, understanding his father's intentions.

Lee began writing again and said, "Hannah is right. It is indeed 6.67%."

Then, he completed a fully written promissory note. Seeing the black text on the white paper, Hannah confirmed that she had achieved her goal and praised, "Uncle Lee's handwriting is beautiful. In the future, the children of Charles and me must learn calligraphy from you."

"Look at you, already talking about children before getting married." Michelle said.

"I'm looking forward to having grandchildren soon." Loretta chimed in. "A granddaughter would be even better."

Both families continued happily, without a hint of resentment due to today's promissory note incident.

Hannah's family left after having dinner. Before leaving, Hannah went to use a restroom. As she came out of the restroom, she would pass through a corridor that led to the backyard of the Sawyer Manor. She took a few steps and paused. From a distance, she could hear Martina Sawyer talking to someone in the backyard. The voices were somewhat muffled, but in the quiet night, they were still clear.

"Find a way to get Manuel to come out. I heard he went back."

Martina's tone carried a hint of dominance. She had always carried herself with an air of superiority. It was unclear where she got her confidence from, as she believed she surpassed everyone.

"Not tonight. My brother's girlfriend is coming over tonight, and I don't know when she'll leave. If I leave, I'll get scolded by my dad."

"You think Hannah is beautiful? Sure, she's gorgeous, but so what? My brother still has her wrapped around his finger. You have no idea how submissive she is in front of him. Once she marries Charles, do you believe I can make her wash my feet?"

"Let's make a bet. When the time comes, I'll actually release the photos. Don't you dare back out!"

"Deal."

Hannah left the corridor with indifference.

So, when Martina acted coy and asked her to wash her feet in front of their friends back then, it was just to embarrass her.

Very well.

It was another account to keep track of.