Chapter 160 An Invitation from the York Family

Chapter 160: Chapter 160: An Invitation from the York Family

Seeing this, Finn Lockwood hurriedly said, "Julian is still injured. Be gentle."

After rushing over today, he had heard from the doctor that the situation had been quite critical. So, seeing Stella Sutton about to make a big movement, he chimed in with a warning.

Stella had no choice but to stop what she was doing. Although she was a bit disappointed, at least the matter she had been obsessing over was finally settled. If Julian Sterling said it would be done, then there would be absolutely no problem.

Finn couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. "Julian, whenever you step in, there’s nothing that can’t be resolved. You have to know, the Digital Chinese Medicine database has never collaborated with outsiders before, and the copyright permissions have always been tightly held by Helios."

Thinking of this, Stella’s face lit up with even more joy. With this selling point, her product would only gain more traction. She would achieve fame and success by leveraging Faye’s massive database.

When that time came... would the Sterling family still refuse to accept her?

It would obviously lower the hurdles for her to marry into the Sterling family. After all, Faye’s database was so unimaginably vast and profound. She had always wanted to meet the creator in person, but Peter Preston refused to introduce them. For now, getting to know the Digital Chinese Medicine database first wasn’t a bad alternative.

Meanwhile, Sophie Winslow returned to Helios and discussed the matter with Peter.

"There’s no need to waste time with them on this," she said. "Besides, giving Stella the copyright permissions isn’t a free handout. She still has to pay the licensing fees in full, and we remain in control."

It was the truth. Earlier, her reluctance to grant access was indeed partly due to a personal grudge. But one couldn’t be restrained by such trivialities when aiming for greater things. The other party was merely entering a partnership and had to pay for usage; the copyright would forever belong to Sophie.

Peter had no objections. "As long as you, the creator, agree, I certainly have no problem with it."

Sophie no longer dwelled on the issue. Securing Julian’s payment was the top priority anyway.

The next day.

When Sophie arrived at the company, she ran into Stella, who had brought her team over to sign the contract. The woman was visibly in high spirits.

The moment she saw Sophie, the smirk on Stella’s lips deepened. She turned to Peter. "Mr. Preston, our collaboration is a win-win. Once my project makes a name for itself, Helios will also reap greater profits and renown."

Peter shot a glance at Sophie. "It’s a good thing Miss Sutton is so confident."

Stella was in a great mood as she flipped through the licensing contract, but her expression soon turned troubled. She knew today was about signing the agreement and negotiating the fees. However, the licensing for Faye’s database was charged annually, costing a staggering thirty-six million per year.

She knew it would be expensive, but she hadn’t expected it to be this exorbitant. This meant she had to pay a massive lump sum upfront to Faye and Helios.

"Thirty-six million a year, on a five-year contract, with three years of licensing fees to be paid in advance?" Stella frowned. "Isn’t this too high?"

If she agreed to this, she would hemorrhage a massive amount of funds before her project even officially launched.

Peter smiled. "Miss Sutton, you are well aware that this is the first time Faye is licensing out the database. If your project succeeds, this will be your greatest asset. Who in the medical field doesn’t respect Faye’s authority?"

Stella couldn’t deny this point, which was exactly why she had been so utterly insistent on the collaboration.

But...

She pointed at a specific clause in the contract. "If our project fails due to any unforeseen circumstances or force majeure, the licensing fees are non-refundable?"

Sophie walked over and asked at a leisurely pace, "Don’t you have confidence in your project?"

Stella had intended to push back on the clause, but she hadn’t expected Sophie to interject. She sneered instantly, "Miss Winslow, if you don’t understand these business matters, you don’t need to interrupt us."

Sophie sat down, leaning against the sofa with her legs crossed. "If you lack confidence, you can refuse to sign," she said slowly. "After all, plenty of people want this licensing. We aren’t going to provide a safety net for your failure. What Helios requires is absolute competence to uphold the database’s first-ever collaboration. The risk falls on you."

Stella’s eyes turned icy.

However, with Sophie present, it was too inconvenient for her to haggle over the terms, even if she wanted to be cautious. She simply couldn’t allow Sophie to act too smugly.

Letting out a cold laugh, Stella finally said, "Then it’s settled. Mr. Preston, I hope we have a pleasant collaboration. When we are close to launching, please do be sure to introduce me to the great Faye."

Peter pressed a fist to his mouth and let out a light cough, sneaking a glance at Sophie. "Of course."

Stella signed the contract. Sophie glanced at her signature without any visible reaction.

Holding the contract, Stella stood up and looked down at Sophie from a superior vantage point. "Clearly, no matter how much you try to interfere, Helios will not become a toy in your hands. You can’t stop a collaboration built on mutual interests. Sophie, you might as well save your energy and think about how to improve yourself."

If it hadn’t been for Sophie playing tricks behind her back, this partnership would have been established long ago. After all her meddling, who could Sophie actually dictate terms to? Faye? Helios? In the end, all she could do was watch helplessly as Stella succeeded.

She was nothing but a clown. Leaving those words behind, Stella chuckled softly and walked out.

Peter gave Sophie a thumbs-up. "You’re good. Striking at the exact right moment to provoke her, you forced her to sign this kind of contract just to maintain her arrogant facade. You really didn’t leave her any way out."

The animosity between Stella and Sophie guaranteed that Stella would never allow herself to lose face or dignity in front of her rival. And once Stella signed, she couldn’t afford a single misstep. If she failed, not only would her project be ruined, but she also wouldn’t be able to recover such a massive sum of money.

Sophie’s move was ruthless. Her interjection just now had obviously been entirely intentional.

Sophie shrugged. "No one forced her to sign. She knows all too well what kind of boost my database will bring her. She’s chasing fame and fortune, so why should we run a charity?"

Furthermore, a portion of Stella’s money came from Julian. With a deep pocket like his right there, Sophie would be doing herself a disservice if she didn’t milk it for all it was worth.

In truth, Sophie didn’t care who collaborated with her database. For her, it was always a harmless and profitable venture; she was the beneficiary. She used to be locked in a petty rivalry with Stella, but she had let it go now. Other people didn’t matter.

If you relied on others, they would eventually let you down. The only real thing was what she could hold firmly in her own two hands.

That afternoon.

Ivy Hawthorne, who had been working non-stop for nearly a month, gave Sophie a call.

"Did you give your database licensing to Stella Sutton?"

"How did you know?"

"That Sutton woman posted a celebration on Moments and organized a dinner party. She’s already using your fame to prematurely gild her project." Ivy scoffed sarcastically, "Popping champagne ahead of time, with Julian Sterling providing her a safety net... she’s really confident, isn’t she?"

Would she still be able to swallow that champagne when she finally found out that Faye was actually Sophie?

Sophie didn’t really care. "It doesn’t matter. I benefit either way."

As they spoke, a WhatsApp notification popped up on her phone. Looking at it, she was surprised to see it was from Ms. Winnie Hayes.

Sophie immediately sat up straighter. After all, she was dealing with a highly distinguished woman whom she respected from the bottom of her heart.

Winnie Hayes: "Little Winslow, do you have time this weekend? The York family is hosting a reception at their villa. Would it be convenient for you to come and meet me?"

Sophie never expected Winnie to specifically invite an obscure junior like herself. Naturally, she wouldn’t be ungracious enough to decline. She politely replied: "Yes, I do. It would be my honor. I will be there on time."

Winnie Hayes: "I’ll be waiting for you then. I’ll send you the address and time right now."

Just as she finished replying to Winnie, she heard Ivy remember something else on the other end of the line.

Ivy sighed softly. "Though right now, I’m afraid my brother has a major hurdle he needs to get over."

Sophie was confused. "Are there things that even Mr. Hawthorne finds difficult to resolve?"

Ivy clicked her tongue. "The York family invited him and me to attend their reception. What else could it be for? They’ll probably bring up the marriage arrangement. I don’t know how my brother is going to handle it."