[Chapter 55: The Charming Widow Miranda]
Daniel smiled and said, "It's okay if you can't come up with that much money right now. I have another proposal."
Robert's eyes brightened instantly. "What proposal?"
Daniel explained, "You can wait and pay me later."
Robert asked eagerly, "Mr. Cross, you're offering me credit?"
Daniel chuckled, "Of course not. What are you thinking? I'm the one taking on a huge risk. There's no such thing as a free lunch."
"Then what's the proposal?" Robert pressed, not too disappointed.
After all, he knew better than to expect anything for free. Everything came with a catch.
Daniel laid out the options: "If you pay right now, it's 3 million upfront. Or, you can pay five years after I change luck for you -- then I'll take 70% of all your assets."
Robert's expression darkened. The thought of giving 70% away made him want to refuse instantly. Then Daniel added, "Or, pay ten years later, and I take 40% of your assets."
Robert felt the pull of temptation. Daniel wasn't finished: "Or, fifteen years later, you only have to pay me 20%."
Twenty percent!
Robert's interest surged further.
Daniel continued, "Choose whichever option suits you. But once you confirm it, we'll make a formal contract -- no regrets, no changes, and no early repayment."
Robert immediately glanced at Susan.
"I'm going to get some fresh air," Daniel rose and walked toward the garden.
...
As soon as Daniel left, Robert Downey Jr. turned to Susan and asked, "Susan, which plan do you think fits best?"
Susan replied, "Robert, why even ask? It's simple."
Miranda agreed, "Exactly. No need for discussion or hesitation."
Robert looked confused. "Why do you say that?"
Susan explained, "The longer you commit, the longer Mr. Cross manages your fortune. Otherwise, his ultimate profit shrinks."
Robert wasn't slow; it clicked immediately. "So if I pick fifteen years, Mr. Cross guarantees good luck for that entire span."
Susan smiled warmly, "You got it."
Robert's eyes lit up fiercely. "Then there's no real choice -- the deal is exchanging 20% of my future assets fifteen years from now for fifteen years of steady good luck. Only a fool would say no."
Miranda sighed admiringly, "Mr. Cross really is generous to offer such a plan."
Susan added, "If there was a twenty-year option, I wouldn't hesitate to pick it."
Robert laughed. "I'll go call Mr. Cross back."
...
Shortly after, Daniel sat again across from Robert.
"Have you decided?" he asked.
Robert nodded heavily. "Yes, fifteen years it is."
Daniel smiled approvingly. "A very wise choice."
Robert asked, "Mr. Cross, is there an option longer than fifteen years? Like twenty?"
Daniel shook his head bluntly, "At twenty years, you'll be sixty. A man shouldn't be too greedy."
Robert accepted the logic. "Alright, fifteen it is."
Daniel replied, "Wait here a moment. I'll print two copies of the contract."
...
About a dozen minutes later, two contracts lay on the table. The agreement was straightforward -- it outlined the terms between the two of them.
The key clause was that fifteen years later, Robert would surrender twenty percent of his total assets in return for the Transfer Luck ritual.
Daniel hadn't even bothered specifying penalties for breaching the contract.
Robert wasn't planning on breaking it.
Daniel, confident in his foresight, wasn't worried either.
After both signed, the contract was sealed.
Robert eagerly asked, "Mr. Cross, when will you start the Transfer Luck ritual?"
Daniel's tone turned serious. "Your current fortune is in terrible shape. Transferring luck is a highly complex ritual requiring thorough preparation. I'll notify you when I'm ready."
Rather than feeling brushed off, Robert felt honored -- this process held a solemn importance. His anticipation swelled along with his conviction that the fifteen-year plan was the best choice.
"Great," Robert agreed willingly. "Dinner is on me tonight."
He felt like he'd just scored a major deal.
Coincidentally, Daniel felt the same way.
Running the numbers, Avengers: Endgame was set for release in 2019, exactly fifteen years later -- a peak for Marvel and for Robert's career.
Taking twenty percent of Robert's total wealth at that point promised hefty returns. Best of all, Daniel wouldn't have to lift a finger; it was a free ride.
...
That evening, at Fire and Salt Restaurant, Robert and Miranda both drank a little too much in celebration.
In the parking lot, Susan steadied Robert, while Miranda leaned entirely on Daniel, swaying with intoxication.
Susan said helplessly, "Mr. Cross, I'll take Robert home. Could you take Miranda? Her place is at..."
After sharing Miranda's address, Susan helped Robert into the car with Daniel's assistance.
"I'm counting on you with Miranda," Susan said apologetically and drove off.
Daniel had no choice but to help Miranda into his car and drive her home.
Miranda was a psychiatrist, firmly in the country's high-income bracket. Her late husband, a former hospital director, had a substantial income as well. Naturally, her house was no modest dwelling.
In fact, it was a little nicer than Daniel's.
Using Miranda's key to open the garage, Daniel parked inside and helped her out.
She still leaned on him, and the mingled scent of perfume and alcohol filled his nostrils.
Looking down at the woman with her eyes closed in his arms, Daniel felt an unfamiliar stirring.
It wasn't just because she was attractive, with an enviable figure worthy of Hollywood.
It was her status.
After all, she was now the Charming Widow.
That designation inevitably stirred his mind with complex thoughts.
They entered the living room from the garage, where a few scattered photos still sat out.
They were of Miranda and her dead husband.
"How long do you plan to keep up the act?" Daniel looked away and then back down, asking softly.
Miranda, still leaning against him and pretending to sleep, opened her eyes. They sparkled with mischief. "Mr. Cross, you don't have to stay so sober all the time. When you drink, you should do what drinkers do."
With that, she pushed Daniel toward the sofa and fell into his arms.
Daniel hesitated for only a moment before giving in.
...
Daniel's breath hitched as Miranda's lithe body pressed against him, her fingers already working at the buttons of his shirt with practiced ease. The warmth of her skin radiated through the thin fabric of her dress as she straddled his lap, her hips grinding down deliberately, the heat between her thighs already searing against his growing hardness.
Her lips crashed into his, tasting of expensive whiskey and something darker, her tongue sliding against his with possessive hunger. One hand tangled in his hair, tugging just hard enough to make him groan, while the other guided his fingers beneath the hem of her dress, where the damp silk of her panties clung to her arousal.
With a sharp gasp, Miranda broke the kiss, arching her back as Daniel's fingers found her swollen clit, circling roughly -- exactly how she liked it. "Fuck, yes," she hissed, rolling her hips against his touch, her thighs trembling. The wet sound of her arousal filled the room as he pushed two fingers inside her, her walls clenching tight around him.
Her hands scrambled for his belt, yanking it open before freeing his cock, already slick with pre-cum. She stroked him once, twice, her thumb swiping over the head, and then lifted herself just enough to guide him inside her with a low, satisfied moan.
The slide was slow and torturous, her body stretching to accommodate him, every inch of her molten heat dragging against his length until she was seated fully in his lap. Then she began to move -- hard, desperate rolls of her hips, each thrust driving him deeper, her nails raking down his chest as she chased her own pleasure.
Daniel gripped her waist, fingers digging into soft flesh as he met her movements with rough thrusts upward, the slap of skin echoing in the quiet room. Miranda's breath came in ragged gasps, her head thrown back, her breasts bouncing with every motion.
"Come for me," Daniel growled, twisting his fingers back into her clit, and she shattered with a cry, her body convulsing around him, milking his cock until he followed her over the edge with a groan, spilling deep inside her.
Panting, she collapsed against his chest, her lips brushing his ear as she whispered, "Now, let's start round 2. This time you are on top."
...
After a long while, the room finally grew quiet.
Daniel had to admit: Miranda was exceptional -- skilled, smart, intuitive... a whole different world from Amanda.
She lay in his arms, wisps of damp hair clinging to her sweat-slick cheeks.
"I'll give you a key later," she murmured. "You can come over anytime."
Daniel teased, "So, you want to keep this kind of arrangement long-term?"
Miranda smiled coyly, "Why not? I'm not planning on remarrying, and you satisfy my needs perfectly."
Daniel grinned, "I'll think about your offer."
Think?
Miranda was momentarily stunned.
She'd expected immediate agreement. With her looks, intelligence, job, and figure, she was highly sought-after.
But Daniel needed to consider it.
Half-annoyed, a bit of competitive fire lit within her.
Just as she opened her mouth to speak more, Daniel's phone rang.
He stood, grabbed his pants on a nearby chair, and answered the unfamiliar number.
An anxious voice laced with an accent came through, "Mr. Cross, can you help me?"
*****
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