Then he picked up the call.
Albert remained silent, watching calmly.
The Prime Minister spoke.
"Yes."
A voice came from the other side.
Cold.
Confident.
"I know my brother is sitting with you right now."
The Prime Minister didn't respond immediately.
The voice continued.
"Don't believe him."
"He is not the head of our family."
"He doesn't control the finances."
There was a short pause.
Then the voice sharpened.
"I do."
"And the head of the family…"
"…is Arthur."
Albert's expression didn't change.
But his eyes grew slightly colder.
The voice continued.
"My brother offered you six billion?"
The Prime Minister glanced briefly at Albert.
"Yes."
The voice laughed softly.
"Then I'll double it."
"Cancel his deal."
"And I will pay you more."
The room fell silent.
The Prime Minister leaned back slightly in his chair.
"And what exactly are you offering?"
The voice answered without hesitation.
"More than him."
"Enough to make this decision easy."
The Prime Minister tapped the table once.
Slowly.
Then he spoke.
"No."
The voice on the other end paused.
The Prime Minister continued.
"I am not here to create problems between billionaires."
"I am here to negotiate business."
His tone became firmer.
"This is not a battlefield for your family disputes."
The voice grew colder.
"You are making a mistake."
The Prime Minister replied calmly.
"No."
"I am making a decision."
And then—
he ended the call.
The room returned to silence.
The Prime Minister placed the phone back on the table.
Then he looked directly at Albert.
"Your family is… complicated."
Albert gave a small smile.
"That's one way to describe it."
The Prime Minister leaned forward.
"Listen carefully."
"I don't care who is the head of your family."
"I don't care about your brother."
"I don't care about Arthur."
He pointed lightly at the table.
"I care about the deal."
He paused.
"Six billion."
"That is your offer."
Albert nodded.
"Yes."
The Prime Minister studied him for a moment.
Then he asked quietly.
"One last question."
"Are you truly independent?"
"Or is that money still coming from your family?"
Albert's expression hardened slightly.
"My money…"
"…is built by my own hands."
The room went silent again.
Because now—
this was no longer just about a deal.
It was about power.
Independence.
And control.
The Prime Minister slowly leaned back in his chair.
"Good."
"Because whichever decision I make next…"
"…will decide which brother controls the future of this project."