Her husband was silent for a moment, absorbing the information.Then he exhaled sharply.“Three hundred thousand dollars,” he muttered. “That is a lot of money.”“I know,” she said quickly. “But—”“No,” he interrupted, his tone shifting into something more resolute. “No, it's fine. It's fine. That formula is far more important than the money. We need it. We cannot afford to lose this opportunity because of hesitation.”Patricia’s mother closed her eyes briefly, relief and guilt mixing uncomfortably inside her chest.“So,” her husband continued, already moving into practical mode, “should I send the money directly to his account, or should I send it to you first, so you can negotiate with him and make sure we actually get the formula before handing over the payment?”Patricia’s mother answered almost immediately, grasping desperately at the structure this plan offered her.“Send it to me,” she said. “Send it to my account. I’ll make sure I get the formula first before I give him anythi