Richard stood frozen at the doorway, his heart sinking as he took in the sight before him. The Hamilton family was gathered around the dining table, their laughter echoing through the house, all of them clearly enjoying the presence of James Williams. The very man who, by his own false claims, had convinced them he was the one responsible for securing the Ever-crest group contract. He was the man they all hoped Amelia would be with.Amelia, the woman he cared for, was seated at the table, a forced smile on her face as she joined in the conversation. Her family, including her mother, Lady Hamilton, and her sister, Lilian, were all lavishing attention on James. Richard had no idea how to process what he was seeing.“Hey, you loser! You’re finally back,” Lady Hamilton’s voice cut through the room, filled with mockery. Her tone was deliberately harsh, a reminder of the disdain she had always had for him. “Where have you been all this while?”Lilian, ever the echo of her mother, added with

“And how can you be so sure that I wasn’t the one who made the contract for Amelia with the Ever-crest company possible?” James asked, his voice dripping with feigned innocence.Richard stood firm, his gaze steady as he replied, “It’s obvious. It should be clear to everyone, except for the fact that they refuse to see the truth and remain blind to it. You yourself admitted earlier that you had nothing to do with the contract Amelia secured with Ever-crest, but now, when you see that the Hamilton family wants to attach her success to someone, you quickly change your story. Now, you claim to be the one responsible for that contract. That’s why I’m skeptical.”James' smug smile faded slightly, but he quickly recovered. He wasn’t going to let Richard challenge him without defending his claim.“You’re clever and smart, I’ll give you that,” James said with a slight sneer. “But it doesn’t matter now. The Hamiltons are convinced that I helped Amelia with the Ever-crest contract, so there’s not

As Richard watched James disappear into the distance, a strange mix of satisfaction and unease settled over him. The encounter had left him feeling more drained than he cared to admit. He had managed to assert control, but the reality was clear: he couldn’t keep up the charade with Amelia for much longer. The truth about his power and status was a delicate thread he was desperately trying to hold together.He turned to head back toward the house, hoping for a moment of peace, but Amelia's lingering questions stayed in the back of his mind. What if she started to piece things together? What if today was the day she finally pushed for the answers he wasn’t ready to give?As if on cue, his phone buzzed. It was Helen—one of Amelia’s closest friends and business associates. She had insisted on joining them for the day to discuss some of the logistics behind the companies Amelia was managing. Richard hadn’t expected to meet her under these tense circumstances, but there was no turning back n

Richard quickly reached for his phone and dialed Mr. James' number.Everyone knew of Mr. James, a man who was both feared and respected. He had a reputation for being both a shrewd businessman and a ruthless individual when crossed. No one would dare be on his bad side, as he would deal with anyone who offended him mercilessly.As Richard’s call went through, he explained the situation to Mr. James and asked him to speak to the bodyguards. The moment the bodyguards realized it was actually Mr. James on the other end of the line, their faces drained of color. The fear was immediate, and they froze in place, too terrified to respond.Richard had no choice but to put the call on loudspeaker so they could hear Mr. James’ voice clearly. He knew they were too frightened to even speak.“Just one more step closer to Richard, and you will all regret it,” Mr. James’ voice boomed through the speaker. “I will make sure I come for each one of you—your families and friends will suffer for your dislo

Richard couldn’t believe what was happening. The audacity of Clara, setting him up and tarnishing his reputation with his family, only to now call him to meet her? He shook his head in disbelief.“She must really have some guts,” Richard thought to himself, his frustration rising. “She set me up, damaged my image, and now she wants to meet me. She must be a crazy lady.”But, there was no other choice. If Richard wanted to clear his name, he had to meet Clara. He couldn’t let the situation escalate any further, especially with Amelia starting to question him.He made his way to the Belaradal restaurant, a place a little farther from the house, but none of it was on his mind. All he could think about was finding Clara and discovering who had orchestrated this entire setup.It didn’t take long for him to arrive. He bypassed the security guard in a hurry, barely even acknowledging him as he rushed toward the entrance. Richard's mind was focused solely on confronting Clara and unraveling th