Ethan leaned back in his chair, a dark chuckle escaping his lips. “I’ve known from the start, Sophia. Just like I know that you’re here on your father’s orders, trying to win me over. I just pretended not to notice because I was testing something."He paused, studying her carefully. “I also know your father is also still trying to cozy up to Adrian, isn’t he? Making sure he’s got a foot in both camps. That way, no matter who wins between Adrian and me, your family stays protected. Smart strategy. Cowardly, but smart.”Ethan was right.Seeing how things were unfolding between Adrian and Ethan, Mr. Chen had grown anxious.And when he had realized Ethan might actually emerge victorious despite Adrian’s attempts to seize control just like Sophia had also suspected, he’d sent her to Ethan to win him over by using whatever charm necessary to bring him back to their side.Mr. Chen couldn’t afford to lose, no matter what happened.Meanwhile, he continued his efforts to maintain his relationsh

The council members were already seated when Adrian and Lucas entered.Adrian smiled as he glanced around the table.“Well,” he said lightly, “I see we’re all here.”“Of course,” Cavill replied smoothly.Adrian gestured toward Lucas. “And speaking of introductions—I believe some of you may have already recognized my son from the business world, but as I mentioned before, it’s only proper that I introduce him formally.”He placed a hand on Lucas’s shoulder. “This is Lucas Steele. Current chairman of Nirux Global. And soon, much more than that.”Lucas met their gazes evenly, his expression calm, professional.Cavill nodded slowly. “We’ve heard of your work, Lucas. Impressive portfolio.”“Thank you,” Lucas said simply.Lucas felt their eyes on him, weighing him, calculating what kind of man he was.However, he met each gaze with the same calm confidence.Crane leaned forward slightly. “Your father speaks highly of you.”Lucas smiled. "One of the reasons I'm always glad to have him as a f

The week had been nothing short of miraculous for Vanessa and her family.Out of nowhere, like a lifeline thrown to drowning sailors, Sterling Global Logistics—a mid-sized but rapidly expanding logistics and supply chain management company—had finally offered Callums Construction salvation after months of suffocating rejections and public humiliation. Sterling Global specialized in international freight coordination, warehousing solutions, and supply chain optimization, and had built their reputation on aggressive expansion.Many companies and investors had turned their backs on Callums Construction, slamming doors in their faces with barely concealed disgust. Vanessa knew it was Ethan’s doing. His influence had spread like poison, contaminating every potential partnership. They’d even reached out to international firms, companies outside the country’s borders, hoping distance might dilute Ethan’s reach. But every attempt had ended the same way—rejection and humiliation.Until Ster

Vanessa stared at the shredded documents, her brain refusing to process what her eyes were seeing. Her throat felt tight, constricted, as if invisible hands were squeezing the air from her lungs. Beside her, Yvonne’s face had gone pale, her hands trembling where they rested on the table. Blanche sat frozen, her eyes fixed on Ethan, searching his face for some sign that this was a joke, a test, anything but what it appeared to be. But Ethan’s expression told them everything they needed to know. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming lazily against the armrest, and scoffed. “Really?” His eyes swept across all three of them, his smirk widening into something cold and predatory. "You really believed me?” "You actually thought I’d just forgive you? Just like that?” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, his stare cutting right through them. “Tell me something. If you were in my shoes—after everything you did to me—after all the humiliation and betrayal—wo

The second Ethan walked out of Aurelius Conglomerate headquarters, reporters rushed at him from all sides. They crowded around him like a swarm, shoving microphones in his face while cameras flashed non-stop. Their voices overlapped as they asked him if what Vanessa had said was true.His security team quickly moved in to protect him, but he held up his hand, telling them to wait.Earlier that morning, Vanessa had dropped a video online where she called him a fraud and a liar, claiming he had scammed her family into signing over their company to him, saying he never kept his end of the deal. In the video, she’d laid out the whole story of what went down between them.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​"What do you have to say about these allegations?”Another voice cut in before he could respond. “She’s also threatened legal action! Is Sterling Global prepared to face a lawsuit?”“Did you intentionally mislead the Callum family?”Ethan let the questions hang in the air for a moment, his gaze sweeping