Selena and her family stood off to the side, trying to keep their composure while the Freemans dumped insult after insult without hesitation. Jaden’s expression darkened. He had expected arrogance, but not this level of shameless superiority. These people weren’t confident. They were delusional.Morganna’s face went red with embarrassment. Hearing her parents talk like that in public was humiliating enough. Seeing Jaden’s patience slipping only made her nerves spike. “Dad, Mom, Selena bought her car without taking a loan. They’re doing fine.”Nora jumped in, trying to salvage what little dignity they had left. “Selena started a company and made us quite a bit of money.”Vane forced a smile. “Let’s go home. Dinner is ready.”The Freemans reluctantly agreed, but not without one last swipe. “We’ll go and take a look,” Aladin said. “If we don’t like it, we’re going to a hotel. We won’t stay anywhere below five stars.”Morganna wished the ground would swallow her whole.They got into the c

Selena and her family stiffened instantly. They could feel the tension climbing between Jaden and the Freemans. One wrong sentence and the evening would blow up. Selena slid her hand through Jaden’s arm, giving him a quiet reminder to keep his cool. No matter what anyone said, Jaden was her anchor. Her pride. Her choice. And she wasn’t letting anyone drag him down in front of her family or hers.The Verrick couple reacted fast, trying to steer the situation away from another verbal explosion. “Come on, let’s all go inside and sit down,” Vane said, ushering everyone toward the living room.The Freemans paused their insults only because Morganna’s irritation was obvious. But their silence didn’t mean they had changed their minds. In their heads, the narrative stayed the same. Jaden was a freeloader. A useless man living off Selena’s achievements. They convinced themselves Selena must have been the one who paid for the Pagani Zonda. In their eyes, Jaden wasn’t just undeserving. He was an

Felicia turned to her daughter. “Morganna, move. Give your seat to your cousin.”Morganna blinked, confused. She was seated next to Selena, so why would her mother want Lance to take that position? Something fishy was obviously goin on, but she didn’t argue. She slid out of her chair and shifted down the table. Her empty seat was taken immediately by Lance.That change put Selena right between Lance and Jaden. Selena became instantly uncomfortable. She hated being close to any many that isn’t Jaden. She’d been traumatized too many times by men, either trying to harm her or sexually assault her. She’d developed PTSD.The moment the seating shifted, the air turned weird. Something was off. The Freemans were obviously setting something up.Aladin wasted no time. “This is my older brother’s son, Lance. He’s a captain now. Joined the military right after university. Worked hard. Climbed fast. Impressive, right?” He smiled mischievously.The Verricks forced polite smiles. “He’s a talented y

Selena caught it before anyone else did. The way Fabian entered. The way his men lined the room. The contract in his hand. The threat in his eyes. He hadn’t shown up for a discussion. He came to take her vaccine patent by force, and if he could take Jaden down in the process, he would enjoy every second. Her stomach dropped. “Take one more step and I’ll call the police.” Fabian let out a deep, mocking laugh that filled the room. “The police? They wouldn’t dare touch my business. Half of them work for me already.” The air grew tight. Even the waitstaff backed away. Lance saw an opening to show off. He puffed out his chest and stepped forward like some hero in a cheap drama. “Then you’ll deal with me.” Fabian looked him over like he was inspecting a cockroach. “And who exactly are you supposed to be?” “I’m Captain Lance Freeman from the Ironvale military base. Major General Franklin Wilson personally called me an all-rounded fighter. So listen carefully. Kneel down right now,

Lance replayed everything in his head, refusing to accept the reality he had just lived through. His pride picked through the fight like a man searching rubble for anything that could still be saved. He remembered the moment he punched Fabian earlier. A solid hit. Clean form. He had felt the impact run up his arm. Fabian had eaten it, but he definitely felt something. Lance clung to that. He needed it. Was Jaden Rift just finishing the job for me? The more he ran it through his mind, the more the idea twisted into something he could stand on. It made sense to him. He was the top fighter in the entire Ironvale military base. Major General Wilson trusted him, praised him, called him an all-rounded fighter. He had dropped grown men with single blows. He had broken ribs and jaws without needing a second strike. If Fabian died, it couldn’t be because Jaden was strong. That didn’t fit Lance’s worldview. So he convinced himself of the only explanation that comforted his ego. Fabian