The moment the text message was read, a massive wave of whispering and murmuring swept across the hall like a wildfire."Wait... he is not even the General?!" a wealthy foreign billionaire muttered, his fear suddenly melting away into deep confusion."Lance is not the General!" Elena hissed loudly to her mother, her eyes turning from terrified to completely furious. "He was just asked to represent him! He is just a temporary messenger!"A loud, angry murmur began to grow among the elite crowd. The presidents and kings suddenly felt deeply scammed and humiliated.They had just fallen to their knees and bowed flat on the floor to a common man, thinking he was the absolute ruler of the global military. All because of how terrified they had become of Selene's drawn sword, they had mistaken a mere representative for the Almighty General himself.The crowd’s fear quickly morphed into intense anger. They glared up at Lance, who was still sitting calmly on the golden throne."SILENCE!!!" Mada

Elena jumped to her feet. She practically sprinted through the crowded tables, lifting her expensive gown so she could rush up the steps of the grand stage. She waved to the cheering crowd like a queen, her eyes were filled with absolute malice as she looked down at her sister.Normally, Isabelle was the type of person to keep quiet. She was patient, gentle, and would willingly take things in, even when her toxic family insulted her to her face. But this time around, she was absolutely not having it. The injustice broke something inside her.She shot up to her feet, her chair scraping loudly against the marble floor."Mom, that's not fair!!!" Isabelle shouted, her voice cutting directly through the loud music and applause.The entire banquet hall instantly froze. The clapping stopped abruptly, and thousands of heads turned in unison to look directly at Isabelle.Elena’s triumphant smile instantly vanished, twisting into a dark scowl alongside her mother. The audience began to whisper

To Georgia, the answer was completely obvious. In her eyes, Lance was a man who had just spent the afternoon pretending to be the General, making him the most obvious, untrustworthy liar in the room. There was no way she would let an outcast ruin her family's greatest night.Georgia slammed her hand heavily on the podium, the loud thud echoing through the speakers."ENOUGH!!!" Georgia roared at the top of her lungs. "I have had absolutely enough of your nonsense, both of you! Isabelle, I only invited you here tonight out of pity so you and your starving family could eat some free food! And now, you still dare to stand there and spin these disgusting lies to humiliate your sister?! You have completely crossed your limits!""But Mom!!!" Isabelle shouted, tears finally streaming down her face."I said ENOUGH!" Georgia screamed back, her eyes filled with pure hatred. "Get out of my house right now, and don't you ever come back! I never want to see your pathetic faces anywhere near our fam

"U-Uhmm, it's nothing, Mom!" Elena stammered, quickly forcing a very weak, sickly cough. She rubbed her forehead and faked a miserable expression. "The thing is... I am just not feeling too well today. My stomach hurts, and my head is spinning."Georgia looked at her skeptically. "Not feeling well? But you have been jumping all around the house in pure excitement since early this morning.""Uhmm, I think it's because I haven't fully recovered from that horrible ambush by those street thugs the other day," Elena lied smoothly, trying her best to look fragile. "I think it is actually much better if you go to Astra Corp today, Mom! I have already met Madam Selene briefly, but since you are the matriarch, meeting her face-to-face is a wonderful idea. You need to know our supreme business partner one-on-one!"Georgia paused, thinking about it for a moment. She nodded her head slowly. "You know what? That is actually a very valid point. It is highly professional for the main matriarch to si

"No," Selene said firmly, slamming her hand lightly on the desk. "I absolutely refuse to sign anything with you."Georgia’s eyes widened, and her face turned pale. Panic seized her throat. If this deal slipped through their fingers because of a tiny scheduling issue, the Sinclair family would become the laughingstock of the entire high-society world."Please, ma'am! Please, Madam Selene!" Georgia begged, her voice rising in a desperate panic. "I will get her here in an instant! I will call her right now and force her to come down here!"With trembling fingers, Georgia pulled her smartphone out of her designer handbag. She quickly dialed Elena’s number and pressed the phone tightly against her ear, praying her daughter would pick up.Back across the city, Elena was actually standing inside a high-end luxury car dealership, happily admiring a sparkling, brand-new sports car. When her phone buzzed, she answered it instantly."Hey, Mom! Have you signed the massive deal yet?" Elena asked,