After ending the phone call with Elizabeth, Benjamin remained seated inside his luxurious bedroom, but the expensive surroundings provided no comfort whatsoever. He stood up abruptly and began pacing up and down across the plush carpet, his mind racing with competing crises and impossible decisions.His feet traced the same path over and over from the massive floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the estate gardens, past his king-sized bed with its imported silk sheets, around his antique mahogany desk, and back to the windows again. Each circuit felt like he was walking in circles not just physically, but mentally as well, trapped in a maze with no clear exit.He literally didn't know what he was going to do to resolve the multiple catastrophic situations that were converging on him from every direction. The weight of it all pressed down on his shoulders like a physical burden that grew heavier with each passing moment.He had just finished assuring Elizabeth on the phone, with what h

Benjamin felt a surge of relief mixed with guilt as he heard Raymond's renewed enthusiasm. He knew what he was about to propose crossed several moral lines, but with his family's empire crumbling and Elizabeth facing a deadly deadline with the George family, desperate times called for desperate measures.“Listen carefully, Raymond,” Benjamin said, lowering his voice as if someone might be listening to their conversation. “I have already set up a private meeting with Elizabeth for later today. She thinks it's going to be a business discussion about her current crisis with the George family.”Benjamin paused, letting the implications sink in before continuing with his deceptive plan. “But here's the thing - I didn't tell her that it is going to be you at this meeting instead of me. She has no idea that you're going to be the one showing up.”His voice became more conspiratorial as he laid out the details. “It's going to be completely private, at a secluded location where you two won't

Immediately, Victoria nodded her head with the kind of firm conviction that had made her such a trusted advisor over the years.“I absolutely trust Benjamin's judgment in situations like this,” Victoria said with unwavering confidence. “He's never steered us wrong before, especially when the stakes are this high.”Without wasting another precious second of the limited time they had before Elizabeth's deadline with the George family, Victoria straightened her shoulders and gestured toward the imposing entrance of the exclusive lounge.“We should go inside right now and not keep whoever Benjamin has arranged for us to meet waiting any longer,” Victoria said decisively. “Punctuality is crucial when you're dealing with people at this level of influence and power.”Elizabeth, drawing strength from her secretary's calm assurance and knowing that every minute counted toward her rapidly approaching two-hour deadline, took a deep breath that she hoped would steady her nerves and give her the

At that moment, Raymond's demeanor shifted noticeably as he raised up one of his fingers in a sharp, commanding gesture that was clearly meant to literally shut Victoria off mid-sentence. The movement was swift and authoritative, carrying the kind of arrogant entitlement that Elizabeth had always found so distasteful about him.Victoria immediately understood the dismissive signal and quickly bowed her head respectfully, her years of experience in high-level business dealings teaching her never to openly disrespect someone with Raymond's family connections and influence, no matter how rude his behavior might be.“You,” Raymond said in a tone that brooked no argument, his voice carrying the cold authority of someone who was used to having his commands followed without question. “I need you to excuse yourself from this room immediately. Your presence is not needed here for what we're about to discuss.”His words were delivered with the kind of casual cruelty that powerful men often use

Instead of taking one of the chairs across from her or even maintaining a respectful distance on the same couch, Raymond deliberately chose a seat that brought him uncomfortably close to her personal space, close enough that she could smell his expensive cologne and feel the warmth radiating from his body.The proximity made Elizabeth's skin crawl, but she forced herself to remain calm and focused on the urgent matter at hand rather than allowing her discomfort with Raymond's behavior to derail what might be her only chance at getting the help she desperately needed.Before either of them could begin discussing the serious crisis that had brought them together, Raymond turned his attention to the security personnel who had been stationed throughout the exclusive lounge.“Gentlemen,” Raymond said in a voice that carried absolute authority, addressing the intimidating bodyguards who had been silently monitoring the room since Elizabeth's arrival. “I need you to please step outside and