The luxurious Paris ballroom had fallen into complete silence. Hundreds of guests sat holding their breath, their eyes fixed on the stage where three trembling men stood before Thom Haye. The spotlight still shone upon them, revealing every detail of their faces—the sweat on their foreheads, their trembling lips, and eyes too fearful to meet anyone else's.Sir Reginald stood in the middle, with his two companions beside him. They were among the most influential businessmen in the European wine market, men who normally walked with their heads held high and looked down on everyone around them. But tonight, they looked like little boys caught stealing.A senior executive of the Golden Circle stepped forward. His face was stern, his eyes filled with barely restrained anger."Sir Reginald," he declared in a powerful voice that echoed throughout the ballroom, "you and your associates have disgraced yourselves by insulting the rightful owner of the Golden Circle. This is an offense that cann

Mornings in Paris felt different. The sun shone brighter, the air was fresher, and in Thom and Jasmine's hotel suite, the atmosphere was filled with laughter and happiness.Jasmine sat on the edge of the bed with a stack of contracts on her lap, her eyes sparkling as she read through each page."My husband, this is already the fifteenth one!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Fifteen partnership agreements in just three days!"Thom smiled over the rim of his coffee cup. "You've been counting?""Of course!" Jasmine jumped off the bed and ran to hug him from behind. "This is incredible, Thom. You really did it. We did it!"Thom turned his head and kissed her forehead. "We're only getting started, sweetheart. This is just the beginning."But Jasmine didn't care. She felt as though she were on top of the world. Every wine merchant in Paris who had once rejected them was now lining up to ask for a partnership. It wasn't just small and medium-sized businesses—even the major wine producers who had o

"For Jasmine, whose beauty will never fade. I'm still waiting for you. — Alexandre."A bouquet of red roses lay outside the door of the hotel suite.Jasmine opened the door and let out a weary sigh as soon as she saw it. A small card, handwritten in elegant calligraphy, was still attached to the bouquet.She picked it up and placed it on the table beside the entrance, alongside five other bouquets she had collected over the past week. She no longer knew what to do. Every morning, Alexandre sent expensive flowers, and every afternoon, he sent messages filled with love she had never asked for.Camille arrived for work and noticed the growing pile of bouquets."Mrs. Jasmine, this is the tenth bouquet this week," she said with concern. "Does Mr. Thom know about this?"Jasmine shook her head."I haven't told him yet. I don't want to burden him with this.""But, Mrs. Jasmine, this man won't stop. He approaches you at every event, and now he's sending flowers every single day. This has gone

Alexandre cried out in agony, but Thom paid him no attention. He kept striking him until Alexandre's face was a bloody mess. His nose was broken, his lip split open, several teeth were knocked out, and one eye was already swelling shut."Thom! That's enough!" Jasmine shouted from the sofa.Thom stopped.His fists were still clenched, the skin on his knuckles split and bleeding from the blows he had delivered. He stood over Alexandre's unconscious body, breathing heavily.Then Thom turned to Jasmine, the fire still burning in his eyes."Are you alright?"Jasmine nodded, tears still streaming down her cheeks."I'm alright, Thom. He didn't succeed."Thom let out a quiet sigh of relief.But when his gaze returned to Alexandre, the fury in his eyes reignited.He walked over and gave Alexandre a hard kick."Get up!" Thom barked.Alexandre groaned weakly, struggling to open his swollen eyes. He tried to rise, but his battered body refused to cooperate.Thom bent down, grabbed Alexandre by th

Within hours, every major news outlet was reporting Alexandre's spectacular downfall. The story spread like wildfire. His contracts were canceled one after another. Every project under his name was suspended. Worse still, the authorities opened formal investigations into the crimes he had allegedly committed over the years. Desperate, Alexandre began calling every influential contact he had. He called the government minister who had once protected him. No answer. He called the business executives who had eagerly worked with him in the past. None of them were willing to help. He reached out to old friends. One by one, they distanced themselves from him. "Why won't any of you help me?" he shouted into a phone that seemed determined to remain silent. Finally, one of his former associates answered. "We can't help you, Alexandre," the voice said coldly. "You made an enemy far too powerful. Thom Haye isn't just the owner of the Golden Circle. He also has close ties to the French