Chapter Fifty-TwoThe Vale Villa was a sprawling fortress of white marble and iron gates, a symbol of two centuries of ruthless power in the Capital. As the motorcade swept through the gates, Martha was pressed against the window, her mouth hanging open."Look at those fountains, Andrew! They have statues made of real silver!" she squealed, her eyes gleaming with greed. "I told you, the Main Branch knows how to treat family! Adrian, you better not embarrass us with your scholarship student attitude here." She warned from her car staring at the truck Adrian was sitting in through the rearview.The cars came to a halt, but not in front of the grand steps of the main villa. Instead, they stopped at a side entrance near the gravel paths used by the gardening staff and waste disposal.Silas Vale was waiting there, wearing a smirk that suggested he had been practicing it all morning. Beside him was a girl around Lina's age, Tracey Vale, who looked at Lina’s department-store coat with visibl

Chapter Fifty-FourThe air in the Grand Hall was suffocating. Director Vance was still trembling, his eyes fixed on Adrian like a rabbit staring at a wolf.The Patriarch, sensing his grip on the room slipping, slammed his hand on the table. "Vance! What is the meaning of this? Why are you calling this scholarship student young master?"Vance opened his mouth to speak, but before a sound could come out, the heavy oak doors of the banquet hall were thrown open.A young man walked in, flanked by four men in grey suit, he wore a traditional silk robe, white as bone, with a crimson hawk embroidered on the chest."The Vales are getting noisy," the young man said, his voice cold and melodious. "I could hear the bickering from the front gates."The Patriarch, Beatrice, and even the arrogant Silas stood up instantly. They quickly bowed to the young master dressed in silk robe."Young Master Long!" the Patriarch stammered, his face pale. "We didn't expect a representative from the Long Clan tod

Chapter Fifty-SixLina gasped at what Adrian wrote across the coffin, she knew Adrian had been reckless and loyal and his client had been on his side but she didn’t expect the extent to which the recklessness would lead him.“Adrian are you out of your mind. You’re challenging the Long family. I don’t know what kind of trust you have in your client but I’m afraid it’s way out of hand. Your are going to get us all killed,”The black lacquer coffin sat in the center of the Vale villas courtyard, a grim reminder of the forty-eight-hour timer ticking down and ADRIAN name giving a golden glow under the moonlight, every servant who walked past it did see it despite their head bowed, as if the house were already a tomb.Inside the Imperial Suite, the atmosphere was chaotic. Martha had packed six suitcases, only to unpack them, then pack them again."Andrew! We have to leave Adrian here!" Martha shrieked, her voice cracking. "If we give the Long Clan the boy and the Key, maybe they’ll let us

Chapter Fifty-eightThe man in the white suit didn’t just walk, director Lawson commanded the very air in the room. To the public, he was a financial titan. To Adrian, he was simply the man who handled the paperwork."Who dares suggest that a Sovereign-tier transaction is anything less than absolute?" Lawson’s voice boomed, silencing the murmurs of the elite.Martha’s jaw hit the floor. "That’s him! That’s Adrian’s client! The one who gave Andrew the promotion! Who would think he'd actually come here in person?!"Lawson ignored the gasps. He walked straight to the back of the hall, stopping right beside the Debtor's Row where Adrian sat with his feet up. He didn't bow but his protective stance spoke volumes."Young Master Long," Lawson said, turning his cold gaze toward the front. "You question the card? And you also question the liquidity? This scholarship student, as you call him, is my authorized proxy. Every cent he bids is backed by the Grand Azure Trust. Do you have a problem wi

Chapter SixtyChloe let out a sharp, condescending laugh, her manicured fingers brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She looked at Adrian’s mud stained luggage van with the same expression one might use for a cockroach found in a five-star kitchen."A termination clause? Darling, I drafted the bylaws for the Andrews' Global Holdings before I even learned how to drive," Chloe sneered, stepping aside and waved the the family into the foyer like she owned the place. "You might be the consultant who fetched the keys, but in the world of high society, keys are just metal. I hold the legal mandate. Uncle Andrew, Auntie Martha, the third floor suites are yours. Lina, stay with them.”Then her eyes landed on Adrian.“And the scholarship student…”She pointed toward a small side door beside the huge marble staircase.“The staff quarters are over there with a nice view of the gravel pits. You should start there.”Martha was too busy staring at the massive crystal chandelier hanging