She didn’t grab him, and didn't speak immediately. She simply stepped into his space with the ease of a woman who cared nothing for society's rules, fingers trialing on the lapels of his suit in a seductive manner.But her eyes were tight.Urgent.She leaned in as if adjusting his tie, her lips near his ear.“Behind me,” she murmured, barely moving her mouth. “Now.”Noah didn’t react.He obeyed casually, taking one step closer, positioning himself where her body blocked some sightlines but his ears could still pick up the noise around them.Chantel’s hand brushed the sleeve of his cheap suit with a flicker of irritation—at the suit, at the plan, at him for insisting on this disguise.Then she spoke under her breath.“The ring on display is the original,” Chantel said.Noah’s face didn’t change. “I heard.”Chantel’s eyes narrowed slightly, surprised at this before huffing in exasperation, “Then you also heard who signed the change.”“Yes,” Noah murmured.Chantel’s mouth tightened. The

He waved his hands and the crowd of people, “And I know many here share my concern. How do we know that this gentleman isn't simply taking advantage of your good reputation? How can we be certain he's not just after the ring? "The chairman of the Nexus Group, regardless of his hiatus, is known for his impeccable taste, his attention to detail. Surely his right-hand man would present himself with more... refinement?"The crowd responded with nervous laughter and whispered agreement. Simon, emboldened by his father's support, stepped even closer to the stage, his voice rising to carry across the hall."Exactly! Just look at him! Look at how he's dressed! This is supposed to be the representative of a billionaire?" Simon's voice dripped with contempt. "If he's really who he claims to be, let him prove it. Show us something, anything, that validates this ridiculous claim!"The challenge hung in the air, and all eyes turned to Noah, waiting to see how he would respond to this very public

Why was Noah smiling?In fact why did he look so at ease with the situation that was going on right now?Her breath caught as understanding flooded through her. The last-minute change to the display arrangements. The urgent call to the security team that had come through during the poker game, the argument with the coordinator about his strange decision.The modification that had seemed puzzling at the time, that had raised questions but had been authorized by someone with undeniable authority.Did Noah have something to do with this? She felt questions rise up within her like quick sand.But she said nothing, merely watched as Noah's smile grew slightly wider, as his eyes fixed on Simon with an expression that might have been pity for a man who had just sealed his own humiliation.The silence that followed Simon's triumphant declaration stretched like a rubber band pulled to its breaking point, tension mounting with each passing second. The grand hall seemed to hold its collectiv

While his father was still smoothing over things, Simon stood motionless, the document still clutched in his whitening fingers.The full weight of his humiliation had settled over him like a suffocating blanket. He had challenged someone he believed to be beneath him, someone he had viewed as an easy target for his particular brand of hazing, only to discover that he had been catastrophically wrong. Worse, he had done so publicly, in front of his father, in front of Nicole, and in front of the assembled crowd of the rich who would undoubtedly discuss this incident in hushed, mocking whispers for weeks to come.The rage that built within Simon was not the hot, explosive kind. This was something colder, more poisonous.It was the fury of wounded pride combined with genuine fear of his father's continued disappointment and the potential fallout for his future within the family business. Without a word, he thrust the document back toward Noah, his movements jerky and barely controlled

Noah's jaw tightened visibly, muscles working beneath skin, and for a moment he looked like he might argue further. But instead, he just nodded slightly."I didn't correct you," he admitted. "You're right. I let you believe something that wasn't true, and I should have told you.""Yes," Chantel said, her voice dropping fractionally, losing some of its scolding and carrying instead something more personal, more vulnerable. "You should have."For a moment, neither of them spoke.The noise of the hall seemed to recede, muffled and distant, like they existed in a bubble of silence carved out from the surrounding chaos. "Why?" Chantel asked finally.The question wasn't accusatory this time. Wasn't delivered with the edge of calculation or the weight of judgment. It was quieter, more genuine, the kind of question someone asks when they actually want to understand rather than simply win an argument."Why didn't you tell me?"Noah exhaled slowly, his gaze drifting away for a second as he g