The room remained silent after the mayor’s question. Kade sat calmly in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest while Silas Higgins and Williams Gordon waited for his answer. After a few seconds, Kade finally spoke.“Mayor Higgins.”Silas immediately straightened.“Yes, Mr. Hollow.”Kade’s eyes narrowed slightly.“Have you ever heard of a group called the Architects?”The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere inside the office changed.Silas froze.Beside him, even Williams’ body stiffened.Neither man spoke for several seconds.The name itself seemed to carry a strange weight.Finally, Silas swallowed and forced a smile.“The Architects?”He shook his head uncertainly.“I thought that was just a myth.”Kade remained silent.The mayor continued.“For decades there have been rumors.”“Stories.”“Conspiracy theories.”“A secret group that controls Asheville from the shadows.”“A hidden force powerful enough to influence governments, corporations, military

Meanwhile, back at the Business Excellence Gala, Elara and her parents had already begun mingling with some of the guests. Ever since William Gordon had personally escorted them inside, many people had assumed they were connected to an extremely powerful family. After all, the chairman of the gala rarely greeted anyone personally, let alone walked them into the event himself.As a result, quite a few businessmen and entrepreneurs approached them to exchange greetings.“Miss Elara, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”“I’ve never seen you before. Which company do you represent?”“Your dress is absolutely stunning.”Elara smiled politely while responding to everyone. Beside her, Diana and Roland were enjoying the attention more than anyone. For the first time in days, they felt respected again.Unfortunately, that feeling didn’t last long.Across the hall, Vivian and the rest of the Voss family had already noticed them.The moment Vivian saw Elara surrounded by influential guests, her expressi

The remaining guards immediately rushed forward after seeing one of their own sent crashing to the floor. Their expressions turned ugly as they surrounded Kade from all sides.“Who the hell are you?”“How dare you attack security at the Business Excellence Gala?”“Do you have any idea where you are?”Kade glanced at them calmly before replying, “I’m Elara’s soon-to-be husband, and anyone who tries to bully her in my presence will face the consequences.”The entire hall froze.Elara’s eyes widened in shock. Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at Kade’s side profile. Soon-to-be husband? She had expected him to defend her, but she never expected him to say something like that so openly in front of hundreds of people. For a moment she couldn’t tell whether he truly meant it or if he was simply trying to protect her dignity.Meanwhile, the crowd had already exploded into whispers.“Did he just say husband?”“That’s her boyfriend?”“No wonder he’s standing up for her.”“He’s actually qui

“It’s legitimate.”The planner’s words echoed throughout the hall like a thunderclap. For several seconds, absolute silence descended upon the crowd. Many of the guests simply stared at the blue invitation card as though they had just seen a ghost.Mark’s confident smile vanished completely. Vivian’s eyes widened. Beatrice’s jaw dropped.Even Brent, who had remained calm throughout most of the confrontation, looked visibly shaken.“What?”Mark was the first to react.He stepped forward so abruptly that several people nearly stumbled backward.“Check it again.”His voice was louder than before.“You must have made a mistake.”The planner frowned.“A mistake?”“Yes!” Mark snapped. “There is absolutely no way that card is legitimate.”He pointed directly at the blue invitation.“Look at it carefully.”“Invitation cards for the Business Excellence Gala are gold.”“The Knox Family has attended before.”“My card is gold.”“How can his be blue?”The Voss family immediately nodded in agreemen

Mark’s entire body stiffened as Clara’s words sank in. Moments ago, everyone had been laughing at Kade and Elara, treating them like clowns who had somehow sneaked into the most prestigious business event in South City. Now the situation had completely reversed. Even Vivian, Beatrice, Brent, and Mark himself no longer knew what to think. If the blue invitation card was truly a VVIP invitation, then it meant someone had personally approved Elara’s attendance at the highest level. More importantly, that person was somehow connected to Kade. The thought alone made them uncomfortable.Around them, the attitude of the crowd changed almost instantly. The businessmen and socialites who had been keeping their distance from Elara moments ago now began approaching with eager smiles. Some complimented her appearance, others introduced themselves and handed over business cards. Several young CEOs openly praised her beauty, saying she was the most stunning woman at the gala. A few ambitious entrep