Justin raised an eyebrow, a faint, condescending smirk touching his lips. "And? What’s the issue?""The issue," he said, leaning in, his voice dropping into a tense, hushed tone, "is that there are no finalized succession transfer documents bearing Chloe’s name in the Patriarch’s official filing cabinet. None. Zero."The room went completely still for a second.Abigail’s smile faltered slightly, though she quickly recovered her composure with a sharp scoff. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, Mike. You know how the Patriarch operates. Everything involving this Family is kept under top-secret security until the exact moment of the public address.""This isn't about top-secret security, Abigail!" Mike snapped, his frustration boiling over. "Standard corporate protocol requires the primary candidate's administrative dossier to be vetted by the internal council seventy-two hours prior to the banquet! But when I asked the secretariat, they told me the Patriarch’s personal office locked the candidat

Roxana watched her go, her face tranquil, her hand resting calmly on the leather folder tucked beneath her arm.Yet, as Chloe turned the corner into the privacy of the west wing, the triumphant smile on her face slowly dissolved.“I haven't been told that.”Roxana’s quiet, unbothered words echoed in Chloe’s mind like a persistent, irritating needle. “Why wasn't she crying? Why wasn't she begging for a seat at the main table? Why did she look so calm?”A strange, prickling warmth began to spread across the back of Chloe’s neck. She slowed her pace, her manicured fingers tightening around her designer clutch until her knuckles turned white.Passing the private study near the gallery, she caught sight of Elder Joe—her father’s eldest cousin and a key member of the family's internal legal committee—sitting alone at a desk, reviewing a stack of sealed documents.Chloe stopped. She turned to her two cousins, her voice sharp and abrupt. "Wait outside."She stepped into the study, closing the

For the next four hours, Vivian subjected Lorenzo to what she internally deemed 'executive endurance training.'Her first stop was the city's most sprawling, high-end luxury shopping mall—a multi-story labyrinth of designer boutiques, crowded arcades, and bustling VIP galleries.She didn't buy one or two items; she walked through seven different flagship stores, purchasing expensive leather luggage, heavy crystal desk ornaments, and bespoke wardrobe pieces.By eleven o'clock, Lorenzo was trailing three steps behind her, holding six massive, heavy designer shopping bags in each hand, stacked so high they nearly obscured his view.Vivian glanced back over her shoulder, expecting to see him sweating, struggling, or at least frowning in deep frustration.Instead, Lorenzo walked with effortless grace. He carried eighty pounds of luxury goods as if they were made of feathers, his eyes scanning the crowd around.Annoyed that her first test hadn't even made him blink, Vivian abruptly pivoted

Roxana looked up, and the tight, suffocating tension in her shoulders visibly eased the moment her eyes met his. Lorenzo walked over, pulling out the velvet armchair across from her and taking a seat."You came quickly," Roxana said, her voice smooth, though a rare, subtle thread of nervous strain lingered around the edges."You said you needed me," Lorenzo replied gently, leaning his elbows on the table. "What's on your mind?"Roxana looked out over the glittering river below, letting out a soft, slow breath. "My father spent the entire afternoon distributing the final seating charts for tomorrow night. The main council is already acting as if the succession is a closed chapter. Everyone inside the family is treating Chloe like the crown princess...and Chloe herself spent the day accepting gifts from the secondary board members."She turned her head back to look at him, her clear, dark eyes searching his face with vulnerability. "The entire family believes she has already won, Lorenz

The silence inside the car stretched thick like a thread pulled almost to its snapping point.Roxana’s hand remained frozen against the door handle. Lorenzo’s words still hung in the air—leaving no room for her doubts to breathe—yet the silence that followed felt even heavier than her fears.She turned her head slowly, looking at him in the dim glow of the dashboard lights. Her chest rose and fell in a measured rhythm, her dark eyes searching his face for something she couldn't quite put into words."What happens if I actually become the heir tomorrow, Lorenzo?" Roxana asked softly. "If everything goes according to plan...if the Patriarch hands me the mandate and we take the crown...what then?"Lorenzo didn't move. His posture remained relaxed, his sharp jawline softening as he stared at her."I’d congratulate you," he replied simply, his voice a low, smooth rumble.Roxana felt a tiny, sharp pang deep in her chest—a sudden, unexpected coldness at his effortless, pragmatic answer. She