Betrayed On The Supposed Wedding Day.

CHAPTER 2

But he never expected his greatest attachment would betray him so ruthlessly.

​Alex stood up slowly and walked out of the visitation room.

​As soon as he stepped into the main hallway, a thick, suffocating silence fell over the corridor.

Twenty armed prison guards were ​standing in a neat line, their heads bowed low toward the floor.

At their front stood the warden—the same man Sophia had just called a "ruthless monster." The warden’s forehead was drenched in sweat, his knees trembling as he stepped forward and bowed at a ninety-degree angle.

​“Mr. Alex!” the warden squeaked, and his voice was shaking with pure terror.

“We... We deeply apologize! We did not know Miss Sophia would dare to disrespect you like this inside our walls! Please, forgive our negligence!”

​The warden quickly held out a sleek, unblemished black-and-gold card with both hands. “This is the Black Gold Sovereign Card. Unlimited funds, absolute clearance. Please accept it... Use it to make them pay for their insolence!”

​Alex looked down at the card, then slowly reached out and took it.

​The warden let out a tiny sigh of relief, then carefully looked up, swallowing hard.

“Ahh, Mr. Alex... the former Chairman’s request... about the Phoenix Ring... Will you refuse it again this time?”

​Alex paused for a moment, looking at his bare hands, then up toward the open doors leading to the outside world.

​“No,” Alex said softly, a dark smile touching his lips. “I’ll accept it.”

The black-and-gold card felt surprisingly heavy in Alex’s palm, its dark surface gleaming under the harsh hallway lights.

​“There is one hundred million dollars loaded onto that card, Mr. Alex,” the warden whispered, his head still bowed respectfully. “Only five people in all of Boston possess a card of this rank.”

Immediately, ​Alex turned the card over in his hands before his eyes drifted to the second item: a heavy ring forged from dark, antique steel, carved with the intricate design of a soaring phoenix.

The Phoenix Ring. It was more than just jewelry—it was the absolute key to the former Southern Territory Chairman’s massive shadow empire.

Whoever held this ring commanded a network that reached into the highest political halls of the East Coast, controlled the wealthiest business circles of the West Coast, and ruled the deepest corners of the underground world.

Alex said after hearing the warden, turning back toward the cell blocks.​

“I need to thank the Chairman in person,

​“The Chairman predicted you would say that, sir,” the warden replied quickly.

“He said the gifts have already been passed on, so there is no need for a formal visit. He wants you to focus entirely on your own affairs from now on.”

​Alex frowned, feeling thoroughly puzzled. Why would a legendary figure who held the power to shake the nation treat him so well? To the rest of the world—and to himself—he was just an unambitious outcast who had thrown away his youth for a woman who betrayed him.

​Before Alex could dwell on it any longer, the sound of knees hitting the concrete floor echoed through the corridor.

​Alex blinked in surprise. The prison warden—a man feared by every dangerous inmate in the territory—was kneeling flat on the ground, his hands trembling.

​“Sir, I beg you!” the warden pleaded, his voice cracking with desperation. “I gave you the Black Gold Card not just as a gift, but because I desperately need your help to save my daughter!”

​“Get up,” Alex said, startled by the sudden shift. “Tell me what’s going on.”

​The warden scrambled to his feet, wiping sweat from his forehead. “I have a daughter in Boston named Clara.

She runs B Corporation—one of the three major monopolistic enterprises controlling the city’s economy.

But recently, a dangerous faction has targeted her company.

They’re closing in on her, and she’s running out of time. The Chairman told me long ago that your skills are unmatched, Mr. Alex. I beg you to go to her.”

​Alex instantly understood why the warden had approached him instead of bothering the former Chairman.

The old man had officially retired, but Alex was stepping out into the world with full authority.

Besides, the warden had quietly protected him and made his two years in prison bearable.

​“All right,” Alex said, slipping the Phoenix Ring onto his finger and sliding the card into his pocket. “I’ll go to B Corporation.”

​Across town, inside a lavish high-rise penthouse, Sophia sat closely next to William on a plush velvet sofa.

​“It’s finished, William,” Sophia said, leaning her head against his shoulder with an eager, pleasing smile. “I made that loser sign the divorce papers myself right inside the visitation room. We have zero connection now.”

​William smiled, swirling the golden liquid in his crystal glass. “Good girl. I knew you’d handle it cleanly.” He set his glass down and tapped her cheek softly. “As a reward, I’m taking you with me to B Corporation today to discuss a massive partnership deal.”

​Sophia’s eyes lit up. “B Corporation?! The titan of Boston?”

​She was practically beside herself with joy.

B Corporation was a legendary giant—its status in Boston was even higher than William’s powerful family, let alone her own family’s business, which had only recently climbed into new money.

Securing a deal with B Corporation was a peak achievement that her useless ex-husband, Alex, couldn't have given her in ten lifetimes.

​I knew it, Sophia thought to herself, a triumphant smile spreading across her face. I chose the right man.

​

An hour later, Sophia walked proudly beside William through the towering glass doors of B Corporation’s headquarters.

Marble floors stretched out as far as the eye could see, and smartly dressed executives hurried past the grand lobby.

​

After registering their names at the front reception desk, William guided Sophia toward the VIP waiting area.

But as they turned at the corner, William suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, his smooth expression twisting into a sneer.