Once Downtrodden; Now Divine

Chapter 5

Ivy sat back in her chair, studying Donald as her fingers delicately drummed against the armrest.  

Donald was much younger than she had expected, and far simpler in appearance than the solemn way her father had spoken of him.

The daze in his gaze unsettled her. 

Her father’s warnings echoed in her mind: “Treat him with respect. Do not underestimate him.” 

Yet now, with the man standing in her office, she struggled to see anything remarkable about him at all.

 Ivy found herself doubting those words. 

How could someone like this be worth such caution? She thought.

Still, Ivy was her father’s daughter. 

She had been taught to hide her feelings, to cover doubt with respect, and never let her true thoughts show. 

So she only bowed her head slightly, speaking politely.

“Mr. Smith, tonight I’m hosting a charity gala. Powerful and wealthy people will be there, and I plan to use it to secure new allies. I’d like you to come too. Watch the guests with me, and help me decide who would make the strongest partners.”

The task she set before him was small and condescending for someone like Donald, but he chose not to show it.

Donald’s lips curved faintly, though the expression never reached his eyes. 

He understood. 

She was testing him, keeping him on the periphery. 

He didn’t blame her; after all, he had just returned to the world outside prison walls. To Ivy, he must have looked like a gamble she wasn’t yet ready to take.

“That sounds reasonable,” Donald said softly, “I’ll be there.”

Before Ivy could respond, a hesitant knock sounded at the door. 

Her secretary, Bianca, entered with an uneasy expression.

“Miss Harrington,” Bianca said nervously, “there’s… an issue. Mr Jaxon Brown and his girlfriend, Miss Jane Wilson, are in the VIP room. They claim they’re here for cooperation. Should I… should I have them removed?”

At the mention of those names, Donald’s face hardened. 

A quick, sharp shadow crossed his face.

“Miss Harrington,” he said evenly, “what is their business with you?”

Ivy leaned back, brushing a strand of hair from her shoulder. 

“Jaxon Brown has always hovered around my faction, hoping to link his family’s future to mine. But his family is drowning in debt and he lacks the strength I need. As for Jane,” Ivy’s tone turned cold, “her family isn’t much better. They bring nothing but trouble. I’ve never seriously considered them as partners.”

Donald’s jaw tightened. 

He lowered his gaze briefly, his voice low. 

“I see.”

The weight in those two words caught Ivy’s attention. 

His tone carried something personal.

She tilted her head, studying him with sharp eyes. 

“Mr. Donald,” she asked cautiously, “do you… have a history with them, like a grudge?”

Donald didn’t flinch. 

“Yes,” he replied simply.

For a flicker of a moment, Ivy thought she glimpsed fire beneath his calm exterior.

Her eyes hardened, and she snapped her attention to Bianca. 

“Then it’s settled. Cut all ties with Jane’s family right away. As for Jaxon, his family still has some influence. We’ll delay final settlement with them, but make it clear, I won't be seeing any of them.”

Bianca blinked in surprise but quickly nodded. 

“Understood, Miss Harrington.” She hurried from the room.

---

Inside the VIP lounge, Jane leaned closer to Jaxon, letting her voice drop to a whisper against his ear.

“Once Miss Harrington agrees to cooperate,” she murmured, her lips so close that he could feel the warmth of her breath, “your family’s fortunes will soar.”

Jaxon’s chest tightened at the closeness, and he found himself leaning in, drawn to her like a magnet.

“And with my family beside yours,” he whispered back, his hand moving to rest gently on her thigh, “we’ll rise together. The future will be ours.”

“Sooner or later,” she breathed, “everyone realizes the smart choice is the one sitting right in front of them.”

The two burst into warm laughter. Just then, they heard footsteps at the door.

Within the twinkle of an eye, Bianca entered, her face cold as stone. 

“You dare pretend to be Miss Harrington’s VIP guests?” 

Her voice sliced through the room.

“Do you take DeGrand Corporation for a playground?”

Jaxon froze, his smile faltering while Jane stiffened.

“Impersonate? What are you talking about?”

Bianca ignored her, her gaze sharp. 

“Effective immediately, all cooperation between DeGrand Corporation and your family is terminated. And as for you, Mr Brown—Miss Harrington has no further interest in receiving you. Leave at once.”

Jane had pinned so much hope on this contract, trusting Jaxon’s assurances that everything would fall into place. 

Now, with DeGrand Corporation refusing to cooperate, the blow hit hard. 

She would face significant financial losses, and the partners who had once supported her company might hesitate to continue their collaborations. 

The ripple effect threatened not just her immediate plans, but the reputation and stability of everything she had worked so tirelessly to build.

She had believed so much in this contract, just as Jaxon had assured her. Now that they've been denied, she would suffer financial loses, the companies that partnered with her company would be afraid to continue partnership.

Jane’s pulse quickened as the words left the secretary’s mouth. Her chair scraped softly against the marble floor as she rose.

“I beg your pardon?”

Bianca shifted uncomfortably under Jane’s gaze, clutching the folder to her chest like a shield.

“Miss Harrington has decided to terminate the agreement,” she repeated in a professional, unapologetic tone.

Jane froze.

For a moment, the soft ticking of the gold-plated clock on the wall was the only sound. The air in the lounge seemed to thicken, pressing against her chest.

Then she took a step forward.

“Terminated?” she repeated in disbelief.

“You can’t mean that.”

The secretary opened her mouth, but Jane didn’t give her the chance.

Her composure cracked just enough to let a hint of desperation through as she leaned forward, as if she might seize the woman’s arm to make her listen.

“You can’t! I demand to see Miss Harrington immediately.”

Bianca’s expression did not waver. 

She gestured, and two security guards stepped forward. 

“Escort them out.”

“No!” Jane shrieked, but the guards seized her arms firmly. 

Jaxon turned pale, trembling beneath his bravado.

He tried to protest but his words died in his throat as he was hauled toward the door.

Outside the gleaming glass doors of DeGrand Corporation, Jane wrenched her arm from Jaxon’s grasp, her eyes blazing with fury.

“Why did she say we were impersonating Miss Harrington’s VIP guest? What does that even mean?”

Jaxon smirked.

“There must be a misunderstanding,” he muttered. 

“Some mix-up.”

Jane’s face darkened. 

Memories of Donald’s cold words in prison surfaced, sharp and stinging. “You’ll regret this.”

Her teeth ground together. 

“It’s him. It has to be. Donald. He’s behind this.”

Jaxon seized on the excuse eagerly. 

“Yes, that’s it. He must have plotted something, found a way to sabotage us after being thrown out. He’s angry, humiliated… this is his revenge.”

Jane lowered her voice, leaning closer to Jaxon and draping an arm coquettishly over his. 

“Then what should we do, Jaxon? If Miss Harrington cuts us off completely, my family won’t survive the fallout.”

Jaxon straightened, forcing confidence into his voice. 

He reached into his jacket and withdrew two embossed invitations. 

He held them up proudly, as though they were keys to salvation.

“Don’t worry. Tonight, Miss Harrington is hosting her charity gala. These,” he shook the invitations, “are our entry tickets. Once we attend, we’ll speak to her directly, clear up this so-called misunderstanding. When she sees our sincerity, she’ll change her mind.”

Jane’s eyes widened as hope flooded her features. 

She had tried and failed to obtain those invitations herself, only to be rejected. 

Now, seeing Jaxon produce them so casually, she was swept by admiration.

“Jaxon,” she breathed, leaning closer, her voice dripping with flattery, “no one else could have done this. You’re clearly Miss Harrington very important guest, I'm sure. That partnership position—it belongs to you alone.”

Her words poured over him like sweet wine. 

Jaxon’s chest swelled, though guilt gnawed at his conscience. 

He hadn’t told Jane the whole truth—he hadn’t told her that these invitations were secured through underhanded means, not Ivy’s favor.

But under Jane’s adoring gaze, he couldn’t show weakness. 

He forced a confident smile, tucking the invitations back into his jacket.

“Leave it to me,” he said smoothly. 

“Tonight, we’ll prove our worth. Miss Harrington will restore your family’s cooperation rights. Trust me...”