Once Downtrodden; Now Divine

Chapter 5

"Thank you so much for your understanding, Mr. Smith." Ivy finally relaxed, regaining her composure as she wiped away the cold sweat and gestured for her secretary to step back. She prepared to explain her predicament to Donald.

But when she caught sight of more details in Donald's face, she froze.

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, she struggled to see anything remarkable about him at all.

Ivy found herself doubting those words.

But compared to her just meeting Donald now, her father had spent two years with him—perhaps her father had seen many things she hadn't yet witnessed.

In any case, just to be safe, she pushed down her deepest anxieties and instead chose to address something that was still important, though not the top priority.

She bowed her head slightly, speaking politely.

"Mr. Smith, I've encountered a formidable enemy—someone far more powerful than I am. I don't have the means to counter them at the moment. So tonight, I'm hosting a banquet. On the surface, it's a charity event, but secretly, I'll be selecting partners willing to work with me to strengthen my position."

"I hope you'll attend and help me decide who should become my partner."

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

Ivy hadn't directly asked him to solve her problem—instead, she'd included him in her own plan to handle it.

In other words, she had doubts about his capabilities.

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."

Ivy visibly relaxed with relief. "Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Smith. Please come inside and rest for a bit. We'll make preparations, then depart together."

Donald was about to nod in agreement when Bianca approached with an uneasy expression.

"Miss Harrington, Mr. Smith," 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 explained, "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.

"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."

"Understood, Miss Harrington." She hurried from the room.

......

Inside the VIP lounge, Jane's body angled toward Jaxon. She leaned closer, 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."

The world beyond the lounge disappeared as their mouths met again and again.

Just then, they heard footsteps at the door.

In the blink 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'd been denied, she would suffer financial losses, and the companies that partnered with her would be afraid to continue the partnership.

"Terminated? You can't! I demand to see Miss Harrington!"

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 guests? What does that even mean?"

Jaxon swallowed hard. "There must be a misunderstanding," he muttered. "Some mix-up. It's probably those underhanded competitors of mine playing dirty tricks."

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 with confidence.

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's 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, He released 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..."