Slept With An "Ex-convict Nobody" - A Hidden Trillionaire!

Chapter 16: Cousins' challenge

“I’ll go,” Chloe declared, her voice brimming with confidence. She didn’t raise it, but there was such a certainty in her tone that it instantly drew all eyes to her, one hand folded neatly over the other, like a queen bestowing her presence upon her subjects. “I’ll finalize the Enzogrande deal on behalf of the Robbins family.”

A low murmur passed through the room, followed by eager nods. No one seemed surprised. Why would they be? Chloe had always positioned herself as the family’s pride, the one who carried herself with flawless grace and certainty, and she also had the undeniable advantage of her fiancé.

Everyone knew Titus Fisher’s background. The Fisher family’s influence stretched through the upper corridors of business and finance, and Titus himself had a reputation for his expansive circle of friends within Enzogrande Corporation. With him at her side, Chloe didn’t even have to lift a finger. Doors that might have remained firmly shut for the Robbins family would swing wide open with the mention of his name.

Emma, however, remained still. She had been quiet until now, holding her tongue while Chloe basked in the glow of easy approval as her gaze drifted toward Ethan. He wasn’t speaking, but his calm expression and the slight nod he gave her seemed to say, Go on. Say it.

Emma inhaled deeply, then went ahead to speak, “I still think I should try,” she said. “We may have failed before, but I believe this time could be different.”

The words seemed to hang in the air, heavy with defiance. For a fleeting second, the room went silent, and all eyes turned to her.

Emma could feel her heart pounding. She knew exactly what was at stake, more than anyone else in that room understood. If she failed to secure the Enzogrande contract, she wouldn’t just lose to Chloe—she would lose to Loretta.

Her mind immediately replayed the humiliating terms of the challenge. If she lost, she would be forced to stand before her old classmates at the upcoming reunion and confess—falsely—that every crown she had ever won as the so-called beauty goddess in school had been stolen through cheating. And to make matters worse, she would have to publicly admit that Loretta was the rightful winner all along. The thought of doing that, of lowering herself before those mocking faces, was unbearable.

Emma clenched her fists. She hadn’t even wanted to accept Loretta’s challenge. She had told herself over and over again that she was done with childish games, that she wouldn’t let Loretta drag her down anymore. But Ethan had urged her, coaxed her into standing up for herself, and against her better judgment, she had agreed. And now, here she was—caught between pride and fear, knowing she could not back down, yet dreading the cost of failure.

Her declaration had barely settled before the reactions began. At first there was silence, then the sharp, brittle sound of laughter.

“You?” Aunt Rose scoffed, shaking her head. “Emma, haven’t you embarrassed us enough already?”

Leif chuckled, leaning closer to Chloe as though they were in on some private joke. “Yes, why not let Emma try again? Perhaps Enzogrande will laugh us right out of their offices this time.”

Chloe didn’t laugh, but her lips curved into a smirk as she folded her arms, as though she had already won without lifting a finger.

“Face it, Emma, some people are just not meant for this level. You don’t have the skills, you don’t have the connections, and you certainly don’t have the respect of the Enzogrande Corporation. But me? With Titus by my side, success is guaranteed.”

Emma’s fists clenched by her sides. She could feel her frustration boiling inside her chest. She wasn’t only angry at Chloe, but at the unfairness of it all. Chloe had a greater chance for success because of her fiancé, and if Chloe secured the deal, Emma would never get another opportunity to prove herself. Worse still, Loretta would have gotten all that she needed to prove that Emma was a complete failure.

Seeing Emma’s quiet fury, Ethan finally spoke. His voice was steady, calm, but carried an undeniable weight that silenced the chatter around him.

“Emma will be the one to secure the contract with Enzogrande.”

The entire room froze for a second before breaking into laughter.

“Are you out of your mind, Ethan?” Leif sneered. “Do you think just because you saved Grandfather earlier, you can talk big? Who do you think you are to make such claims?”

“Yes!” Aunt Rose added mockingly. “What kind of confidence is this? Do you even know how powerful Enzogrande is? You think you can just walk in there with your pauper clothes and ex-convict past and get their contract?”

Even Emma turned to look at him, startled by his boldness. “Ethan…” she whispered under her breath, tugging lightly on his sleeve.

He simply smiled at her, unbothered by the ridicule around him. “Don’t worry. You’ll be the one who gets the contract. Trust me.”

Emma stared at him, confused and conflicted. Where did he get this kind of confidence? Who was he to say such things with such certainty? In the brief moments that she had known him, he had been nothing more than a simple man with nothing to his name. And yet… when he spoke like this, it felt different.

Everyone else, however, saw his words as nothing but arrogance.

“You’re delusional,” Chloe scoffed. “Emma will never succeed. This is my chance, and when I come back with the Enzogrande deal in hand, you’ll all see the difference between people who matter… and people who don’t.”

The family clapped for her decision, praising Chloe and already imagining the Robbins name finally tied to Enzogrande through Titus’ influence.

Emma, however, stood quietly beside Ethan. Her mind was a whirlwind of doubt, anger, and—though she hated to admit it—a small spark of curiosity.

Who exactly was this man she married?

And why did it feel, just for a moment, as if he knew something none of them did?