THE CASTAWAY HEIR: POWER UNSEEN

CHAPTER 7

At the far corner, by a window, Ava Bennet, Sophia’s mother, sat with a delicate porcelain cup raised gracefully to her lips at the hotel lounge.

Her friends sat around her in a circle of admiration.

“Truly, Ava,” murmured Helena, the plumpest of the group, adjusting her pearl necklace as though it might impress the hotel staff.

“Your Sophia is so impressive. Hosting a banquet in this hotel, of all places!

And then booking the presidential suite for you… If it were my daughter, she wouldn’t even dare step foot in here. The price of tea alone could swallow her month’s salary.”

The others chuckled, shaking their heads with envy and awe.

“My son is still asking me for money every other month. And here you are, living in a presidential suite, being paraded like royalty. You’re blessed, Ava. Absolutely blessed.” Helena chimed in with a self-deprecating laugh.

Their voices overlapped.

Ava lowered her gaze, tracing the rim of her cup as though embarrassed by their words.

She let them linger just long enough before answering in the soft, modest tone she had perfected over the years.

“Oh, please,” she said, giving a little wave of her hand.

“I can’t take the credit. It’s all thanks to Ryan. He arranged everything yesterday—the banquet, the invitations, the suite. He insisted. I merely accepted his kindness.”

At once, the table shifted.

The women leaned in, their eyes sparkling like cats catching the glint of light.

“Ryan?” Helena asked, her brows arched so high they nearly disappeared into her hairline.

“You don’t mean Ryan, the one who’s been courting Sophia?” Doris added, practically whispering the word “courting” as though afraid the walls themselves might overhear.

They began to murmur excitedly.

“I told you from the start—she has standards. Why would she bother with a worthless man like Brandon?!”

“Look around. This kind of luxury belongs to Ryan. Brandon wouldn’t even dare to imagine it.”

“So it’s true then? Sophia finally accepted him?”

Ava’s lips curved into the faintest of smiles.

Gasps and exclamations followed, and one of them actually clapped her hands together like a child.

“Oh, Ava, congratulations! This is marvelous news. You're lucky to have a son-in-law like Ryan—handsome, successful, generous. Who could ask for more?”

Doris leaned forward as she reached for Ava’s hand. “You must be so proud. Tell us—have they chosen the wedding date already?”

Ava stood smoothly.

“Come. Why just speculate? Let me show you the wedding home Ryan prepared for Sophia. It’s upstairs, in this very hotel,” she said, her voice carrying a quiet authority.

Chairs scraped back as the women gathered their bags and scarves, tripping over themselves to follow her.

“A wedding home?”

“Here? Oh, how extravagant!”

“This Ryan is a treasure!”

Their voices filled the hall as Ava led them toward the elevator.

She was floating, basking in the reflected glow of Ryan’s wealth and generosity.

Each compliment felt like a crown jewel, confirming her place as the mother of the most enviable daughter in their circle.

Meanwhile, several floors above, Jessica stood in stunned silence.

The penthouse Brandon brought her to was unlike anything she had ever seen.

The walls seemed to breathe, opening into a sweeping view of the city below.

Skyscrapers caught the afternoon sun, while cars streamed through the streets like glowing veins of light.

The living room was a masterpiece. Glass, marble, and velvet were woven together in quiet luxury.

In one corner stood a grand piano, and nearby, a bar lined with fine spirits shimmered beneath the soft glow.

“It’s beautiful,” Jessica whispered, almost afraid to breathe.

She turned slowly with her hand brushing over the back of a leather chair.

“Too beautiful. Mr Scott, this is…”

“Perfect?” he offered with a half-smile, watching her with quiet intensity.

She nodded but pulled back slightly, her expression clouding.

“Yes, but it doesn’t feel like it’s for me. I don’t deserve this. Not after everything.”

Her voice cracked.

The memories flooded back uninvited.

She remembered the collapse of Marion Investments—the creditors circling like vultures, the friends who once praised her success disappearing as if she carried a curse, the shame of walking into a room only to feel every gaze turn away, and the crushing isolation that followed.

Brandon stepped closer.

“Miss Marion, don’t talk like that. You built something remarkable once, and you’ll build it again. This—” he gestured around them “—is just a start.”

She shook her head, biting her lip.

“But why would you… after everything, why would you do this for me?”

Brandon knew he had to give her a solid, convincing reason.

He paused for a moment before speaking softly.

“Because I’ve admired your diligence and determination for a long time — not just what you did for Marion Investments, but your drive and vision. When your company was thriving, I wanted to invest, but I couldn’t. You were untouchable.”

Her breath caught.

“You… you wanted to invest?”

“Yes.” He held her gaze, unflinching.

“So think of this apartment as my investment now. Not in a company, but in you. When Milton Investments rises again—and I know it will—I’ll share in that success. Until then, let this place be yours.”

Her throat tightened as emotion rushed over her.

No one had said words like that to her in months.

Since the bankruptcy, everyone had left her. Even family friends stayed away.

She thought all she had left was loneliness and silence.

But now Brandon was here, offering not just keys—but trust.

Her hand trembled as she reached for them.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You don’t know how much this means.”

“Call me if you need anything,” Brandon said softly. “Anything at all.”

They walked together toward the elevator with Jessica still clutching the keys as though they might dissolve if she loosened her grip.

The moment the elevator doors parted fully, there was Ava with her eyes widening in horror as they locked onto the pair.

For one sharp moment, silence reigned. Then Ava’s voice rang out.

“Brandon?”

Her words trembled with shock.

“How… how did you end up here?”