2025-10-17 18:33:02Ava Bennet’s piercing stare lingered even after Jessica had forced a smile and murmured a polite greeting.
The air in the corridor grew tense as she repeated, facing Brandon. "Speak! How did you get here?" “Maybe the same way you ended up here. I've got nothing more to say. I’m leaving,” Brandon replied sharply. But just then, Ava raised her voice. “Stop right there.” Jessica froze while Brandon turned slowly. “Did I say you could go?” Ava’s tone dripped venom with her chin tilted high as if she were addressing a servant. Upon seeing this, Jessica’s stomach clenched. The sheer arrogance in the older woman’s posture made her uneasy. She was about to explain, but Brandon’s voice broke the tension first. “I’ve already discussed the divorce with Sophia,” he said firmly. “From now on, wherever I go, whatever I do, is none of your business!” Ava was initially shocked to learn that Brandon had divorced Sophia. She couldn’t even pinpoint when it had happened. But the surprise faded quickly. In her mind, Brandon had always been nothing more than a useless live-in son-in-law, so what was so remarkable about their marriage finally ending? Ava’s lips curled into a sneer. “How dare you? So just because you’re divorced, you think you can do whatever you want? That you can disregard your elders?” Her eyes gleamed with malice as she leaned closer with her voice rising. “Look at you—you're just a useless stray. So shameless! She stared at him with venom, then turned her cold gaze toward Jessica. “So this is your mistress?” she asked mockingly. “You really aren’t picky, are you? You’ll take anything that throws itself at you.” Jessica stiffened as heat rushed to her cheeks. She never liked to be involved in arguments or misunderstandings. Her throat tightened, but she forced herself not to speak. This wasn’t her fight. Just then, she heard Brandon’s voice cut through the air. “Has anyone ever told you that respect works both ways?” The authority in his tone should have silenced the corridor. But Ava reacted as if he’d just told the funniest joke in the world. She burst out laughing with her back bending with the force of her mockery. “Respect?” she repeated with a sharp, mocking laugh. “You? A leech who’s been living off my daughter’s hard work for years? Don’t make me laugh.” Her words dripped with venom as her friends snickered, whispering among themselves, their gazes flicking between Brandon and Jessica. Jessica’s pulse quickened and her hands clenched at her sides as anger and humiliation burned in her chest. She couldn’t stand hearing Ava publicly insult Brandon anymore. “Enough!” she burst out. “You will not talk to him like that. Whether he’s your son-in-law or not, Brandon is a man who’s earned respect—and he deserves far better than your cruelty!” The words tumbled out before she could stop herself. Ava’s head snapped toward her, her smile twisting into fury. “Shut up!” The slap of the words stung more than any hand. Jessica recoiled as Ava’s voice boomed through the hall. “Who are you to butt in while I’m teaching a worthless fool a lesson?” Ava hissed with her eyes ablaze. “Know your place!” Jessica’s lips pressed together. She didn’t want to be involved in a quarrel. But Brandon had saved her life, and from the look of things, Ava was getting out of hand. Watching him slandered and humiliated like this, gnawed at her conscience. She took a careful breath, trying to handle the matter calmly this time. “Even though there’s some misunderstanding between you, Sophia, and Brandon. I don’t know the details, but—” “Misunderstanding?” Ava cut her off, her laugh sharp and cutting. “Oh, I see what this is now.” “You’re just as much a fool as he is. Ever since you started sleeping with him—who knows for how long—you think like him!” Her eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a mocking smile. Jessica’s heart lurched, her face burning. “And he’s given you money too, hasn’t he?” Ava pressed on, her voice loud enough to echo. “That’s what this is all about. A shameless slut clinging to scraps!” Before Jessica could react, Ava shoved her hard. Jessica stumbled back a step, catching herself against the cold wall. “Hand it over,” Ava snarled, her voice dripping with contempt. “Whatever he’s given you—it’s all my family’s money! You think you can pocket it? Never!"
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CHAPTER 119
Ava stepped into the room, holding a photograph of a young man. The sunlight streaming through the curtains caught the edges of the frame, casting a small glow on the image. She paused, taking a deep breath, as if bracing herself for Sophia’s reaction.“Sophia,” Ava said gently, drawing her daughter’s attention. “Sit down. There’s something I want to discuss with you.”Sophia sank back into the sofa, folding her arms tightly across her chest. Her eyes, however, remained wary, scanning her mother with a mix of caution and curiosity. “What is it, Mom?” she asked carefully. She had learned over recent months that whenever her mother said she had ‘something important’ to discuss, it often meant a decision—or a revelation—that could shift Sophia’s life in ways she wasn’t prepared for.Ava smiled knowingly, the kind of smile that had always unnerved Sophia when she was a child. It was gentle yet calculated, reassuring yet heavy with hidden weight. “You’ve been through quite a lot recentl
CHAPTER 118
Sophia’s pulse throbbed in her ears. She turned sharply, scanning the auditorium for Brandon. She looked left, then right. Then she stood up, ignoring the people behind her complaining that she was blocking their view. Her eyes swept across every aisle, every corner, every cluster of people.But Brandon was simply… gone.He had been standing behind her not long ago, arms folded, that annoying half-smile on his lips as if he knew something she didn’t. And now?Nothing. No sign of him. No trace.Where in the world was he?How did he know Evelyn Carmichael would win?Who exactly was Brandon?Her stomach clenched. She suddenly felt she didn’t know him at all—not even the tiniest bit.But before she could dwell more on that unsettling thought, the shame washed over her like a hot wave. It dripped down her spine, burning.Because she remembered exactly what she had said to him.She had scoffed. Rolled her eyes. Called him a fool—twice. Told him he loved to feel important when he was act
CHAPTER 117
Sophia’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Do I want to win?” she repeated, her voice dripping with incredulity. “Brandon, what are you talking about? What influence do you have here? You always like to act like you’re important, when, in reality, you’re nothing!”Brandon’s lips curved into a subtle, almost unreadable smile. He didn’t appear offended. Instead, he looked at her with the kind of calm confidence that made Sophia’s words feel small, even futile. There was something in the way he held himself, something in the ease of his posture, that unsettled her. “You think I’m joking?” he asked softly, his voice smooth but edged with an unspoken authority. “In that case, maybe I should just tell you the person who is going to emerge as the winner of this conference… since you're not interested in being the winner.”Sophia’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, really? And who is that?” she demanded, her voice laced with disbelief, the kind that could shatter glass if it were physical.Brandon spok
CHAPTER 116
Sophia had been confident—far too confident—when she stepped off the stage after her presentation. Her voice had been firm, her gestures rehearsed, and her slides impeccable. She felt sure she had impressed the judges and the entire room. She walked back to her seat with her chin raised, expecting the applause in the hall to echo her triumph.But that confidence began to crumble piece by piece as the next contestants walked up to the stage.The first contestant who presented after her was a calm, soft-spoken man representing a mid-level company from Norway. He didn’t look like much—no expensive suit, no loud personality. But the moment he began speaking, the entire hall fell silent. He spoke with depth, clarity, and brilliance that pierced the room like light. His innovation was impressive, practical, and supported by strong data. He even answered the judges’ questions with such confidence that the audience murmured in approval.Sophia’s heart thumped uncomfortably.Then came a w
CHAPTER 115
For a few moments, the hall felt suspended in time, as though everyone collectively held their breath, waiting for Brandon to return. The murmurs that had filled the air fell silent, replaced by an almost tangible anticipation. People leaned slightly forward in their seats or shifted their weight nervously, eyes darting toward the entrance again and again. It was as if the entire room had become a single organism, holding its breath, waiting for resolution. Brandon had left under the watch of security, so no one could accuse him of fleeing. They had ensured he could not escape, and the knowledge only added to the tension. Every person in the hall wondered what he would uncover, how he would respond, and whether justice would finally be served. Then, briskly, Brandon returned, accompanied by the conference hall’s security officer—a tall man with a calm demeanor and attentive eyes. He moved with quiet authority, exuding the kind of presence that immediately commanded respect. As soon
CHAPTER 114
The conference hall buzzed with quiet murmurs as news of the theft spread like wildfire. Phones buzzed, keyboards clicked, and a dozen pairs of eyes followed Brandon wherever he moved. The chatter was low, almost conspiratorial, yet it carried an edge of excitement and disbelief. Each whisper, each sideways glance, seemed amplified by the high ceilings and polished marble floors. The air felt heavy, thick with curiosity and suspicion, as if everyone in the hall were silently waiting for a single spark to ignite the chaos. The soft murmur of voices rose and fell like a tide, and even the faint clinking of glasses seemed amplified against the marble floors. A slight breeze from the open doors carried the scent of polished wood and floral arrangements, mingling with the underlying tension. “Brandon,” called out someone in the crowd, their voice sharp with disbelief. “Is it true? Did you take the money Maxwell brought in?” Brandon stopped in his tracks, slowly turning toward the crowd.
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