2025-01-22 18:00:04Haylee's eyes widened when she heard that Annabel was a senior director at the Prime Royale Bank. She quickly tried to compose herself, but her cheeks were flushed, and her palms were beginning to get sweaty.
Being ignored by Rachael made her even more jealous because the woman was so comfortable speaking with Annabel. She stared at Roman with narrowed eyes, waiting for him to look at her so she could give him a signal that they needed to talk.
Roman didn’t look at her though. His attention was focused on his conversation with Rachael after Annabel introduced him to her. Haylee’s grip on her wine glass tightened, but she had to force her grip to relax in order not to ruin her manicure.
She was having a weird achy feeling in her heart, and her chest seemed tighter, making it a bit hard to breathe. She couldn’t believe that she just divorced Roman, and he already found another woman better than her.
They moved into the main hall, and people immediately moved towards Hamilton and Haylee. Hamilton smiled widely at the attention. Everyone that tried to speak with him was being so nice, praising him on previous projects and smiling to try and gain his favour.
Some of them even tried to talk about their companies, hoping he would want to invest, but he just smirked arrogantly, using the opportunity to gloat, hoping that Roman was watching everything.
“Mr Hamilton, you have such good taste. So she finally divorced her good for nothing ex. I’ve been waiting for the day that happened.” One of the guests said, and even made a nasty look in Roman’s direction.
Everyone knew he used to be married to Haylee, and they were all wondering why he was there, dressed in designer brands.
“I’ve always known that I’ll end up with Haylee. Her past was just a phase, or should I say, an experiment. But even after divorcing him, he still followed her here, trying to win her back.” Hamilton told the crowd, and most of them turned to face Roman.
“How pathetic.”
“Don’t you have any shame?”
“He probably stole that suit he’s wearing.”
“Why are you stalking Haylee?”
“She’s way above your league.”
Roman heard the whispers and accusations, but he didn’t say a word. He just stood calmly beside Annabel and Rachael.
Rachael didn’t really understand what was going on, because she was usually too focused on her duties to keep up to date with all the gossip. But she trusted Annabel, and knew that Annabel wouldn’t bring a delinquent with her. So she had trust in Roman too, and remained with them.
“He’s here with me, so I suggest you all mind your business.” Annabel spoke up, and instead of stopping, more rumours began to spread.
“He must have seduced her.”
“He must be a con man, going after vulnerable rich women. First Haylee, now Annabel.”
“He must have used her to get an invite to this event.”
Annabel was about to give a harsh response, but Roman held her hand and calmed her down. He just whispered in her ears that fighting or arguing with them was just a waste of energy.
When they saw that Roman and Annabel were not reacting to their taunting words, they changed the topic of conversation.
“Have you heard what the most expensive item among the auction list is?”
“It’s definitely the engraved antique ring. It has this vintage, rustic vibe. And I heard it belongs to the president of the city’s largest business association. Imagine how much it will cost.”
“That’s true. The starting price is at twenty million dollars, and by the time bidding starts, it might get sold for up to eighty million, or more, depending on who wants it badly enough.”
“The ring is definitely going to be mine. I have a great interest in it.” Hamilton said with a broad smile.
He saw this as his opportunity to assert his dominance, and flaunt his wealth, because he knew only a few people would be interested in bidding too high for a ring. But he was hoping it would make him get a connection to the ring’s owner.
It was rumoured to belong to the richest family in the country. If he could become their business partner through purchasing the ring, then whatever money he spent would be returned tenfold through business profits.
Annabel scoffed and other guests, including Hamilton turned to face her.
“What? You don’t think I can afford it? I am a very rich man.” Hamilton replied arrogantly to try and impress her.
“Roman can afford to buy the auction house itself if he wanted.” She said with a smirk.
“I’m not interested in buying the whole auction house. I only want the ring, and I’ll get it.” Roman said as he casually put his hands in his pocket.
The guests began to laugh. Even Haylee chuckled, because she didn’t believe her ex-husband could possibly have that kind of money.
“Where would he get that kind of money? Unless you want to empty your whole accounts on his behalf?I believe you’re smarter than that. You deserve a man that will match your status and power.” Hamilton said to Annabel.
“He must be great in bed. That’s the only reason I can think of that would make a woman as intelligent as you to defend him, when he’s clearly a pauper.” Another guest whispered to his partner.
He didn’t want Annabel to hear his words, so he wouldn’t be blacklisted from the bank.
“Yeah. I’m sure she’s even the one who paid for everything he’s wearing. He’s just using her.” The man’s partner whispered back.
“I wonder what tricks you use to get rich women into your bed. It worked with Haylee, before she finally came to her senses and divorced you. Now you’re already playing another woman? You must really be desperate for money.” Hamilton spoke like he was concerned about Annabel, but it was just a sarcastic way to belittle Roman.
Roman just took Annabel’s hand and moved with her to a different part of the hall, while the others kept gossipping.
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THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE The Auction
Hamilton glared at Roman as he walked away. Did he think this was a joke? How dare he say he would bid for the ring? “Don’t listen to him, Hamilton. He’s just bluffing. He has no money to bid with. He’ll just embarrass himself.” One of his female admirers said to him.He smiled at her, realising she was right. There was no need to worry. They mingled for a little while before it was time to begin the auction.The first item on the list was a vase that was crafted by an artist who was late. It was among his final works before he passed away, and that made it valuable. About ten people bid on it before it was finally sold for eight hundred thousand dollars.Next was a pearl earring set that belonged to a matriarch of a foreign country, and had been recently acquired after being displayed in a museum for two years. Hamilton immediately saw a chance to flaunt his wealth, and bid for the earring.“The starting bid for the earrings is three hundred thousand dollars.” The auctioneer announ
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Highest Bid
Hamilton was pissed off because Roman dared to bid for the ring.“You’re being so confident because you have Miss Annabel seated beside you. Trying to take advantage of her will not work at this auction. You seem to be unaware of the rules, and that could get you in trouble.” He said to Roman.“Don’t act like you’re concerned for my well being.” Roman scoffed at Hamilton.“And he’s well aware of the rule that no one can pay on behalf of another person once they bid on an item. The person who pays must be the same person who bids. I gave him the list of rules before we came.” Annabel said with a smirk as she looked in Hamilton’s direction.“And does he know what will happen to him when he fails to pay for the item with such a high bid?” Hamilton asked.He didn’t get a response to his question because the auctioneer began to speak again.“Two hundred million, going once. Going twice,”“Two hundred and ten million.” Hamilton said as he raised his bidding pad.He immediately put his hand
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Blacklisted
This time, the reaction to Roman’s high bid was not silence. The whole room erupted in an uproar of voices, all trying to speak at the same time. Everyone wanted to find out what gave Roman the audacity to announce such a high bid. Hamilton sat back and gave up.“Five hundred million, going once. Going twice!” The auctioneer paused for a few seconds, then said, “Sold to Mr Roman. Congratulations, the ring is yours.”Suddenly, Hamilton smirked. He realised that he hadn’t lost. Roman fell for his trick. He almost let his pride make him forget his initial reason for raising the bid. He wanted to trap Roman into bidding more than he could handle, so Roman could get in trouble with the owner of the auction house. This was a win-win situation for him. He just had to stand back, and watch Roman face the consequences.“I can’t believe he made such a high bid.” Haylee said to herself with a frustrated sigh.But Hamilton heard her because they were seated so close together. He responded to her
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Young Master
Hamilton’s face turned ghastly pale as all the blood drained from his face. If his family was kicked out of the business association, it would be a big blow to their finances. And everyone would blame him for it.“Sir, forgive my offence. Whatever I did to offend you, please have mercy, sir.” Hamilton immediately dropped to his knees to beg.“You don’t even have an idea what you’re apologising for.” Kade said with a disgusted expression on his face as he stared down at Hamilton like he was an insignificant bug.“I must have spoken out of turn. Or maybe it’s something else. Whatever I did, sir, please forgive me. Spare my family. Please.”Kade just scoffed, and turned away to give the guards new orders.“Take him out of here. If he resists, then drag him out. I don’t care, as long as you get him out of my sight.”Hamilton moved forward on his knees and tried to grab Kade’s legs, but he was forcefully dragged away by the guards, while still screaming for mercy.They dumped him in the al
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Roman was a bit sceptical as he heard Kade call him young master. He had no idea what was going on, just like when that blonde woman came to give him the black card and the ring. He didn’t even know the blonde woman’s name because he had never bothered to ask, mainly due to the fact that he didn’t believe her back then. Now that her words have been proven to be true, he had no way of contacting her. Was this situation similar to that?Annabel on the other hand was shocked. She stared at Kade with wide eyes as she wondered why a man as powerful as him would be calling Kade young master, and even bowing. That was a deep sign of respect, and Kade wasn’t the kind of man to do something like that without a good reason. It seemed that Roman was more powerful than even she had estimated. “You seem shocked to hear me call you young master.” Kade said as he came closer.“Yes. Everyone seems to be afraid or intimidated by you. It’s normal for me to be a bit perplexed by your reaction and words
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE One Herb
“What makes you sure that my memories weren’t lost in an accident? That’s the most logical explanation for it.” Roman said to Kade. “Can what we just witnessed happen to the ring be explained logically?” Kade asked instead of responding to Roman’s question.Roman shook his head in response. “No it can’t. But there’s still no proof that my memory loss was caused by anything unnatural or magic related.”“The fact that you still can’t remember anything after this long is enough proof. Also, if your memory loss was caused by an accident, it would have been rectified as soon as you put on the merged ring. I’m sure you already feel physically stronger. Mentally, you’re also stronger, even though mental power cannot be as easily evaluated as physical power.”“You’re right. I do feel stronger physically. But that could just be adrenaline still coursing through my veins.”“We both know it’s not adrenaline. But my point is, if your memory loss had been caused by just an accident, by increasing
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE To The VIP Ward
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THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE His Diagnosis
“I have no need for tricks. I’m not a magician, nor am I a con man. I’m here to help.” Roman responded to Marren, who just scoffed in disbelief.Roman took a deep breath and accessed the ring’s medical knowledge, while staring at Marren with eyes tinged with the ring’s power. The diagnosis immediately filled his head, along with a few details he had noticed on his own. Marren was about to make another derogatory statement, but Roman interrupted him before he could say a word.“You’re sick, but you haven’t told anyone yet.”Marren paused as he heard this, but he refused to back down easily.“That is a very vague way of confirmation. I’ve coughed once or twice since you came into the room. Even an idiot can guess I’m not in the best of health.”“Your cough isn’t the problem, it’s just a symptom of the actual cause of your sickness. Your lungs have been weakened by years of chain smoking, and it’s beginning to affect your respiration rate. You can’t breathe in too deeply or it causes you
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Annabel was busy scrolling through the internet when she saw it.She was sitting at the kitchen counter at home, with her laptop open while a half a bagel was growing cold on her plate. Her coffee was already lukewarm. It was a quiet morning and she had called in sick at work, just to be able to spend the whole day at home. So, that morning, it was just her, and the comfort of an unhurried breakfast.She was scrolling mindlessly and clicking through headlines on a news app out of boredom more than interest. There were politics, a celebrity divorce, and even a new city ordinance on traffic lights. Then—“Roman Averne Faces Lawsuit Over Breach of Contract”She blinked.Her finger hovered for a second before tapping the article. And when she did, the headline expanded and a photo loaded. Roman was walking out of a courthouse with Martin beside him. There was no expression on his face.The article was short. "Valey Group Incorporated filed a civil lawsuit against Mr Roman Averne citing
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The conference room on the forty-second floor of the Valey tower was cold. There were no windows and no distractions. Pope sat perfectly still at the head of the table with his hands folded beneath his chin as he read through the printed schedule for tomorrow’s court hearing. Even though it was night already, his suit remained neatly pressed and unwrinkled, as if it had been made exactly for this moment. Dexter leaned back in his chair across him, while chewing on a toothpick and spinning a silver pen between his fingers. Prance sat beside him, scrolling on a tablet, and occasionally tapping out notes.At the far end of the table, Ezra Winfield was flipping through a tabbed binder, page by page. He was skimming but not rushing. Every tab was color-coded. Every section was marked. And his glasses rested low on his nose.“So,” Ezra said without looking up, “we’re first on the docket. Judge Hauser. 9:00 a.m sharp.”“Hauser’s a stickler,” Pope said. “I assume you’ve played this clean?”
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Roman did not sleep throughout that night. He had spent most of it sitting at the edge of his bed, watching the digital clock tick from hour to hour. At some point, he stood up to pour himself a drink he didn't even touch, then he laid down again for twenty minutes just to stare at the ceiling. There was no point in pretending anymore, rest was out of reach for him now. By six-thirty, he was already in the shower, letting the hot water drum across his back as though it could wash off the previous day. But it didn’t. No amount of water could scrub the words “you’ve been served” from his memory.And to be honest, Roman was not really ready for another legal war. It was a tiring exercise. And he was mad at himself for seeing the signs of the fraudulent activities of the Valeys, and choosing to look away. Was it really worth it?He shaved carefully, put on a navy-blue suit, and selected a black tie with a minimal pattern. It was his normal routine, but something about the way he knot
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Roman was flipping through the updated contracts that Pope had brought in some days ago for the third time that morning, but his mind was playing catch-up. The documents were clean, and even though he had signed them, something in his instincts still bothered him.If only he listened to it. But he was soon about to see why he should have listened. His phone rang on the desk. He picked it up and looked at it. It was his legal rep for this partnership between him and the Valeys.Roman had asked him to check on his own copy of the contracts and see if anything was wrong anywhere. He answered. “Talk to me.”The man's voice was careful. His name was Martin. “Mr Averne… I have just finished reviewing the contract draft again — the final version you signed, that is — and yes, there is something that doesn’t add up.”Roman sat forward. “What is it?”“You remember the clause on capital and board control? Page seven, paragraph four. Well, the version you signed had a line that capped external
Get Close
Freya stared at her phone for what felt like the tenth time that morning.There was still no response from her sister. Only two messages that got no response. Freya angrily threw her phone on her bed, then immediately picked it back up and typed another message: "Can we talk? Please." Then she deleted it."She hates me," Freya said to no one, then she got ready and left for work. And as she had been doing lately, Annabel was in Roman's apartment. She was wrapped around a throw blanket on Roman’s couch, as the scent of roasted garlic drifted from the kitchen. Kade was flipping channels with a look of intense concentration, like someone disarming a bomb."Can we not just watch something normal?" Kade asked. "Just once?""Define normal. If your abnormal show is that show with the rich humans screaming about family secrets, I already know it ends in betrayal and brunch."Annabel chuckled distantly. They ate and moved to the room."You’re quiet," he said gently. She turned toward him. "
