THE UNSEEN HEIR

The Universe Favors The Brave.

Lorenzo leaned back, keeping his voice neutral. "Tell me."

"His name is Barry Sterling. He isn't just a regular wealthy man; he is a notorious local power broker with strong ties to underground operations. His family runs things in the dark—they kill people without any consequences. If he finds out you live here, he will destroy you. You can't fight someone like him."

"I'm not afraid of Barry Sterling," Lorenzo said simply, his calm demeanor unshakeable.

Roxana let out a stressed sigh, assuming he was merely putting up a brave front out of masculine pride. Guilt gnawed at her stomach; she couldn't bear the thought of an innocent, regular student being murdered because he played the hero for her.

"Please don't take this lightly," she pleaded, leaning forward. "I appreciate your bravery, but this is my burden. Let me explain the whole story from beginning to end so you understand what you've gotten yourself into."

Lorenzo nodded, adjusting his posture to listen closely. "Go on. I'm listening."

"My father's tech company failed last month," Roxana said, her fingers tightening around her mug. "The cash flow completely broke, and the business was on the verge of total collapse. My stepmother...she didn't see me as a daughter. She saw me as an asset to trade. She sold my marriage to Barry Sterling in exchange for a massive contract opportunity that would provide a turnaround for our family company."

She paused, a sharp, fiercely brilliant spark igniting in her eyes that made Lorenzo's heart skip a beat.

This wasn't a broken victim; this was a woman with a strategic mind.

"But I don't need Barry's dirty money to save my father's legacy," Roxana continued, her voice hardening with resolve.

"I found a better way. The Vanguard Apex Corporation—the most renowned global enterprise in the city—is currently looking for new domestic partner companies. If I can secure just one of those contracts tomorrow night, our financial crisis is completely resolved. With Vanguard Apex as our official corporate backer, Barry Sterling wouldn't dare touch me or my family openly, and our business will survive without his blood money."

Before Lorenzo could respond, the sharp, intrusive ring of a cell phone shattered the quiet room. Roxana looked down at the screen. Her face hardened as she pressed the speakerphone.

"Roxana! You ungrateful, miserable little brat!" her stepmother’s voice shrieked through the speaker, dripping with venom. "Where are you?! You need to drag your pathetic self back home immediately and apologize to Lord Barry on your hands and knees! He is furious, and if we lose this connection, our company is ruined!"

Roxana didn't flinch.

She held the phone closer, her voice ringing out with a calm dignity that filled Lorenzo with profound pride. "I am not coming back, and I will never apologize to a monster. I told you before, mother—I will secure the Vanguard Apex contract myself. I don't need to sell my body to save our name."

"You have exactly two days, you arrogant fool!" the stepmother barked back. "If that proposal fails and you don't bring back a signed contract from Vanguard, I will personally track you down, drag you back by your hair, and throw you straight into Lord Barry's bed again! Let's see who saves you then!"

The line went dead.

Roxana slowly lowered the phone, her shoulders trembling slightly despite the incredibly brave front she had just put on.

Lorenzo felt a deep, overwhelming wave of empathy for her. He reached out, gently placing his hand over hers. "Are you going to be okay?"

Roxana took a deep breath, forcing a small, grateful smile. "I have to be. I don't have a choice. I need to leave right now and go back to my temporary workspace. I have to spend the rest of the night refining my proposal. Tomorrow evening, Vanguard Apex is hosting a massive, exclusive gala to publicly announce their future partners. I’m going to infiltrate that banquet, find their senior management, show them my project, and compete for that contract with everything I have."

Lorenzo looked at her determined, beautiful face, a slow smile playing on his lips.

He knew something she didn't: she wouldn't have to look very hard to find the true master of Vanguard Apex.

"Then go prepare," Lorenzo said softly, his voice full of an unshakeable encouragement. "And don't worry about tomorrow night. You might find that the universe favors the brave."