The Hidden Ace: Empire Of Ash & Gold

12

The party had come to life, with Jacob Hilton on stage, and everyone was looking at him. Smiling, the man took the stage with a smile on his face as he gazed into the crowd.

“I didn’t expect the whole of Sintril to respond to something like this.”

He chuckled, and the crowd gave him an obvious fake response with chuckles that filled the air.

“Now, without wasting your time, I am happy to announce that the founder of the SuperNova industries has something installed for all of us.” He brought out a smile on his face.

“This is going to be one of the best things that has happened to us in years. We will be choosing two companies to work with after tonight, making them partners at our huge chain of industries.”

Everyone was excited to hear that there was a good chance.

Silas stood there looking at the people as they chirped around like birds trying to build their nest, and he was not trying to put himself in the middle of anything yet.

“You don’t seem to be impressed,” A voice rang from behind; he turned to see Noelle standing there with a smile on her face.

“Well, it is still the same game all of them are playing.” He was not sounding happy when he said that; looking around, he could feel their fake laughter and everything. “I don’t know what they think they would get by leaving their real faces at home. Only to impress someone who might not even give a damn if they are alive.”

Noelle smiled, placing the glass of wine in her hand into a tray that was passing by.

“I know you must think that almost all of them are the same, but I want you to remember that there are people who come here for genuine business, not to show up and make some flashy appearance.”

She turned to see a smile on Silas’s face; it was almost like he was amused to hear what she had to say.

“I know that there are millions of them here who came for legitimate business, and they are doing their best to stay out of the way.” He moved his attention to Philip Forger. “But then, the rest came here to buy their way through and make sure that they get a chance at the high table.”

Noelle giggled; she was amused listening to Silas. It was not the kind of thing she would have expected from someone like him, and it was extremely strange.

“I knew you had something different in your eyes the moment I saw you; I was not sure what it was.”

Noelle clung her arm around Silas’s hand; the latter looked down to see her smiling like a child.

“Careful now, Ms. Prince, you are playing a dangerous game.” He smiled.

“Well, Mr. Gray.” Noelle stood on her toes, moving to his ear. “I love to play with danger every now and then. Keeps one rejuvenated,”

Silas smiled at her remark. He turned back to the announcement Jacob was making, trying to pay attention to everything and make sure that there was nothing going to be out of place when the time was near.

From the other side of the party, Lauren could see Silas and Noelle holding hands like two love-struck teenagers, and she couldn't hold back the anger in her heart that almost made her move to them and speak.

“How can he be so shameless?” She muttered it was not something that she would want to make anyone see her doing. Turning back to the party, she saw Keith and her mother talking to a few of the billionaires at the event, trying to see if they would build a relationship there.

She could care less; after all, her company was one of the fastest-growing ones in all of Sintril, and she was not any rookie that needed help with what she was doing.

“All this is nothing compared to what I will achieve when the CEO of SuperNova Industries catches wind of me. I will not be held back by anyone, and I will make sure that no matter who he goes to, I will be the bigger one, and no one will—”

“Lauren dear,”

Hillary came back, a worried look on her face. Lauren turned, noticing the look on her mother’s face; she knew that there was trouble, and from the looks of it.

“What is it, Mother?” She asked; it was clear that whatever it was that could make her mother worry like that was going to be more than capable of making her worry too.

Hillary looked around, and she walked closer. “There is some news,”

“Bad news?” Lauren was more puzzled than before; it still wasn't clear what her mother was trying to say.

“I was walking around with Keith trying to see if we would get info on the CEO of the SuperNova industries, and we learned that he had changed his mind on the companies he would be choosing as partners.”

Lauren’s heart sank; their company name was on the list, and there was no way for anyone to remove it that easily unless they could do something about it.

“But how?” She asked, looking around, trying to make sense out of what happened. “There has to be something we are missing, and this has to be some kind of tough information we didn't realize.’

“I have checked, and there is no way for us to get more information out of all this,” Hilary sounded defeated; she was looking around. “If this is going to continue like this, then we best hope that whatever is going to happen, we will be on the side that can't be pulled down.”

Lauren was nodding her head, looking at the stage; she could see Jacob was about to announce something.

“Please welcome to the stage a good friend of the CEO and one of the strongest pillars of the SuperNova industries!”

Lauren tried to shake the thought that there was something happening.

“Maybe it was a misinterpretation, and there is no way that we—”

“Mr. Silas Gray!” The announcement caught her off guard, in a million years.

She would have never imagined hearing his name like that.