2026-03-25 18:19:30Fiona’s smile froze on her face immediately the old man said those words.
Just seconds ago, she had still been standing proudly in the center of the banquet hall, basking in admiration and envy.
She had spent time showing off the contract like a trophy, mentioning it in every conversation, exaggerating the details, making sure everyone understood just how important she had become.
Some of her friends in the social circle had even been offended by her arrogance, but she had not cared. Why would she? This contract was her stepping stone into a higher social circle. It was her proof that leaving Cassian and some other trash had been the best decision of her life.
But now… now the expressions around her have changed.
The polite smiles were gone and the whispers had returned.
Her heartbeat quickened.
“What… what is happening?” Fiona asked, her voice trembling despite her attempt to sound composed. “How could this happen?”
Her fingers tightened around her clutch bag as panic slowly crept into her chest. Losing this contract was not just about money. It was about reputation and about face. She had bragged to too many people. She had mocked too many rivals. If this deal collapsed tonight, she would become the laughingstock of the entire social circle.
No.
That could not happen.
It must not happen.
Her mind raced wildly as she tried to find an explanation.
“Did I do something wrong?” she blurted out suddenly. “Is someone upset with me? Or… or is it because of him?”
Her sharp gaze darted toward Cassian for a brief second, filled with resentment.
“Is this because my useless ex-husband caused a scene and disrupted the banquet?” she continued quickly. “If that’s the case, I can deal with it. I can have him arrested. I can even have him crippled if necessary. Just tell me what needs to be done.”
Her words came out rushed and desperate.
For the first time that night, she was no longer the elegant woman who had strutted in confidently. She looked like someone trying to plug a sinking ship with bare hands.
Cassian simply chuckled.
It was a soft and almost amused sound that only made Fiona’s nerves tighten further but she did not have time to deal with him.
Not now.
Her future was on the line.
“I don’t have time for your nonsense,” she snapped coldly. “I will fix this first. After that… I will personally show you what hell looks like.”
Her threat sounded hollow even to her own ears.
Before Cassian could respond, the old man who had been observing everything from the side finally scoffed.
The sound was loud enough to cut through the tension.
“You’re wasting your breath,” he said dismissively. “If you want answers, go and meet the person who supposedly helped you secure this contract.”
His gaze shifted meaningfully toward one side of the hall.
“The Hartley family.”
Fiona blinked, confusion spread across her face and slowly, she turned her head and looked at Leon.
He had been standing there the whole time, dressed impeccably, still maintaining the posture of a young master. Just minutes ago, he had been proudly basking in the reflected glory of Fiona’s deal, enjoying the admiration it brought him.
But now… the moment Fiona’s eyes met his, Leon immediately looked away.
He avoided her gaze completely and her jaw tightened.
Her nails dug into her palm.
Why was he turning away?
What was he hiding?
The unease in her heart deepened, turning into a cold knot of dread.
The old man seemed completely tired of the pointless noise filling the hall.
He lifted his hand slightly and the murmurs slowly died down. His expression was calm, but there was a faint impatience in his eyes as if he had already wasted more time than he intended to.
Then he turned toward Cassian and to everyone’s shock… he bowed his head slightly.
“I apologize,” the old man said in a steady voice. “You have faced injustice while in our building. This is our failure. As compensation, you may ask for anything. Whatever you request… we will grant it.”
Pure silence engulfed the room and the entire banquet hall froze.
Some people even thought they had heard wrongly.
Did the chairman… just apologize to a divorced househusband?
A man who had been mocked all evening?
Shock spread like wildfire and eyes widened. Mouths opened slightly. Whispering started again, louder than before.
Cassian almost laughed.
Inwardly, he praised the old man’s acting skills. The performance was flawless. If he had not known the truth himself, even he might have believed this was a genuine apology.
He kept his expression relaxed and slightly indifferent as if such treatment was normal for him.
“That’s fine,” Cassian said calmly. “Since you insist… I do have a request.”
Everyone leaned forward unconsciously, their curiosity burned wondering what insane amount the househusband will ask for.
“I want the cooperation contract,” Cassian continued, pointing casually beside him, “for my new wife… Zora.”
Boom.
The hall exploded.
“What?!”
“Is he insane?”
“Has he lost his mind?! That's worth billions!”
Voices overlapped in disbelief and some guests even laughed outright.
“He really thinks he can ask for something like that?”
“That contract was already too valuable even for Fiona’s company and now he wants it handed to his woman?”
“This is shameless!”
A middle-aged businessman shook his head in annoyance. “Young man, know your place. Compensation has limits.”
Another woman scoffed loudly. “People who don’t understand business should not speak in business halls.”
The disapproval became louder and even those who had remained neutral earlier now openly showed their disdain.
Fiona herself could not hold back so she let out a cold laugh filled with mockery.
“A company as excellent as mine just had its cooperation cancelled,” she said sharply. “So what makes you think they would give such an opportunity to the trash woman you picked up somewhere and cling to?”
Her gaze slid toward Zora with pure contempt.
“Does she even understand what a contract like that means?”
Leon remained silent but his stiff posture revealed his unease.
More people began speaking at once.
“This is going too far.”
“He is abusing the chairman’s kindness.”
“He should be thrown out.”
Someone even muttered, “This is exactly why useless men should not be allowed into high-level banquets.”
The pressure in the hall became suffocating.
All eyes turned toward the old man, waiting for him to reject the ridiculous request and restore order.
But instead… the old man nodded.
“Very well,” he said simply. “Your wish will be granted. The cooperation contract will be transferred as he desires.”
For a moment, no one reacted, it was as if their brains needed time to process what they had just heard.
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Chapter 91
Chapter 91: Five Million for JunkThe first thing on stage was a painting.It was brought out by two attendants wearing white gloves, carried with the kind of solemn care that immediately made several guests sit a little straighter. The frame was old, carved in dark wood with faint gold lining along its edges, while the painting itself showed a misty mountain landscape with a lone pavilion half-hidden beneath pale clouds. St first glance, it had the quiet charm of an antique piece, the brushwork delicate, the colors aged enough to look valuable, and the entire thing carried that vague old-world feeling collectors often liked to romanticize. The auctioneer began introducing it with a polished voice, speaking of its supposed origin, the artist’s rumored connection to a forgotten scholar, and the careful preservation done over the years, yet Cassian only glanced at it once before his interest faded.Jackson, however, sat forward.His eyes brightened as he looked at the painting, and f
Chapter 90
Chapter 90: Between Two WomenSensing the subtle tension building between the two women, and unwilling to let it stretch any further, Cassian smoothly cut in.He had been quiet long enough to let both of them test the air around each other, but not long enough for the silence to become a blade. Zora’s smile was still polite, yet Cassian could feel the suspicion tucked beneath it, sharp and controlled, while Miranda’s composure was too deliberate to be natural. Both women were intelligent and used to reading people, and neither of them liked being placed in a situation where the truth sat close enough to touch but not openly enough to confront. If he allowed them to keep staring at each other like that, the auction might start before either of them stepped into the hall, and somehow, he would still be the one blamed for it.Cassian lifted his hand slightly and gestured toward the main hall. “The auction should be starting soon. We might as well find our seats.”His voice was calm and
Chapter 89
Chapter 89: RecognitionAs the commotion settled and the small crowd began drifting back toward the main hall, a new figure approached, drawing more than a few curious glances.The attention around Jackson and Damian had not disappeared completely, but it had loosened enough for the entrance of the auction house to regain its polished calm. Guests resumed their slow movement toward the hall, attendants guided people with professional smiles, and conversations returned in low voices, though a few eyes still lingered on the Harthwone brothers, Zora, and Cassian. In places like this, people rarely stared openly. They only looked through reflections, through half-turned faces, through the pauses between polite greetings. Everyone pretended not to notice trouble, but everyone remembered it.Then Miranda Ravencroft walked into that thin layer of attention.She wore a fitted outfit that balanced elegance with authority, the sort of style that did not beg to be admired but still made people
Chapter 88
Chapter 88: A Warning in PublicBefore Jackson could answer, another voice called out from behind him, tense and urgent.“Jackson.”The voice was not loud, but it carried enough weight to cut through the small noise gathering around them. Jackson’s smirk paused before it could fully settle on his face, and the few people flanking him also turned slightly, their expressions shifting with the kind of cautious respect people showed when someone more important had arrived. Damian stepped forward quickly from behind him, his pace controlled but a little too fast to be called casual, and though his face was carefully blank, the sharpness in his eyes made it clear he had not come over to join the provocation.“Stop causing trouble,” Damian said.Jackson’s expression changed immediately. “Brother?”Damian did not look at Cassian for too long. He allowed his gaze to pass over him once, briefly and calmly, as if Cassian was nothing more than another guest standing beside Zora at the auction h
Chapter 87
Chapter 87: His Brother Is BackThe following day, they arrived at the auction house together.The building stood tall at the center of a quieter business district, its glass front reflecting the pale morning light while polished black cars rolled up one after another before the entrance. It was not the kind of place that needed loud banners or exaggerated decorations to prove its value. Everything about it spoke in a lower voice, from the clean stone steps to the discreet security at the doors, from the attendants in matching uniforms to the guests who stepped out of their cars with the calm certainty of people used to entering places ordinary men only heard about afterward. The wealth here was restrained, but it was everywhere. In the watches hidden beneath sleeves, in the soft shine of tailored suits, in the brief nods exchanged between men whose businesses crossed in public and clashed in private, in the way even laughter was kept at a polite volume.Zora walked a step ahead, el
Chapter 86
Chapter 86: The Auction TomorrowBack at the estate, Zora was waiting by the door when Cassian strolled in.She stood beneath the soft light of the entrance hall with her arms crossed, one eyebrow raised, and the kind of stillness that made it clear she had been standing there for more than a minute. Ahe was not panicking, not exactly, but her expression carried that familiar edge between curiosity and suspicion, the one she always wore whenever Cassian disappeared for longer than expected and returned looking as if nothing in the world had happened. The estate behind her was quiet, servants already moving carefully through the deeper parts of the house, but the front hall felt strangely focused around her, as if the entire place had been waiting for Cassian to step through the door.Cassian paused for half a breath when he saw her, then continued walking in like this was completely normal.Zora’s eyes followed him. “Where have you been?”Her voice was calm, but not soft. It had tha
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