2025-10-04 22:59:01It was obvious that she had forgotten about the wedding anniversary and she didn’t care about it even after he had mentioned it to her.
Andrew was not expecting that she would pick up the phone with excitement in her voice but for some reason a part of him still hoped that she would bring it up.
He informed Gina, his daughter’s nanny, about their plan for the day and returned to his room to prepare for the breakfast date.
In no time Andrew was done dressing up, he made his way to his daughter’s room when he heard her conversation with Gina.
“Young miss, you look gloomy, is something on your mind?” Gina asked with concern in her voice.
“Is this dress not to your liking? This is one of the gowns you picked out to be your favorite when we went shopping.”
“It is not my dress. I was looking forward to going to the amusement park with mommy and her friend today but dad suddenly came back and ruined our plans.”
“Mommy’s friend promised to get me a lot of goodies and more shoes. That will not be happening anymore because daddy came. Daddy never buys me the good stuff like mommy’s friend does,” she said.
“You should not say that, Anna. It would make your dad feel bad.”
“Sometimes I really wish mommy’s friend was my real dad, I would have loved him ten times more than I do now. He is the kind of dad anyone would wish for,”
Gina, who was a little confused about the appropriate answer she could give to Anna, looked up and noticed Andrew’s presence.
Without saying a word, Andrew returned to his room. He stared at the pink and purple gift bags on his bed; they contained gifts for his daughter and his wife.
He was going to give them to her after breakfast but it really seemed like his precious daughter didn’t want him there in the first place.
It hurt his pride but there was nothing he could do about it.
The man his daughter kept mentioning was probably the man that filled his void when he was away on his mission on the County Island.
This was the right time to change things; he decided to do whatever it took to earn his wife and his daughter’s love again.
He grabbed the bags and went back to his daughter's room. This time she was fully dressed and ready to go.
“Hello, Anna, you look so pretty in your dress.” Andrew flashed a smile at her. “I am so lucky to be your father.”
The little girl did not return her father’s smile; she remained where she was, staring at him with an icy gaze. “Dad, are we going to take a cab to go meet mom?”
She was aware that two cars in the garage strictly belonged to her mother and she never let anyone touch them except for her and her personal chauffeur.
No one else was allowed to use them without her permission.
“You are so smart, Anna. You are curious about how we are going to get to the restaurant where you are meeting your mommy.” He moved closer to her and patted her hair. “We are going to be taking a deluxe cab.”
She immediately shrugged his hand off as if he told her that he intended to harm her.
“What’s wrong, Anna?” he asked.
He had taken Gina’s suggestion to order a deluxe ride which was ten times more expensive than the regular taxi to convey them to the restaurant as Anna took after her mother’s extravagant taste.
For normal people even the regular taxi was an expensive option; Andrew did not consider all of that as his main goal was to satisfy his daughter’s taste.
“Everything with you is always unfit for me, dad. All of my friends’ dads have big cars, even Jane’s dad recently got a sports car. But you do not have a car.”
“Mom’s friend even comes here riding different kinds of cars and he takes me out in them. I do not want to ride in a cab.” Anna yelled at her father.
Andrew found this behavior rude but he didn't blame Anna.
It was his fault that he didn't have a car like she wanted.
But he had felt like it was a waste to get a car since it would rot because he was usually on his mission for a long time.
Even if he did get a car, he wasn't rich enough to get something that was befitting of his wife’s taste so it would simply remain unused.
Though his heart was heavy because he could not understand why Anna was acting this way towards him.
He told himself to tolerate this behaviour, after all she was his daughter and it was normal for kids to get rebellious at a particular age.
He bent to her height and spoke calmly to her. “My little princess, I am sorry for this inconvenience I have caused you,”
“I promise to find a solution to this but for tonight, kindly bear with me and let's ride in the deluxe taxi that is here for us.”
She didn’t budge.
Andrew looked at his wristwatch: they were running late.
Bella would be so mad if he arrived late.
He took a deep breath and decided to make another attempt at convincing his daughter.
“Anna, your mom is waiting for us at the restaurant. We don't want to keep mommy waiting, do we?”
Little Anna quickly thought to herself that this was an opportunity to ask her mom to take her to her friend who she wished was her dad instead of Andrew.
She flashed a smile at him, “Okay, Dad, let’s go.”
Andrew’s heavy heart melted at once as soon as he saw his daughter’s smile. He kissed her forehead. “You are a good girl, baby. Let’s go join your mom.”
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Chapter 160
The social atmosphere fractured cleanly down the middle.Half the room investors who had studied Andrew’s past dismantling and rebuilding believed he was too methodical to fall to something as inelegant as rumor. They saw structure where others saw speed. They trusted pattern recognition.The other half watched the accelerated audit and drew a different conclusion. No one reconstructs that quickly without pressure points. Capital always leaves fingerprints. They didn’t accuse him. They simply waited.That waiting created distance.Chad understood distance.He hosted a private dinner three nights later. Not extravagant. Not performative. A curated guest list five key stakeholders, two silent capital allocators, one legacy advisor who still influenced three boards. The tone was restrained. Warm lighting. Neutral wine. Conversation anchored around long-term stability.He did not mention Andrew directly.Instead, he floated a single idea: “In volatile climates, resilience matters mo
Chapter 158
Investors delay formalizing the urban redevelopment partnership. What had once felt inevitable now becomes conditional. Emails arrive with softened language: pending review, awaiting clarity, monitoring developments. The signatures that were expected within days are postponed without confrontation, without accusation just hesitation.The hesitation is enough.Chad regains social ground almost effortlessly. He does not push. He does not celebrate. He simply occupies space more confidently. At dinners and small gatherings, conversations gravitate toward him again. Stability feels attractive when uncertainty lingers nearby.For the first time, Andrew is not the automatic center of gravity in the room.It isn’t that he is dismissed. It’s that he is measured.Becca notices the difference in tone when investors greet Andrew now. There is still respect but layered with verification. Questions are framed carefully. Compliments are followed by pauses. The air around him no longer hums with
Chapter 158
Chad is energized. For the first time in months, Andrew’s movements feel reactive rather than predictive. The delay of the redevelopment announcement lingers in the air like a quiet concession. Investors who once leaned toward Andrew now lean back, cautious, measured. Meetings that were once fluid are postponed “pending review.” Liquidity conversations, once open and confident, become quiet and procedural.The shift is subtle but undeniable.Becca feels it immediately. The room has changed temperature. Andrew’s aura of untouchable control now carries a shadow. She watches how people phrase their questions differently less admiration, more verification. The balance has not collapsed, but it has tilted.Chad thrives in that tilt.He does not gloat publicly. He remains composed, sympathetic even. He speaks of patience, of prudence, of responsible pacing. But inside, adrenaline hums steadily. The audit even unproven, even procedural has disrupted Andrew’s rhythm. And disruption is o
Chapter 157
Andrew remained on the balcony longer than necessary. The night air was cool, almost cleansing, but he wasn’t there for comfort. He was there because distance sharpened perspective. The city lights below shimmered in indifferent patterns, but inside the penthouse, something far less beautiful was unfolding.Behind the glass doors, the rumor metastasized.It began as a quiet question between two investors near the bar. Then it became a cautious observation in the lounge area. A regulatory audit had been triggered regarding one of Andrew’s recovered assets. No one claimed certainty. No one cited a source. But the phrasing carried weight: triggered. Not scheduled. Not routine. Triggered.Strategic uncertainty settled into the room like perfume subtle, invasive, impossible to ignore.Investors began sending discreet messages to Andrew’s team. Not accusatory. Not confrontational. Just be careful. A request for confirmation on liquidity schedules. A polite inquiry about reporting structures
Chapter 156
Chad realized subtlety was failing him. Weeks of measured charm, quiet influence, and carefully staged appearances had not shaken Andrew. Each attempt to provoke or expose him had been anticipated, deflected, or reframed. Andrew thrived in calm environments, absorbing pressure like a man who had never learned panic. Chad’s patience once his advantage had become a liability.He decided to attack the one thing Andrew protected most: the rumor of reclaimed wealth. Not Andrew’s skill, not his intellect, but the story that formed the backbone of his aura. If he could seed doubt about the magnitude of Andrew’s fortune, about whether his resources were as real as whispers claimed, Chad might finally destabilize him socially and strategically.Weeks later, at a high-society after-party hosted in a private penthouse overlooking the city, Chad set the stage. The room shimmered with crystal and gold, the hum of champagne flutes and discreet laughter forming a warm backdrop. Beecroft investor
Chapter 155
Andrew read it.For the first time all evening, his composure shifted subtle at first, a micro-twitch at the corner of his eye, a barely perceptible pause in his hand movement. But it was enough. Enough to alter the rhythm of his presence, the otherwise flawless cadence he maintained like armor.Across the room, Chad noticed it instantly. His sharp instincts, honed over years of high-stakes maneuvering, caught the fraction of a shift, the tiniest hint that something had landed and landed strategically.Becca noticed too. Her eyes widened imperceptibly, pupils dilating with recognition. Something had arrived. Something Andrew had not fully anticipated. A flicker of vulnerability, the slightest crack in the perfect exterior.Andrew excused himself briefly, leaving Olivia mid-conversation with a small group of investors. He moved with purpose, stride measured, as though walking into an unseen chamber where calculations could be reconfigured.Minutes passed. The room continued its pol
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