Zale extended a hand toward Asper, a friendly, yet mocking smirk on his face. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Asper. Maya has mentioned you before." His tone was polite, but a subtle undercurrent of mockery lingered.Asper reciprocated the handshake, his smile unwavering. He was playing along. "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Zale. Maya and I were just discussing the possibility of hanging out sometime." He maintained eye contact, seemingly unfazed by the situation. This young man was truly shameless. Even in the presence of Zale, he was still talking about hanging out with Maya. Such shamelessness was unforgivable!Maya interjected with a quick glance at Zale, her eyes silently pleading for understanding. "Actually, Darling, Mr. Asper was just being friendly. We didn't finalize any plans."Zale's gaze remained fixed on Asper for a moment longer before he nodded, a calculating look in his eyes. The smile on his face hadn't faded one bit. "Of course, Maya. I understand. And I'm sure Mr. Asper unders

…Back in the ballroom…Leia was frustrated. An hour had passed since Zale left, yet he hadn't returned.“Maybe he left?” She muttered to herself, frustration evident on her face.Tonight had been awfully frustrating. She thought after handling Senator Nicholas' son it would all be over, but that didn't seem to be the case.Zale left without saying a word to her and approximately an hour had passed, yet he still hadn't returned.‘I haven't been in a relationship before, but c’mon let's be real; talking to your girlfriend shouldn't take this long.’With each passing minute, her frustration grew.To make matters worse, Ace was nowhere to be found either. It was as if he and Zale had deliberately disappeared and abandoned her.If she hadn't witnessed Zale run after Maya with her very own eyes, she would have thought they intentionally abandoned her there, but that wasn't the case.‘I will wait for one more hour and that's it. I’m heading home alone.’ Leia made up her mind.Her butt should

The head guard's suspicion lingered, but Zale's mischievous grin betrayed nothing."Curiosity killed the cat, young master. Just remember not to dig too deep; some things are better left buried," the head guard warned, his gaze piercing.Zale's grin widened. "I've never been good at taking advice, especially when it comes from someone like you. But I'll play nice for now. Don't worry, I won’t cause problems ... unless, of course, it's necessary ."The head guard's eyes twitched a bit when he heard Zale's last statement.Pascal observed the exchange with growing apprehension. He could sense the underlying tension and wondered how he had unwittingly become a pawn in this dangerous game.Zale decided it was time to wrap up the conversation. "Well, I'll continue my discussion with my little friend here. You're welcome to stay if you want. After all, I think you will like to hear the result.”The head guard watched him with a mix of suspicion and curiosity.He wanted to leave, but at the s

The air thickened with tension as Pascal revealed his connection to Asper and their sinister plan to abduct Miss Maya. Zale's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing with a deadly intensity.His voice low and menacing, demanded further details. "Why does Asper want to abduct Miss Maya, and what is his ultimate goal?"Pascal hesitated, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The head guard, though still seething with frustration and anger, listened intently.He couldn't believe he had been oblivious to the presence of a spy this whole time.Thinking about it made him very frustrated. Even though he didn't like Zale that much, he couldn't help but appreciate him for pointing out the mole amongst them.Zale, impatient yet calculating, pressed on. "Time is of the essence. Speak, Pascal, or your family's fate will be sealed."Pascal, fearing the consequences, stammered out the unsettling truth. "Asper thinks capturing Miss Maya would give him an advantage in persuading the Caddels to join

As Zale absorbed Maya's revelation about the complex history between their parents, a determination to unravel the mysteries surrounding their families flickered in his eyes."We need to dig deeper into this, Maya. There might be buried secrets that hold the key to understanding our parents' animosity," Zale asserted, his mind already coming up with something.Maya nodded. "I agree. We need to find out what exactly happened between them.”Zale paused as if thinking about something. A few seconds later, he spoke, “I will ask my grandfather about it. You should ask your father about it too. After all, when resolving misunderstandings it's necessary to hear from both parties.”Maya let out a sigh. “I hope he tells me. He is very secretive.”Zale agreed with Maya. “My grandfather is secretive too, but that won't be a problem. Even if he fails to give me the information I seek, I have someone capable of unraveling any type of secret.” As he said that, he suddenly thought of Ace.Maya was r