*****Nico stared blankly at his son after hearing him, the weight of his words not fully sinking in until eventually;“What are you talking about?” he asked, confusion and bewilderment clouding his tone.Mason, gathering his thoughts inhaled deeply, steadying himself before beginning.“Father, didn’t you see what just happened?” he inquired quietly, the voices around him not letting anyone else but his father hear him.“The Harrison family had just acknowledged Lucius and his family, and added to the fact that they already had the backing of another first-rank family, doesn’t that mean their future is limitless.” He continued, gesturing around himself, his voice gaining urgency.“Meanwhile, our family’s primary source of income—this company—has just somehow provoked the wrath of a first-rank family, and is on the verge of shutting down. Have you ever wondered how we are supposed to survive after today?”“This…”Nico froze, unable to react for a moment before finally, the impl

*****For what felt like an eternity, silence blanketed the room.The Harrison representatives' words continued hanging in the air like a death knell, leaving everyone stunned. Their minds raced, but they failed to process what they had just uttered.It was as though the room's collective spirit had been stripped away, leaving only vacant stares.Only three people remained composed: the two representatives themselves and then… Xavier.That’s right—Xavier.Unlike the others, he stood tall and steady, like a javelin planted firmly in the ground, a faint, amused smile playing on his lips as he watched the scene unfold.This was the moment he had been waiting for, ever since witnessing the betrayal that had unfolded in the hall prior to the Harrison representatives' arrival.After taking in the room’s shock for a moment, Xavier’s gaze finally shifted to Lucius, curious about his reaction.Just at that moment, Lucius jolted back to reality, his body rigid with panic and anxiousnes

*****For what felt like an eternity, the conference room remained silent.No one moved, instead, their gazes remained glued to Grace as she remained frozen in place, appearing like someone who had just received the biggest shock of her life.‘What could it be?’ they all wondered, their curiosity rose to the peak."Has she been ordered to evacuate her company as soon as possible?""Could the letter be demanding everything she owns in exchange for mercy?"Speculations swirled within the room like wildfire, each more dramatic than the last, until finally, after what felt like forever, a sharp, spiteful voice echoed, shattering the silence.“What do you mean how is it possible?” The voice demanded, startling everyone back to their senses.They all traced its source, only to realize it was directed to Lucius, his mocking smirk currently gleaming with self-satisfaction.The arrogance he exuded at this moment was palpable for all to see, his posture reeking of triumph.Ever since

*****At first, no one reacted to Mason’s words, all of them seemingly not to have heard him.They continued with their murmurs and plans as though his declaration had been nothing more than a faint whisper that had been lost in the empty air.This went on, however, until suddenly, a heavy and suffocating silence descended upon the space.It was so sudden and unexpected, making it feel as though it wasn’t the same room as just now, its weight crushing, instantly pinning everyone in place.Following this, the room slowly turned its attention to Mason, their jaws dropping as if gravity itself had given up on holding them closed.‘Did I just imagine that? Or… he… he really said what I think I heard?’The thought echoed simultaneously in their minds, the shocking words Mason had just uttered replaying over and over like a bell’s chime.For what felt like an eternity, every corner of the room remained frozen, paralyzed under the weight of disbelief.The only ones unaffected were X

*****The room remained suspended in stunned silence at this moment, almost everyone paralyzed by the representative's calm yet world-shattering declaration.This is most especially Lucius, who had hoped with everything in him that the subject of the letter had been nothing but a mistake.Presently, he appeared like someone who had just watched his entire world collapse around him.His breath hitched, his chest heaving as panic clawed at him from the inside, cold sweat pouring down his face.He felt as though he was going to slump, all strength leaving his body, and he had instinctively gripped the edge of the table with trembling hands to steady himself.Lucius’s mind was a chaotic void, looping endlessly around the same thought: ‘This can’t be happening! It can’t be real!’And yet, no matter how fervently and desperately he wished for the spoken and written words to be a mistake, they remained as they were—unyielding, immutable truth.Seeing him like this, the representative