"Alex," Jasmine nudged him urgently."Quick, how do I respond? This is the first time in my life someone has called me poor."Alex glanced at her. Jasmine Kingston—the wealthiest heiress in Vancouver—had probably never heard that word directed at her."Just smile and say 'thank you,'" Alex suggested calmly."Really?" she asked, eyes wide with feigned innocence."Absolutely. When they go low, we go high."Jasmine turned back to Chris with a graceful smile."Thank you for calling me poor. This is a new experience for me."Chris's face flushed crimson.He slammed his fist on the table. "Are you dense? When someone calls you poor, you're supposed to feel insulted, ashamed!""Why should I feel that way?" Jasmine replied, tilting her head slightly."I'm not poor."Chris, barely containing his frustration, threw his hands up. “You really have no brain, do you?"Jasmine turned to Alex, her gaze curious. "Alex, do you think I have no brain?""Not at all. In fact, I think you're much sharper th

Alex stared at Lyra, choosing not to respond."Fine," Lyra snapped."My father took his shot by siding with the old regime, and my mother backed him all the way. They messed up big time! But I haven't even had my chance yet, and this family mess has ruined it."She leaned in, her eyes pleading. "Don't you think I deserve an opportunity without being tied to my parents' mistakes?"Alex sighed, his reluctance evident. "Fair enough.""Listen, Alex," she pressed."I know Jasmine Kingston is on your side now. Maybe you've charmed her, extracted all the secrets you wanted. But how long can that last? Love is fickle—it changes as quickly as the tides."She watched him intently, searching for a flicker of doubt."You've got wealth now, I can see that. But what happens when love fades? Jasmine might grow bored and cast you aside without warning. You can't put your faith in something as unstable as love.""The money could vanish in an instant, and you'll be right back where you began—back on th

In the center of the grand hall, fifteen terrified guests huddled together—the ones who hadn't managed to escape when chaos erupted.Nearby, five of Kingston's bodyguards lay wounded, their groans of pain underscoring the tense silence.On the Walkers' side, only thirty men remained of the original forty; the rest had fallen during the fierce firefight with Kingston’s guards.“I suggest none of you make any sudden moves,” Calvin warned.“No one has to get hurt. We don’t want to damage our merchandise. Each of you is priceless.”He initiated a video call, turning the camera to focus on Jasmine Kingston among the hostages.“Father, we've secured Jasmine Kingston,” Calvin reported.“Excellent,” Lucas Walker replied.“The police are en route to your location, blocking all roads out. It’s safer to stay put. Use the hostages as leverage.”“Yes, Father.”“We'll use Jasmine to force Alfred Kingston to surrender his position in Vancouver,” Lucas continued.“We're negotiating with him now. Just

Most of the hostages were young, affluent men and women attending Jasmine's debut.Under the stern gaze of the Walkers, they frantically called their families, voices shaking as they explained the dire situation.Calvin Walker demanded ten million dollars from each family in exchange for their safety.Sophia, too frightened to contact her grandfather, decided to call her grandmother instead."Sophia, I've been waiting for your call," Grandma Lancaster answered, her voice bright with joy and anticipation.“I assume we've secured the partnership with the Kingston family, right? Do you want a grand wedding with Chris tomorrow?”Sophia's heart sank, a lump forming in her throat.She took a deep breath. “Grandma, the Emerson family got the partnership. We lost it.”“What do you mean, we lost it?” Lady Lancaster's voice sharpened with disbelief.“We didn't secure the deal with Kingston,” Sophia repeated softly.“But we paid a hundred million! How could we not get it? Did the Emersons offer

In the grand Lancaster Mansion, the hall was filled with tension as the entire family gathered.Grandma and Grandpa Lancaster sat at opposite ends of the table, anger burning in their eyes.On the left side sat Sophia, Jack, and their parents, Justin and Florence.On the right side were Malvin, the firstborn, his wife Linda, and their children, Mike and Lily."Now, you tell me, how did the Lancasters lose $100 million of company money and end up with BioHealth Solutions, a company drowning in debt for the same amount?"Abraham started, his voice thundering through the room."This is all because of that boy you forced to marry Sophia!" Amelia spat, her voice sharp. "Chris Roland said we were supposed to get the partnership, but that loser convinced Kingston to do otherwise!""I heard the partnership was supposed to go to the Lancasters because Alex asked Kingston," Abraham shot back, his voice rising. "But since you bribed Roland, whom Kingston despises, they chose the other option!""T