Chapter Eleven Jasmine’s mother froze, her eyes widening in surprise. For a moment, she looked as if she couldn’t believe what she had just heard. But then, a slow, cruel smile spread across her face. It was the first time Henry had seen her smile in a long while. “Good,” she sneered. “I agree. Start packing your stuff, Henry, because I know my daughter. She’s too naive to win against real business sharks. You’ll be out of here soon enough.” With that, she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. The echo of the door reverberated through the house, leaving a suffocating silence in its wake. Jasmine, who had been sitting motionless the entire time, suddenly broke down. Tears streamed down her face as she sank to the floor, her shoulders shaking with sobs. “Why would you say that?” she cried, her voice barely a whisper as she looked up at Henry with wide, tear-filled eyes. Jasmine woke up before dawn, the room still bathed in the soft gray of early morning. H

Chapter Thirteen Knight sat back in the plush leather seat of the Rolls-Royce, his mind racing. The world outside the tinted windows seemed to blur, but inside, his thoughts were sharp and electrifying. He had just been told that he was one of the most powerful men on the continent—him. Even the president needed him. It was surreal. “Are you serious?” Knight finally broke the silence, his voice low and disbelieving. He turned to Mr. Anderson, his trusted right-hand man. Anderson nodded calmly, his face barely betraying any emotion. “Dead serious, Young Master. You hold more power than you can imagine.” Knight leaned back, shaking his head in disbelief. The weight of it all pressed down on him, yet there was a thrill to it. “Who was in charge before me?” Anderson’s eyes flickered with something Knight couldn’t quite read. “Your grandfather. He built everything from the ground up. The empire you’re now running.” Knight frowned, a strange knot forming in his stomach. “Why didn

Chapter Fifteen Jasmine stepped out of the car after paying him her last 43 $ dollars and stood in front of her family’s house, the familiar walls towering over her like they always had. Her mind raced with a thousand thoughts, but one stood out: she had done it. She had won the contract. As she approached the front door, she saw Stella, her sister, leaning against the doorframe with a smug grin plastered on her face. Her arms were crossed, and Jasmine could already sense the mockery brewing in her eyes. “Well, well, well,” Stella started, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Look who’s back from her little failed adventure. You really think you're ahead of yourself now, don’t you?” Stella snorted, her laugh cruel. “To think you had the guts to pitch your dirty little proposal to the Hexagon Consortium. Who do you think you are, Jasmine?” Jasmine sighed, refusing to let her sister’s sharp words penetrate the wall of confidence she had built today. Without responding to Ste

Chapter Seventeen Suddenly, the TV blared in the corner of the living room. The news anchor’s voice filled the air. “Breaking news: Hexagon Consortium has announced a $150 million contract awarded to a secret and private contractor. Speculation is rampant, but the identity remains unknown.” Everyone’s heads turned to the large flat screen television that cost about 230,000 dollars. For a second, Stella’s face twisted in confusion, but then she burst into laughter. “Oh, this is rich!” she sneered. “You think that’s you, Jasmine? You’re not a private contractor; you’re a joke! You hear that, Stefan ?” Stella turned, her laughter almost hysterical. “She really thinks she’s the big winner.” Stefan chuckled from the corner. “You? Fifty million? Don’t make me laugh, Jasmine. You’re nobody.” Jasmine clenched her fists, stepping forward, her face flushed with rage. “Shut up, Stella. You tore my contract—” Before she could finish, Henry stepped between them, grabbing Jasmine’s

Chapter Nineteen Damon’s face twisted in anger as he straightened himself, refusing to back down. “Bow down? Over my dead body!” he snarled, glaring at Henry. “I’ll never bow down to a commoner like you, Knight!” Grandmother Woods, who had been watching in silence, suddenly struck the floor with her walking stick. The loud crack echoed through the room, making everyone jump. Her face was red with fury, her eyes narrowing at Damon. “You fool!” she shouted, her voice filled with authority. “I don’t care how rich or powerful you think you are. You swore on my ancestor’s name, in front of my late husband’s ashes, that you would honor this bet. You think you can walk away from that without consequence? You’ll bring a curse upon yourself and this family!” Damon’s eyes widened, but he quickly masked his fear with a sneer. “I’ll never bow to anyone. Not Henry. Not you. No one!” Grandmother Woods’ grip tightened on her stick. “As much as I hate that man,” she spat, pointin