The bidding results were set to be announced in an hour, and the companies waited patiently for the outcome.Tessa tapped her fingers against the table, her nerves getting the better of her. This was her first major project since taking control of Armand Group, and not everyone in the company was happy about it. The shareholders had been circling her like vultures, waiting for her to slip up.Ralph, in particular, was eager to see her fail. If she lost this bid, it would give him the perfect excuse to force her out as CEO.Adam, sitting beside her, noticed the slight furrow on her brow. He leaned in closer, a subtle smile tugging at his lips. "Don’t worry. We’ve got this in the bag."Tessa shot him a skeptical glance. "And what makes you so sure?"Before Adam could respond, Eleanor sneered from across the room. "If we win this bid, it’ll be thanks to Ethan, not you. What makes you think you have any role in this?"Nala chimed in with a grin. "Exactly. Ethan has already made arrangemen
Ethan raised an eyebrow, sensing the shift in Kelvin’s tone. "And what would that be?"Kelvin’s smile turned predatory. "I want Tessa."Ethan’s heart skipped a beat. "Tessa?"Kelvin’s grin widened. "You heard me. She got away from me the last time we crossed paths, but now she’s in my territory. I plan to finish what I started."Ethan’s hand tightened around his glass, the edges of his smile faltering. "Look, Kelvin… Tessa’s my fiancée."Kelvin’s expression darkened. "So what? That doesn’t mean anything to me."Ethan forced a smile, his mind racing. "Come on, Kelvin. Let’s not get carried away. How about I find you someone else—someone just as beautiful?"Kelvin’s eyes narrowed with displeasure. "There is no one else like her, Ethan. We both know that. Now, are you going to bring her to me, or do I have to take her myself?"Ethan’s heart pounded in his chest. He knew what Kelvin was capable of, and he also knew that defying him wasn’t an option."Kelvin," Ethan began carefully, "surel
A rush of fury and terror washed through Tessa the moment she saw him. The urge to leave the room overwhelmed her, yet she steeled herself. Just like his father, Kelvin had also tried to sleep with her multiple times, he had always invited her for a date which she constantly declined. Because his intentions were obviously not pure.Determined to win the bid, she sat down.However, she took a seat next to Ethan instead. He seemed more reliable than Kelvin.Kelvin was unfazed. She was bound to become his plaything once she set foot in here."Kelvin, we're very serious about the project. We won't let you down as long as you choose us," Tessa began."Then show me how serious you are about it. Drink this." Kelvin poured a glass of wine for her."My stomach isn't feeling well. I can't drink," Tessa politely refused. She was wary of him because of what happened last time between her and Ethan, she can't afford to be careless.Thanks to her wits, she managed a narrow escape when he drugged he
"He's just a poor loser," Ethan scoffed, eyeing Adam dismissively.Kelvin’s face twisted in anger as he turned his glare on Adam. "How dare you interfere with my fun? Do you have a death wish?"Adam's eyes narrowed, his voice cold and steely. "You're one to talk! How dare you even think of laying a finger on my wife?"A dangerous gleam flashed in his eyes. As soon as he sensed something was wrong, Adam had stormed upstairs. Fury surged through him when he realized Kelvin had been about to assault Tessa."Your wife?" Kelvin’s surprise was brief, quickly replaced by a wicked smile.Ethan seized the moment to chime in with a laugh. "They got married a few days ago. It’s just a marriage of convenience."Kelvin’s sneer deepened. "Interesting. In that case, why don’t you step aside and watch while I finish what I started?"With that, he reached for Tessa’s arm, ignoring Adam’s presence entirely.Adam’s fist clenched, his anger reaching a boiling point. "Don't even think about it," he growle
Ethan lay slumped on the ground, a look of utter shock etched across his face.Kelvin, cornered and panicked, scrambled backward. "Stay back! What do you want from me?" His voice trembled, the fear in his eyes unmistakable. He hadn’t anticipated Adam’s audacity – his willingness to cross the line without hesitation.Adam didn’t bother to answer. With a swift motion, he swung his foot directly into Kelvin’s side.Kelvin’s eyes widened as a sharp pain exploded through his ribs, sending him sprawling onto the floor. He writhed in agony, struggling to catch his breath, the pain consuming him.Adam planted his foot firmly on Kelvin's face, his gaze cold and unyielding. "Consider this a warning," he growled. "If you ever try something like this again, I’ll make sure you don’t get up."Ignoring Kelvin’s pitiful state, Adam turned his attention to Tessa. She looked fragile and pale, barely holding herself together after the ordeal. Adam knelt beside her, gently pulling her clothing aside just
Tessa’s frustration was evident as she glanced back at the fallen bodyguards lining the hallway. "You’re the one who injured them, so they won’t be too much trouble for me. But you—if you don’t leave now, they’ll find you before you can even get out of the city."Adam nodded, his face serious. "Alright. Take care of yourself, Tessa.""Just go," she insisted, her voice softer, almost reluctant. "Before it's too late."Adam cast one last look at her, his gaze lingering. "I will. But… don’t let anyone push you around. You deserve better than all this."He wasn't scared of Wilfred or the Darkclaw, they were only a small fries. Stacey had recently informed him that many powerful underground organizations had arrived in Storm City, after the news of the amulet in his custody was revealed. Some may be even after his life.Tessa swallowed, unsure of how to respond. Before she could find the words, Adam turned and left, disappearing into the corridor. She exhaled a heavy sigh, a mixture of rel
"Tessa, what happened, exactly? Why did Kelvin suddenly get injured? Which bastard did it?" Eleanor asked, genuinely intrigued."Actually…" Tessa hesitated, but she still told them the truth."What?" Eleanor was appalled. The others were equally shell-shocked."That asshole has really got some nerve! It was bad enough to offend the Blackwoods family last time, but how dare he cripple Mr. Wilfred's son?"He shouldn't drag us down with him even if he has a death wish!" Eleanor shrieked in terror."Seriously, Tessa? I don't mean to criticize you, but look at what you've done! You chose this worthless bastard over Mr. Blackwood."Not only is he worthless, he's an incorrigible troublemaker. Well, look at him now! Our entire family will suffer because he offended Mr. Wilfred!" Henry her cousin hollered.Her aunty, Brenda was fuming. "Grandpa entrusted the company to you. But what did you do? Never mind not contributing to the family, you caused such a huge problem."I think your position
Tessa’s gaze hardened as she looked at Henry. “So, what do you want me to do, Henry? Just hand Adam over like a bargaining chip?”“Exactly.” Henry crossed his arms, leaning back with a smug expression. “Or, at the very least, make it clear we’re not responsible for his actions. He’s your mess, after all—you’re the one who brought him into this family.”Richard’s jaw clenched as he cut in, his voice sharp. “If you’d just handled things properly with Kelvin, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Honestly, Tessa, I don’t know what you were thinking.”Tessa felt anger rising, her throat tightening. “You’re all… spineless.” Her voice cracked, tears pooling in her eyes as frustration and helplessness crashed over her.Just then, a maid burst into the room, her face pale with fear. “The Darkclaw clan—they’re here!”A cold dread swept over everyone in the room, silencing the family’s squabbles in an instant.“What?” Henry whispered, his face going ashen.Before anyone could react, the door flew open,
“I’ll take it then,” Reeves said, his expression lighting up with satisfaction. In fact, he looked almost gleeful as he turned to the staff and asked, “How do you feel after I’ve bought your dog for five million?”“Mr. Reeves, are you serious?” the staff member stammered, her eyes wide with disbelief.Reeves nodded confidently and wrote a check for five million dollars right away. When the staff took the check from his hand, she still seemed stunned, unable to process what was happening.Clement was so elated that he turned to Stacey and said, “Ms. Gold, can you do me a favor? Tell your hotel staff to have the dog killed and retrieve the pill from its stomach.”Stacey hesitated for a moment but then nodded. She quickly called two hotel employees over to take the pug away.It was only then that everyone in the room seemed to grasp what was going on. The initial fight between Clinton and Reeves over the dog hadn’t been about the animal at all. Instead, it was about the pill the pug had
Clinton looked utterly heartbroken, his shoulders sagging as disappointment swept over his face. Stacey, standing nearby, mirrored his dismay, her lips pressed into a thin line.“Ms. Gold, Mr. Clinton, Mr. Reeves—what are you doing?” Gerald asked, his confusion evident.Clinton sighed deeply, his expression darkening. Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, his eyes lit up with urgency. He turned toward the pug sitting innocently nearby and pointed at it. “Whose dog is this?”A staff member hesitantly stepped forward, her face pale with nervousness. “It’s mine, sir. I… I’m terribly sorry for bringing him here. It was unprofessional of me.”Stacey shot her a sharp look but quickly softened her tone. “Let this be the only time. Don’t let it happen again.”“Yes, Ms. Gold. Thank you!” The staff member bowed repeatedly in relief, but just as she began to leave with the pug, Clinton raised his voice.“Wait! Hold on!” he called out urgently.The staff froze mid-step, her heart racing. “Y
“Enough with the nonsense. You just got lucky with your guess. Don’t think you’re all that,” Henry said, rolling his eyes. Despite his dismissive tone, his fidgeting fingers betrayed his growing panic. David, sensing the tension, stepped forward with a scoff. “Even if Mr. Diamond’s painting is fake, it doesn’t change anything. He was deceived! He spent over ten million dollars on it—that’s worth far more than whatever trash you’re calling a gift.” Adam chuckled, his voice tinged with sarcasm. “Trash, you say? You’re calling the pill trash?” David snatched the small bottle from Adam’s hand, shaking it aggressively before pouring out a single black pill into his palm. “Look at this!” David held it up for everyone to see. “Who in their right mind would dare eat something like this? It’s nothing but a scam!” “Dad, look at this nonsense,” he added, handing the pill to Gerald. “Why should I waste my time looking at trash?” Gerald replied coldly, his face twisting in disgust as he
Stacey quickly understood Adam's intention and turned to an elderly man seated not far away. “Mr. Spark, you’re an expert in paintings. Could you help us authenticate this piece?”The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Charles Spark. Known as a renowned art expert, his opinion carried significant weight.One guest chimed in, “Mr. Charles Spark is a leading authority in the art world. If anyone can authenticate this painting, it’s him.”Another nodded in agreement. “But do we even need to go that far? Mr. Diamond wouldn’t dare gift a fake painting. He has a reputation to uphold!”“Exactly,” someone else added. “Ten million dollars is nothing to someone like him. Why would he risk his name over a counterfeit?”The murmurs of agreement spread through the room. Brian, however, felt a bead of sweat forming on his temple. His confidence wavered as he realized the scrutiny was about to intensify.Feigning nonchalance, Brian scoffed, “Authenticate it? That’s rich. But the painting has alr
Brian sneered with an air of superiority. “Well, brat, did you notice anything? Or are you just bluffing again?” Adam didn’t respond immediately. Instead, a playful smile danced across his lips as he picked up a glass of water from the table. He swirled the water in his mouth, as if savoring it, but he didn’t swallow. In a sudden, unexpected move, Adam sprayed the water directly onto the painting. “What are you doing?!” “How dare you?!” The room erupted in chaos. Wendy’s face turned beet red as she jumped to her feet, her finger shaking as she pointed at Adam. Brian was equally furious, his fists clenched tightly. Even Brenda, Gerald, and several other guests stared at Adam in disbelief. “You lunatic!” Wendy’s voice trembled with rage. “That painting is worth millions! How dare you destroy it? You must pay for this, or I swear you won’t leave here alive!” Tessa’s expression shifted from shock to anger as she shouted, “Adam, what are you doing? Are you out of your mind?” She gr
“Adam, I’m begging you. Please, just stop spreading these rumors.” Tessa’s voice trembled with a mix of frustration and disbelief, her gaze fixed on Adam with evident disappointment.She had always thought Adam had a tendency to boast, but this was different. This wasn’t mere exaggeration; it was crossing a line. Her chest tightened as the reality sank in—she was beginning to lose faith in him.Adam, however, remained calm. His sharp gaze locked onto Brian as he asked, “If you’re so confident it’s not a fake, would you allow me to inspect it?”Wendy, unable to hide her irritation, scoffed. “Inspect it? Do you even hear yourself? That painting is worth millions! How dare someone like you even think of inspecting it?”“Exactly!” Brenda chimed in, her arms crossed in disdain. “You have no right to touch something that valuable. If you so much as leave a smudge on it, you’ll be paying for it for the rest of your life!”Brian smirked arrogantly, adjusting his pristine designer watch as he
Gerald’s expression darkened further, his patience wearing thin. If it weren’t for Adam’s association with Stacey, he might have lashed out already. He clenched his fists, suppressing his growing annoyance.Meanwhile, Brian, oblivious to Gerald’s restraint, sneered disdainfully. “How shameless can you be? Offering this junk as a gift? It’s downright embarrassing.”“He’s absolutely right,” Wendy chimed in, her tone dripping with contempt. She rolled her eyes dramatically and added, “Just look at Mr. Diamond. His gift is worth millions, while yours is nothing but a worthless trinket.”Adam let out a quiet chuckle, his smirk widening. “I’ve been holding back, trying to ignore the two of you. But you’ve pushed me too far. Since you seem so eager, I have no choice but to expose the truth.”The sudden shift in his tone caught the room’s attention. Brian and Wendy exchanged uneasy glances but quickly masked their unease with indignation.“Expose us? You?” Wendy scoffed, crossing her arms. “W
“What? How dare you curse me?” Gerald’s voice thundered through the hall, his expression darkening with fury.“I’ve told you before—he’s nothing but an ungrateful wretch. Do you believe me now, Grandpa?” Brenda sneered, seizing the opportunity to pile on the insults.“How dare you curse Grandpa? Apologize to him immediately!” Richard roared, his face contorted with anger.“What are you waiting for?” Eleanor shouted at Adam, her voice trembling with rage. “Do you want to drag us all down with your reckless behavior? Apologize now!”Their frustration was palpable. Despite their disdain for Adam, he was still tied to their family through marriage. If Gerald's anger boiled over, it would spell disaster for everyone associated with him.“Adam, you’ve crossed the line this time! Apologize to Grandpa right away,” Tessa demanded, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment.The crowd, sensing the mounting tension, erupted into a chorus of condemnation.“What kind of son-in-law dares to curs
After all, Bulgart Industry was the leading company in the world. Compared to them, the Diamond family was insignificant. Moreover, the Supreme General’s terrifying underworld organizations was not something the Diamond family would dare to provoke.By now, most of the guests had arrived, and the banquet was about to begin. But before the festivities could commence, an important tradition took center stage—the gift-giving ceremony.Henry was the first to stand, holding an exquisite vase in his hands. He stepped forward confidently and addressed Gerald. “Grandpa, this antique vase cost me eight million dollars. I hope it brings you joy and prosperity on your birthday.”The crowd murmured in approval, nodding at the sight of the lavish gift. Gerald smiled warmly, clearly pleased with Henry’s gesture.“What a thoughtful gift,” someone whispered.Next, Brian rose with a proud smile, presenting a rolled-up painting carefully encased in protective wrapping. He handed it to Gerald with a sli