COLIN VERUS, A MAN REBORN

Chapter 10

The Aurelius family meeting was as lively as ever, with Vulpes dominating the discussion, as usual. His self-satisfied grin widened as he addressed the room.

“Well, I’ve been thinking about the assignments we’ve been given,” he began, his tone dripping with feigned concern. “Livia, I think it’s only fair we switch tasks. Negotiating with Martin Group should be a breeze for someone like you, given your history with Barius. But Lanbo Port? That’s a whole different beast. It requires finesse, charm… and a certain level of prestige.”

Livia’s brow furrowed, but she kept her voice steady. “I’m happy to take on Lanbo Port if that’s what you want, Vulpes.”

Vulpes leaned back in his chair, laughing loudly. “Oh, this should be entertaining. Do you even understand what Lanbo Port represents? It’s a branch of the Marquis Group. The Marquis Group, Livia! The most powerful corporation in the city. You? They wouldn’t even let you past the reception desk.”

The family erupted in laughter, and Vulpes pressed on, his grin widening. “Tell you what, let’s make this interesting. If you fail, you’ll publicly renounce your ties to the Aurelius family. No more benefits, no more association. You’ll just be the wife of… Colin Verus.”

The mocking laughter grew louder. Aemilia, Livia’s mother, smirked coldly. “That might suit her better, considering her track record.”

Livia’s jaw tightened, but she met Vulpes’ gaze squarely. “Fine. But if I succeed, you’ll kneel in front of the entire family and apologize to me and Colin.”

The room fell silent for a moment before bursting into incredulous laughter.

“You? Succeed?” Vulpes howled. “You’re already digging your own grave, Livia. But sure, I’ll take that bet.”

Later, Aemilia cornered Livia in the family’s sitting room, her face a mask of disapproval.

“Have you completely lost your mind?” Aemilia snapped. “Betting the family’s reputation on something you know you can’t achieve? Do you have any idea what this will do to us if you fail?”

Livia’s expression remained calm, though her mother’s words stung. “Mother, I know what I’m doing.”

“No, you don’t,” Aemilia hissed. “Lanbo Port isn’t some fruit stall at the market. It’s the Marquis Group. They won’t even look at someone like you. You’re setting yourself up for humiliation, and worse, you’re dragging our name down with you!”

Livia took a deep breath. “I’m not backing down. Colin believes in me, and for once, I’m going to believe in myself too.”

Aemilia scoffed. “Colin? That useless husband of yours? He can’t even afford to buy you decent shoes. Why on earth would you put your faith in him?”

“Because he sees more in me than you ever have,” Livia said quietly but firmly.

Aemilia’s face twisted in anger, but before she could respond, Livia turned and left the room.

The next day, Livia arrived at Lanbo Port, her nerves tightly wound. The sprawling facility was a marvel of modern engineering, and its sheer scale was intimidating. As she stepped into the sleek glass building, she was greeted by Zeno, a sharply dressed man with an air of efficiency.

“Ms. Aurelius, welcome,” Zeno said, offering a polite nod. “The general manager is expecting you.”

Livia blinked in surprise. “He… he is?”

“Yes. Right this way.”

Zeno led her through the impressive office, and Livia couldn’t shake the feeling that something unusual was happening. Why was the Marquis Group’s general manager personally meeting her? And why were they expecting her at all?

The general manager, a composed man in his forties, rose from his desk as Livia entered. “Ms. Aurelius, please have a seat.”

“Thank you,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

The manager slid a contract across the desk toward her. “We’ve reviewed your proposal and are happy to offer $100 million in financing for the Aurelius Fruit Company.”

Livia’s eyes widened as she scanned the document. The terms were incredibly generous—far beyond what she had dared to hope for. “This… this is double what we originally requested,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

The manager smiled. “The Marquis Group is committed to supporting promising local businesses. Consider it a vote of confidence in your company.”

Livia felt a rush of relief and confusion. Why was the Marquis Group being so generous? It didn’t make sense.

As she left the office, contract in hand, her thoughts churned. “This can’t just be luck. Did Colin have something to do with this?”

That evening, the Aurelius family gathered for dinner, their mood boisterous as usual. Vulpes sat at the head of the table, radiating smug confidence.

“Well, Livia,” he said with a smirk, “how did your little adventure at Lanbo Port go? Did they laugh you out of the building?”

Livia set the contract on the table, her expression calm. “No. In fact, they approved $100 million in financing. Double what we needed.”

The room fell silent.

Vulpes snatched up the contract, his face pale as he scanned the terms. “This… this can’t be real.”

“It’s real,” Livia said firmly. “I succeeded. Which means you owe me an apology.”

The family erupted in disbelief, their voices overlapping as they questioned how this could have happened.

“Impossible,” Vulpes muttered, his hands trembling. “How did you—”

“It doesn’t matter how,” Livia said, cutting him off. “What matters is that I did.”

All eyes turned to Vulpes as he stood, his face a mask of humiliation. Slowly, reluctantly, he sank to his knees.

“I… apologize,” he said through gritted teeth, his voice barely audible.

Livia met his gaze, her voice steady. “And to Colin.”

Vulpes’ jaw clenched, but he forced the words out. “And to Colin.”