CHAPTER HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX

RICHARD’S POV

The silence in the room was thick enough to choke on. You could practically hear Pretty Boy sweating. I had to hand it to Amelia, though. She stood her ground, even with her grandmother’s laser focus burning a hole in her.

"Richard…" she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "We met at the banquet."

The old bat stiffened. "Banquet? What banquet?"

Amelia’s eyes darted between me and her grandmother. “The Business Consortium's banquet. Richard got me in.”

The air crackled. Jaws dropped. Even “Mr. Suitor” looked like he’d swallowed his tongue.

The old woman’s face, though? Priceless. A mix of disbelief, confusion, and a healthy dose of “oh shit.”

“He… he got you in?” she stammered, her voice shaky for the first time since I'd arrived.

Amelia nodded, finding her voice. “He’s a member.”

The word hung in the air like a grenade, just waiting to explode. I saw the realization dawn on the old woman’s face. I was someone important. Someone powerful.

She recovered quickly, t