2025-01-22 18:00:04Haylee's eyes widened when she heard that Annabel was a senior director at the Prime Royale Bank. She quickly tried to compose herself, but her cheeks were flushed, and her palms were beginning to get sweaty.
Being ignored by Rachael made her even more jealous because the woman was so comfortable speaking with Annabel. She stared at Roman with narrowed eyes, waiting for him to look at her so she could give him a signal that they needed to talk.
Roman didn’t look at her though. His attention was focused on his conversation with Rachael after Annabel introduced him to her. Haylee’s grip on her wine glass tightened, but she had to force her grip to relax in order not to ruin her manicure.
She was having a weird achy feeling in her heart, and her chest seemed tighter, making it a bit hard to breathe. She couldn’t believe that she just divorced Roman, and he already found another woman better than her.
They moved into the main hall, and people immediately moved towards Hamilton and Haylee. Hamilton smiled widely at the attention. Everyone that tried to speak with him was being so nice, praising him on previous projects and smiling to try and gain his favour.
Some of them even tried to talk about their companies, hoping he would want to invest, but he just smirked arrogantly, using the opportunity to gloat, hoping that Roman was watching everything.
“Mr Hamilton, you have such good taste. So she finally divorced her good for nothing ex. I’ve been waiting for the day that happened.” One of the guests said, and even made a nasty look in Roman’s direction.
Everyone knew he used to be married to Haylee, and they were all wondering why he was there, dressed in designer brands.
“I’ve always known that I’ll end up with Haylee. Her past was just a phase, or should I say, an experiment. But even after divorcing him, he still followed her here, trying to win her back.” Hamilton told the crowd, and most of them turned to face Roman.
“How pathetic.”
“Don’t you have any shame?”
“He probably stole that suit he’s wearing.”
“Why are you stalking Haylee?”
“She’s way above your league.”
Roman heard the whispers and accusations, but he didn’t say a word. He just stood calmly beside Annabel and Rachael.
Rachael didn’t really understand what was going on, because she was usually too focused on her duties to keep up to date with all the gossip. But she trusted Annabel, and knew that Annabel wouldn’t bring a delinquent with her. So she had trust in Roman too, and remained with them.
“He’s here with me, so I suggest you all mind your business.” Annabel spoke up, and instead of stopping, more rumours began to spread.
“He must have seduced her.”
“He must be a con man, going after vulnerable rich women. First Haylee, now Annabel.”
“He must have used her to get an invite to this event.”
Annabel was about to give a harsh response, but Roman held her hand and calmed her down. He just whispered in her ears that fighting or arguing with them was just a waste of energy.
When they saw that Roman and Annabel were not reacting to their taunting words, they changed the topic of conversation.
“Have you heard what the most expensive item among the auction list is?”
“It’s definitely the engraved antique ring. It has this vintage, rustic vibe. And I heard it belongs to the president of the city’s largest business association. Imagine how much it will cost.”
“That’s true. The starting price is at twenty million dollars, and by the time bidding starts, it might get sold for up to eighty million, or more, depending on who wants it badly enough.”
“The ring is definitely going to be mine. I have a great interest in it.” Hamilton said with a broad smile.
He saw this as his opportunity to assert his dominance, and flaunt his wealth, because he knew only a few people would be interested in bidding too high for a ring. But he was hoping it would make him get a connection to the ring’s owner.
It was rumoured to belong to the richest family in the country. If he could become their business partner through purchasing the ring, then whatever money he spent would be returned tenfold through business profits.
Annabel scoffed and other guests, including Hamilton turned to face her.
“What? You don’t think I can afford it? I am a very rich man.” Hamilton replied arrogantly to try and impress her.
“Roman can afford to buy the auction house itself if he wanted.” She said with a smirk.
“I’m not interested in buying the whole auction house. I only want the ring, and I’ll get it.” Roman said as he casually put his hands in his pocket.
The guests began to laugh. Even Haylee chuckled, because she didn’t believe her ex-husband could possibly have that kind of money.
“Where would he get that kind of money? Unless you want to empty your whole accounts on his behalf?I believe you’re smarter than that. You deserve a man that will match your status and power.” Hamilton said to Annabel.
“He must be great in bed. That’s the only reason I can think of that would make a woman as intelligent as you to defend him, when he’s clearly a pauper.” Another guest whispered to his partner.
He didn’t want Annabel to hear his words, so he wouldn’t be blacklisted from the bank.
“Yeah. I’m sure she’s even the one who paid for everything he’s wearing. He’s just using her.” The man’s partner whispered back.
“I wonder what tricks you use to get rich women into your bed. It worked with Haylee, before she finally came to her senses and divorced you. Now you’re already playing another woman? You must really be desperate for money.” Hamilton spoke like he was concerned about Annabel, but it was just a sarcastic way to belittle Roman.
Roman just took Annabel’s hand and moved with her to a different part of the hall, while the others kept gossipping.
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THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE The Auction
Hamilton glared at Roman as he walked away. Did he think this was a joke? How dare he say he would bid for the ring? “Don’t listen to him, Hamilton. He’s just bluffing. He has no money to bid with. He’ll just embarrass himself.” One of his female admirers said to him.He smiled at her, realising she was right. There was no need to worry. They mingled for a little while before it was time to begin the auction.The first item on the list was a vase that was crafted by an artist who was late. It was among his final works before he passed away, and that made it valuable. About ten people bid on it before it was finally sold for eight hundred thousand dollars.Next was a pearl earring set that belonged to a matriarch of a foreign country, and had been recently acquired after being displayed in a museum for two years. Hamilton immediately saw a chance to flaunt his wealth, and bid for the earring.“The starting bid for the earrings is three hundred thousand dollars.” The auctioneer announ
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Highest Bid
Hamilton was pissed off because Roman dared to bid for the ring.“You’re being so confident because you have Miss Annabel seated beside you. Trying to take advantage of her will not work at this auction. You seem to be unaware of the rules, and that could get you in trouble.” He said to Roman.“Don’t act like you’re concerned for my well being.” Roman scoffed at Hamilton.“And he’s well aware of the rule that no one can pay on behalf of another person once they bid on an item. The person who pays must be the same person who bids. I gave him the list of rules before we came.” Annabel said with a smirk as she looked in Hamilton’s direction.“And does he know what will happen to him when he fails to pay for the item with such a high bid?” Hamilton asked.He didn’t get a response to his question because the auctioneer began to speak again.“Two hundred million, going once. Going twice,”“Two hundred and ten million.” Hamilton said as he raised his bidding pad.He immediately put his hand
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Blacklisted
This time, the reaction to Roman’s high bid was not silence. The whole room erupted in an uproar of voices, all trying to speak at the same time. Everyone wanted to find out what gave Roman the audacity to announce such a high bid. Hamilton sat back and gave up.“Five hundred million, going once. Going twice!” The auctioneer paused for a few seconds, then said, “Sold to Mr Roman. Congratulations, the ring is yours.”Suddenly, Hamilton smirked. He realised that he hadn’t lost. Roman fell for his trick. He almost let his pride make him forget his initial reason for raising the bid. He wanted to trap Roman into bidding more than he could handle, so Roman could get in trouble with the owner of the auction house. This was a win-win situation for him. He just had to stand back, and watch Roman face the consequences.“I can’t believe he made such a high bid.” Haylee said to herself with a frustrated sigh.But Hamilton heard her because they were seated so close together. He responded to her
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Young Master
Hamilton’s face turned ghastly pale as all the blood drained from his face. If his family was kicked out of the business association, it would be a big blow to their finances. And everyone would blame him for it.“Sir, forgive my offence. Whatever I did to offend you, please have mercy, sir.” Hamilton immediately dropped to his knees to beg.“You don’t even have an idea what you’re apologising for.” Kade said with a disgusted expression on his face as he stared down at Hamilton like he was an insignificant bug.“I must have spoken out of turn. Or maybe it’s something else. Whatever I did, sir, please forgive me. Spare my family. Please.”Kade just scoffed, and turned away to give the guards new orders.“Take him out of here. If he resists, then drag him out. I don’t care, as long as you get him out of my sight.”Hamilton moved forward on his knees and tried to grab Kade’s legs, but he was forcefully dragged away by the guards, while still screaming for mercy.They dumped him in the al
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Merged Rings
Roman was a bit sceptical as he heard Kade call him young master. He had no idea what was going on, just like when that blonde woman came to give him the black card and the ring. He didn’t even know the blonde woman’s name because he had never bothered to ask, mainly due to the fact that he didn’t believe her back then. Now that her words have been proven to be true, he had no way of contacting her. Was this situation similar to that?Annabel on the other hand was shocked. She stared at Kade with wide eyes as she wondered why a man as powerful as him would be calling Kade young master, and even bowing. That was a deep sign of respect, and Kade wasn’t the kind of man to do something like that without a good reason. It seemed that Roman was more powerful than even she had estimated. “You seem shocked to hear me call you young master.” Kade said as he came closer.“Yes. Everyone seems to be afraid or intimidated by you. It’s normal for me to be a bit perplexed by your reaction and words
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE One Herb
“What makes you sure that my memories weren’t lost in an accident? That’s the most logical explanation for it.” Roman said to Kade. “Can what we just witnessed happen to the ring be explained logically?” Kade asked instead of responding to Roman’s question.Roman shook his head in response. “No it can’t. But there’s still no proof that my memory loss was caused by anything unnatural or magic related.”“The fact that you still can’t remember anything after this long is enough proof. Also, if your memory loss was caused by an accident, it would have been rectified as soon as you put on the merged ring. I’m sure you already feel physically stronger. Mentally, you’re also stronger, even though mental power cannot be as easily evaluated as physical power.”“You’re right. I do feel stronger physically. But that could just be adrenaline still coursing through my veins.”“We both know it’s not adrenaline. But my point is, if your memory loss had been caused by just an accident, by increasing
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE To The VIP Ward
The ride to the hospital where Annabel’s grandfather was hospitalised was silent. Roman was behind the steering wheel, because Annabel was in no state to drive, and he needed the action to keep him occupied. He had been confident enough to tell Annabel that he would be able to cure her grandfather, he was beginning to wonder if maybe he spoke too soon. He was new to the power and knowledge given to him by the ring. Wouldn’t it have been better for him to first test it out on a smaller level before attempting something of this magnitude?He had no idea what ailment her grandfather had, and according to her, several world renowned doctors had tried to diagnose him to no avail. No one would believe he could do it, especially since he didn’t have a medical degree.But as he stared at Annabel’s face, he realised that it didn’t matter if anyone else doubted him. She believed in him, and after all her help so far, he owed it to her to at least try. And he had no plans to fail, even though h
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE His Diagnosis
“I have no need for tricks. I’m not a magician, nor am I a con man. I’m here to help.” Roman responded to Marren, who just scoffed in disbelief.Roman took a deep breath and accessed the ring’s medical knowledge, while staring at Marren with eyes tinged with the ring’s power. The diagnosis immediately filled his head, along with a few details he had noticed on his own. Marren was about to make another derogatory statement, but Roman interrupted him before he could say a word.“You’re sick, but you haven’t told anyone yet.”Marren paused as he heard this, but he refused to back down easily.“That is a very vague way of confirmation. I’ve coughed once or twice since you came into the room. Even an idiot can guess I’m not in the best of health.”“Your cough isn’t the problem, it’s just a symptom of the actual cause of your sickness. Your lungs have been weakened by years of chain smoking, and it’s beginning to affect your respiration rate. You can’t breathe in too deeply or it causes you
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The evening's orange sun spilled through the sheer curtains of Vivienne’s lavish apartment the next day. It cast a beautiful golden glow across the pristine white furniture. Vivienne was draped in a silky black robe. She poured herself a glass of red wine, despite having too much to drink already. She was never one to follow conventional rules. She leaned against the marble counter of her open kitchen, glancing at the clock.Kristan should be here any moment.And, as if on cue, there was a knock on her door. A slow smirk curled across Vivienne’s lips as she walked gracefully to the door. She opened it, and saw the man she had been expecting.He stood there, tall and ridiculously good-looking. His muscular frame filled the doorway with ease. He had dark, piercing eyes and a smirk that could get a woman into trouble. And Vivienne had already been in trouble with him many times before.Kristan didn’t say anything at first. Instead, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her wais
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Vivienne’s house was as grand and extravagant as ever. A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling, which threw a warm glow over the shiny marble floors. The air smelled of expensive wine and a faint hint of fresh lilies. It was Vivienne’s personal touch, since she loved lilies. But tonight, no one was admiring her expensive decor. Everyone sat around a mahogany table with flutes of wine in their hands. And their faces were tense.Lucian, Soren, Evander, Alistair, and of course, Vivienne herself—the inner circle of the Averne family. And the only thing on their minds now was Roman. He had just walked out on them earlier that day, making it clear as hell that he wasn’t backing down now or ever. Now, they had no choice but to figure out how to stop him for good.Lucian leaned forward. His fingers were laced together and his expression was unreadable. “We need to move fast.”Soren, who was swirling the wine in his glass, scoffed. “Move fast? With what, exactly? We’ve tried everything to
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Roman fists were clenched at his sides, the anger boiling in his veins was barely contained.Soren’s offer to buy him off had been laughable. Insulting, even. Now, the entire room was quiet.Until Alistair decided to open his mouth.“Roman,” Alistair said, adjusting his cufflinks like he wasn’t about to say something ridiculous. “Have you thought about what people will say?”Roman exhaled sharply, already tired of whatever speech was coming. “About what, exactly?”Alistair leaned forward, placing his hands on the table. “About the company.”Roman’s eyebrow twitched. “Be specific.”Alistair’s expression was calm, collected, but Roman could hear the thin layer of frustration in his voice. “What do you want the world to say about Averne Corporation when they find out we’re having an internal crisis about who the heir is? A long-lost heir suddenly returning and demanding power? What do you think that will do to our stock value?”Roman laughed.Alistair blinked in confusion. “What’s funny?
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Roman wasn’t used to having other people make decisions for him. But apparently, Kade didn’t care. Because one minute, they were talking about getting a secure place to stay, and the next minute, Kade had already bought one.Roman found out when Kade casually tossed him a set of keys over breakfast at his place the next day. “What’s this?” Roman asked, catching them mid-air.Kade smirked, sipping his coffee. “Your new home.”Roman blinked. “Excuse me?”“You know you need a place, right?” Kade leaned back in his chair. “So, I got you one.”Roman stared at him. “You didn’t think to, maybe, I don’t know, ask me first? What if I don’t like where you picked?”Kade shrugged. “Nah. And we are going to look at it after now. I will make any changes you want.”The place was insaneA grand penthouse in the heart of the city, with floor-to-ceiling windows, sleek modern furniture, and a skyline view that looked straight out of a movie.Roman stepped inside, looking around in disbelief.The living
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Roman pushed the hospital doors open and stepped out into the cool evening air, letting out a slow breath. He should have felt relieved. The DNA test had confirmed everything—he was Roman Averne. The heir.And yet, something in his gut told him that this wasn’t over.Kade walked beside him, hands in his pockets, looking way too relaxed for someone who had just helped shake up an entire empire. He shot Roman a glance. “So, how does it feel? Finally having proof?”Roman rolled his shoulders. “Like I won round one. But I’m guessing the fight isn’t over.”Kade smirked. “Now you’re thinking like an Averne.”Roman scoffed. “That’s not exactly comforting.”Kade chuckled, unlocking his car with a tap. “Get in. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”Roman slid into the passenger seat, closing the door behind him.Something told him this conversation wasn’t gonna be a fun one.The drive was quiet, but not awkward.Kade didn’t feel the need to fill silences with small talk, and Roman was grateful for t
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Roman sat in the backseat of the sleek black car, staring out the window as the city passed by in a blur. Kade was driving. He was heading to a hospital. Not for a check-up or for an injury, but to find out if he even was who Kade thought he was.That was a whole new level of messed up, because what if he failed? How would the others take it? The ring was an indication of his heritage, but science still had it’s place. Kade sat at the driver's seat, completely relaxed, like they were on their way to grab coffee instead of taking a test that could shake Roman’s entire life. He just needed to recover his memory, and he would feel whole again. These petty doubts were getting tiring.The car pulled up to the private hospital entrance. Kade didn’t even have to announce their arrival—a small group of hospital staff and security were already waiting because Kade had called ahead.Roman took a deep breath and stepped out.Time to face the truth.When they got to the hospital, Lucian Averne,
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The room was dead silent.Roman stood beside the long, polished boardroom table, with his hands pressed flat against the wood. His gaze was sweeping over the stunned faces in front of him.Some of them looked furious. Others looked wary. A few were still trying to process the fact that he was even standing there.Good. Let them sit with it.He straightened up, adjusting the cuff of his jacket, and spoke calmly. “Let’s make this simple. I’m back. And I’m taking my place.”Another wave of murmurs rippled through the room, but Roman didn’t let it grow. He lifted a hand slightly, his expression completely unbothered.“Which means,” he continued, “whoever’s sitting in my chair right now needs to get up.”The room froze again.Then, just as he expected, chaos erupted.“This is absurd!” Alistair snapped, slamming a fist on the table. “You can’t just walk in here and make demands!”“You expect us to hand over everything just because you say so?” Evander added, his lips curling in disbelief.S
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The next day, Roman walked through the towering glass doors of the Averne Corporation building like he owned the place.Because, technically? He did.The receptionist at the front desk barely had time to glance up before Roman was already striding past her with his long coat sweeping behind him. She called after him, probably to ask for ID or tell him he needed an appointment, but he didn’t slow down.He knew exactly where he was going.To the boardroom.To his family.To the people who had tried to erase him.The elevator ride was smooth and silent, but inside, Roman’s mind was anything but. He was still replaying Kade&rsq
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Roman wasn’t sure what he had expected when Kade said they were heading to his family’s company, but sneaking in like spies hadn’t been at the top of the list.Yet here they were.The Averne Corporation headquarters was a very tall, glass-covered beast in the heart of the city. It was intimidating and powerful-looking, and exactly what you’d expect from a company that controlled various industries across the world. It was the kind of place where billionaires made billion-dollar decisions before heading off to sip wine on a private island.And right now, Roman was standing in the shadows of its underground parking lot, staring up at the place like a stranger.Because that’s what he was at that time.“Alright,” he muttered, adjusting the collar of his black jacket. “So what’s the plan? We just walk in and say, ‘Hey, I’m back from the dead, give me my company’?”Kade, who was leaning casually against a concrete pillar like he had all the time in the world, smirked. “Not quite. That would
