Kimberly didn't know what to expect of Lord Niklaus but she never expected him to be a woman. This woman had long silver hair, flawless snow white skin, and wore a gold mask that concealed her face. Kimberly bowed. "Lord Niklaus. It's an honour to be in your presence."Silence. The woman walked confidently to the other side of the desk and sat down. "You may rise."Kimberly stood up, in awe of such power before her. She had initially thought the New lord of the Phoenix family would be a man but he turns out surprisingly to be a woman. "You've got sixty seconds," the woman said, checking her wrist watch "I'll listen to you for sixty seconds. Your time starts now."Kimberly took a deep breath and began to speak, explaining her proposal to the Lord as quickly and clearer as she can. As she spoke, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of expression this woman made behind that golden mask. She wondered if she would be interested in aiding her family or not. When she finished, the
Kimberly stepped out of the sauna, her skin glistening with sweat. She was dressed in a white robe, her hair wrapped in a towel. She took a deep breath and made her way to the banquet room.As she entered Sir Harold's banquet room, she was greeted by a stunning display of elegance. The room was beautifully decorated, with gold-plated chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and elegant table settings.There were twenty people seated around the table, all dressed in their finest attire. The table was set with sparkling silverware and fine china, and the food was presented beautifully on platters. There was a roasted pig in the center of the table, surrounded by bowls of steaming vegetables, bread, and fruits.Kimberly felt a sense of importance as she was ushered to the seat next to Sir Harold. She looked around the room, taking in the beauty of the banquet and feeling proud to be a part of it.As the feast began, Nicholas, was the one serving the meals and clearing plates. Despite h
Nicholas smirked then ordered, "Jean, bow and kiss my feet!"Silence. No one said a word but marveled at Nicholas audacity. Jean growled. "You filth. Why the hell would I ever bow to you?""Remember when you said I could never raise twenty million dollars?" Nicholas reminded him. Jean's eyes widened. "Huh? What did you say?""We made a bet between ourselves," Nicholas continued. "If I succeed, you will bow and kiss my feet."Jean was quiet. He didn't know if he was coming or going. Of course he remembered the bet. Nicholas grinned broadly. "You're awfully quiet, Jean. Where was all that spirit, huh?"Jean bite his lips. If he bowed to Nicholas and kiss his feet, he would lose his face in front of his family. Also if he didn't fulfil his part of the bet, his family would consider him untrustworthy and unfit to be a leader. He must find a way to escape such humiliation. "What are you waiting for Jean?" Nicholas said, his eyes growing darker. "Bow and kiss my feet. Then apologize t
Nicholas felt anger and embarrassment boil inside of him after being slapped by the jewelry attendant. He was used to being treated this way but never by a stranger. Being treated so disrespectfully in public was a blow to his ego.As he tried to compose himself, Nicholas' phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and saw that the caller ID was from his advisor, Julia. He answered the call, eager to hear what she had to say."Lord Niklaus," Julia began explaining. "The jewelry store you're in buys its jewelry from Liberty state."Nicholas eyes widened. How does she knows he was buying jewelries? Was he being watched?"Is that so?" Nicholas asked, feigning surprise. Julia sounded embittered with what's just transpired between him and the attendant. "Yes my Lord," she continued. "Seventy percent of the jewelries were bought on credit with loans from our bank."Nicholas felt a sense of glee and satisfaction as he heard this information. It was the break he needed to turn the situat
Nicholas was caught off guard as Kimberly, caught him stepping out of the car of a woman. He tried to act nonchalant, but his heart was racing as he wondered how he was going to explain this to her. Kimberly walked up towards Nicholas with a look of disbelief on her face. She was curious and angry, feeling betrayed by her husband's actions."My beloved, what're you doing out here?" Nicholas asked, trying to keep his voice steady. "I should be asking you the same question," Kimberly said, her eyes darkened. Nicholas quickly hide the diamond ring in his pocket just in time before she was closer. "What were you doing with her?" Kimberly asked, pointing at Julia in the car. "Are you cheating on me with another woman?"Nicholas immediately saw the danger in that. Of course it's the only logical conclusion to jump into since she had caught him with another woman. If she gets too suspicious, she might file for a divorce. That would be bad for Nicholas cover because he needed his ba
Later that night, Nicholas walked up the stairs to Kimberly's room to deliver the coffee she ordered. Kimberly was seated before her mirror, titivating herself. She looked so beautiful, Nicholas thought, smiling to himself. Tomorrow was their wedding anniversary. He still felt the diamond ring burning a hole in his pocket. What a surprise it'd be when he gets down on one knees and slip the ring in her finger. Their marriage wasn't yet consummated. He planned to propose to her tomorrow and have a real wedding done. As he dropped her coffee on the bedside table, Kimberly suddenly stopped him. "Hold on, Nicholas. I want to talk to you."Nicholas waited, unsure of what she was going to say. She had her back turned to him but he could see her expression through her mirror reflection. "Yes my beloved?" Nicholas said. "Do you know why you're still in this family?" Nicholas asked. "Yes," he answered. "It's because I'm married to you."She grimaced, then turned around slowly to fac
Sir Harold and the Goldstein family purchased a ten floor towering skyscraper in North Hills City, and they were determined to turn it into a profitable bank. The skyscraper costs about $20 million per floor but they saw the potential for growth in the area.Kimberly was tasked with overseeing the renovation of the building. She walked through the construction site, checking on the progress of the workers and reminding them of the tight deadline they faced. The workers were hard at work, despite the noise and dust, but Kimberly was determined to ensure the project was completed on time.As Kimberly was inspecting the site, she received an urgent call from Sir Harold. He asked her to come to the top office of the skyscraper as soon as possible. She quickly made her way to the elevator, which was in good condition and took her smoothly to the top floor.The top office of the future bank was undergoing renovations, but it was still possible to see the potential of the space. The wa
Jean was a nervous wreck as he prepared to meet and usher Lord Niklaus to the ballroom. He was the one responsible for making a good first impression and he was terrified of messing things up. This was the biggest moment for their family, and the stakes were high.Just as Jean was starting to gather his nerves, Sir Harold barged in. Seeing Jean's nervousness, Sir Harold chastised him for having cold feet. "What's the matter with you?" he asked, his voice stern. "You can't let a little stage fright get in the way of this opportunity. Lord Niklaus is important, and you need to make a good impression."Sir Harold reminded Jean of the importance of Lord Niklaus's visit and why he mustn't mess things up. He explained that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and if Jean didn't make the most of it, their family could miss out on a great opportunity.Sir Harold had made arrangements for Jean to meet and build up a relationship with Lord Niklaus instead of Kimberly. Jean knew that