48 As the guard approached once more, Leslie felt her heart pounding in her chest, a mix of fear and frustration coursing through her veins. She glanced at Darius, seeking reassurance in his calm demeanor, and found it in the firm squeeze of his hand. Ray's smirk grew wider, his eyes alight with t
49 The guard took the invitations from Darius with a nod of thanks before turning his attention to Leslie, his eyes scrutinizing her carefully. "And you, miss?" he asked, Leslie's hands trembled slightly as she reluctantly retrieved her invitation from her purse. "This is ridiculous," she muttere
50 As Leslie and Darius sat down, Rana fixed Leslie with a cold stare. "You may have gotten past security this time, but you won't fool us for long. We'll be watching you closely." Leslie met Rana's gaze calmly. "I have nothing to hide. I'm simply here to better our business, as any family member
51Leslie's heart skipped a beat as she dared to hope, her pulse quickening with anticipation. Could it be her? Had her hard work and dedication finally been recognized?Ray forced a smile, but his heart raced, his palms slick with sweat. This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't the one who had sea
52Lord Werner paced before the fireplace, anger evident in his stiff movements. "Explain yourself, Ray," Lord Werner demanded, his brow furrowed with anger. "Why did Mr. Sanchez mention Leslie's name instead of yours?" He shooted his grandson a stern look.Ray's mind raced as he searched for a way
53Leslie wore a worried expression, sensing Ray was about to spin another web of deceit.Ray forced a smile, his expression oozing with false charm. "Like I've just said, grandfather, I've been keeping quiet so as not to cause trouble within the family," Ray said in a smooth tone. "But since Leslie
54Meanwhile, at Sanchez Industries, Darius was meeting with Sanchez in his office. "Thank you for what you did Sanchez," said Darius, clenching his fists in frustration. "Those fools in the Werner family wouldn't listen to reason. Now they'll have no choice but to see the truth - that it was Lesli
55The salesman, whose name badge read "Laurent Spencer," let out a derisive laugh. "You? Purchase this vehicle? Oh, please, spare me the charade. Are you auditioning for a role as a billionaire, or is this merely a misguided attempt at comedy?"Darius felt a surge of irritation, but he forced himse
Olivia only had eyes for Darius. She greeted him with a radiant smile and pulled him into a warm hug. "Darius, it's wonderful to see you again! I'm so glad you could make it."Her kindness toward Darius, when others had once scorned her, was not lost on those present.Darius warmly returned Olivia’s
Darius said calmly to Jason, "I have nothing to prove to small minds like yours. My keys, if you please."Sensing that Darius wasn't getting riled up, Jason gripped the keys tighter, sneering. "Admit what we all know deep down—you’re not living the high life, poor boy." Laughter echoed around them.
285But before Darius could respond, he noticed Jason approach with Brianna on his arm. Jason’s face was twisted in a sneer as he eyed Darius, clearly irritated by the attention he was receiving."Pretending to be rich now, are we, Darius?" Jason said in a mocking tone. Darius could see the jealousy
284As Darius West stepped into Chez Michel, the warm greeting from the maître d' momentarily eased his tension. "Good evening, sir. May I have the name for your reservation?""Darius West. I'm here for Miss Olivia Donna's party," he replied, keeping his voice steady despite the flutter of nerves in
283Few hours after Sanchez left, Darius' phone rang. Glancing at the screen, he saw it was his old friend Eric calling. He answered with a calm tone, despite the whirlwind of thoughts still brewing in his mind."Hello, Eric. What's up?" Darius said, leaning back in his chair."Darius, mate! Great n
282The next day, Darius woke up feeling the weight of last night's conversation with Max still lingering in his mind. His body ached slightly from the tension, but there was no time to dwell on it. After a quick, cold shower to shake off the fatigue, he dressed in his usual sleek, understated suit, his mind already racing through the tasks ahead.Stepping into his Eclipse, he gripped the steering wheel tightly, the engine purring beneath him as he drove toward the office. The city blurred by, but his thoughts were sharp. Jason’s plan, Max’s betrayal—it all simmered under the surface, waiting for the right moment to strike back.Once inside his office, the cool, modern interior did little to settle his nerves. He tossed his briefcase on the desk and immediately reached for the phone, dialing Mr. Sanchez’s number. The line rang only once before it was answered."Good morning, young master," Mr. Sanchez’s voice greeted, calm and professional as always.Darius didn’t waste time with pleas
"I don’t want any part of this," Max’s voice cracked through the phone, clearly strained. "That’s why I’m calling you. I’m out. Whatever Jason’s planning, I want no involvement. I just thought you should know."Darius stopped pacing, his brows furrowing as suspicion bubbled inside him. "You’re sudde
280Darius stormed into the villa, his mind racing as he dialed Eric's number. The phone rang twice before Eric's voice answered, sounding strained."Darius? What's up?""What’s up?" Darius repeated, his voice hard. "Why didn’t you tell me you fought Jason tonight? Are you okay?"Eric exhaled sharpl
279Just as Darius was pulling into his driveway, his phone rang again, cutting through the silence. Without glancing at the caller ID, he picked up, already anticipating Brianna's voice on the other end. His frustration boiled over immediately."What now, Brianna?" he barked into the phone, his gri