LOGIN"Take it off?" Vincent said.His eyes widened in disbelief. This was the last thing he'd expected Calliope to say.Seeing his flustered expression, Calliope let a playful smile curl on her lips."What's the matter? You were quite bold, calling yourself my husband just now. Have you suddenly lost the nerve to fulfill your duties?" she teased.Blood rushed straight to Vincent's cheeks. He let out a quick cough to mask his discomfort."Let's, uh… look at this from a different perspective. Take the idea of soulmates, for example. We could be a couple that transcends the physical and focuses purely on a bond between our souls."At that, Calliope's smile turned even colder."Soulmates? Give me a break," she said mockingly. "It sounds to me like you want all the benefits without taking any responsibility. You can't even step up to the plate, yet here you are asking for a favor."Exposed, Vincent felt his humiliation curdle into anger."That's a stretch, and you know it," he said. "I
Laura's tone left no room for negotiation."Ms. Albright, I—" Vincent started, but she cut him off."I have an important call coming up shortly. Perhaps we'll cross paths again, Mr. Carter."Then, she stood, signaling that the meeting was over.A woman of her caliber didn't squander time on indecision. But since she'd made her stance clear, doubling down right now would work against Vincent, making him look desperate instead of capable.Vincent glanced at Marisol, who offered a quiet nod. Her eyes held a mixture of resignation and steady support.He took a breath. There was nothing left to do but accept the reality and regroup."Thank you for your time. We'll take our leave," he said, delivering a polite farewell before exiting the suite with Marisol by his side.As they stepped out of the hotel, the weight of the failure settled over Vincent. He had to find a way to win Laura over, or he was finished.…Back at the villa, exhaustion hit him harder than it had in years.Thre
As soon as they stepped inside, Vincent's eyes locked onto the middle-aged woman sitting on the couch.He'd only seen half her face in a photo before, but there was no mistaking her now. This was the real Laura Albright."Hello, Ms. Albright. I'm Vincent Carter," he greeted politely."Mr. Carter, please have a seat," Laura replied, gesturing toward the seat across from her. She carried herself with that quiet, formal demeanor typical of someone from Derman.Vincent sat down across from her with a warm, casual smile as Marisol took her position beside him."Getting an audience with you turned out to be quite the ordeal," he said, half-joking.Laura laughed along with him."My apologies for that. The gala was just a small gathering for some friends of mine. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling well enough to attend," she replied.They both knew the truth about that illness well enough. There was no point bringing it up.Now that he had her attention, Vincent wasn't about to waste a s
The security guards hauled Gordon out of the office without hesitation. His shouts echoed down the hallway until they eventually faded into silence. Marisol looked at Vincent, her face a mask of worry. The insults had made her wince. If hearing them was this painful, then it must have been worse for Vincent to tolerate them.Vincent merely smiled faintly, letting the insults roll off him."Let him say whatever he wants. I don't care."He spoke quietly, a hardened resolve in his gaze. After everything he'd been through across two lifetimes, it would take a lot more than this to break him.…By the time Gordon was out of the building, it was already one in the afternoon.Vincent planned to check the quarterly financial reports, but Marisol burst in with news that changed everything."Vincent, we got the callback from Laura's office. She's agreed to meet us at 3:00 pm today at Maple Grand Hotel, where she's staying!" Marisol exclaimed, unable to hide the excitement in her tone.
Gordon's eyes went bloodshot as rage nearly consumed him. He ground his teeth in fury, but he knew better than to act rashly.He had to play the long game.Forcing his anger down, he crouched down again and carefully picked up the remaining shards of glass. Every shard he collected added to his shame, stoking his anger further.Vincent was going to pay for this. Someday, the tables would turn.Gritting his teeth against the pain, Gordon collected shard after shard. Throughout it all, he kept his eyes locked on Vincent, his gaze filled with murderous intent.By the time he finished, his hands were covered in small cuts, thin lines of blood seeping out across his skin."Are you happy now?" he growled.Choking down his rage and shame, Gordon dumped the shards into the trash. He grabbed some tissues and pressed them firmly against the cuts to stop the bleeding.Vincent gave a cold smirk, lifting his chin."Does it hurt?" he asked."Isn't that a stupid question?" Gordon seethed in
Vincent's palm connected squarely with Gordon's face, sending him reeling back and struggling to stay upright.Vincent's gaze was ice-cold, and a mocking smile played on his lips."Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm still the CEO of Carter Group. And even if I weren't, you still wouldn't stand a chance against me.""What?" Gordon said, his eyes wide with disbelief.After everything that had happened, Vincent was still CEO? How was that possible?"No. That can't be. That's impossible!" Gordon growled.The commotion had drawn a crowd outside the office, with employees craning their necks to catch a glimpse of what was happening.An employee nearby quietly said to Gordon, "It's true. They couldn't get enough votes to remove him."The news caught Gordon off guard. He went rigid, the color draining from his face as sweat formed on his brow.What now? What was he supposed to do? Panic filled Gordon's chest.The sight of Vincent standing there, completely unfazed, was the final str







