เข้าสู่ระบบThe applause grew louder, filling the grand ballroom and echoing off its high, decorated ceilings. Hundreds of corporate executives, investors, and hedge fund managers stood up together, clapping as they welcomed her. Above the stage, the large LED screens came on, showing Evelyn's face clearly for everyone to see. She stood behind the podium in her fitted black blazer, her diamond earrings shining under the white lights. Her expression remained calm and serious.Before she could even reach the microphone, three of Wall Street's biggest institutional lenders walked to the front of the stage. They greeted her with eager smiles and offered their hands, each hoping to get her attention.Tristan stood frozen, gripping his glass of scotch so tightly that the crystal began to creak. All the color left his face. His eyes moved from Evelyn on the stage to her face on the giant screen above, while his chest rose and fell quickly. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.The same woman who had s
"Are you entirely sure you want to walk into that ballroom without a full security detail surrounding you?" Maya asked, standing by the edge of the dressing table as she straightened the sharp lapel of Evelyn's structured black blazer. "Alexander offered to fly in and support your team for the entire evening. He doesn't want you walking into a room full of ruthless businessmen without anyone backing you up."Evelyn looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror, adjusting her diamond stud earrings as they caught the cool light above her. Her makeup was simple but flawless, bringing out her sharp features while hiding any signs of morning sickness."Alexander is strongly protective, but this isn't a joint operation for Sovereign Holdings. This is Aegis Capital, and I am walking through those doors on my own terms. Tell his team to stay parked three blocks away."Maya sighed softly, tapping the screen of her tablet. "Private security is ready just in case. Press access has been ful
"The shipping contracts are gone."Henderson stood by the corner of the glass desk, his hands shaking as he dropped a thick stack of cancellation notices on the desk. The paper hit the surface with a heavy sound.Tristan kept his eyes on his laptop. His eyes were red from lack of sleep as he stared at a spreadsheet showing red figures across every quarterly report. The blue light from the screen cast shadows across his face and sharp jawline."What do you mean they're gone? We've held those shipping lanes for three years without a single dispute.""Sovereign Holdings underbid us by ten percent overnight," Henderson whispered, his voice tight with rising panic as he wiped his damp palms against his trousers. "And it's not just the shipping routes. Two of our main hardware suppliers have pulled out of the autumn delivery schedule because our credit rating dropped three points before the market opened this morning."Tristan slammed his hand flat against the desk. The heavy glass paperwei
"Madam Nora, please. You have known me since I was a teenager. You know how much I have given up for this family."Chloe leaned forward across the candlelit table and placed her hands over her white silk napkin. Her voice had a weak, shaky tone that was meant to make Nora feel sorry for her. Matriarch Nora sat straight in her chair at the head of the private dining room with her wineglass, her silver hair pulled back into a tight bun. Her sharp eyes moved from Chloe to her son across the table."Evelyn was here just a few days ago as your wife, Tristan," Nora said, her voice cold and firm. "And now you're sitting in my home, hosting a dinner party for a woman you claim is dying. Forgive me if I find it difficult to understand how things changed so quickly."Tristan dropped his fork against his porcelain plate. The sharp sound echoed through the dining room. "Mother, don't start this tonight. Chloe is dying. She has five months left. Six at the most. She doesn't have time for your com
"Are you telling me the papers were signed without checking her offshore medical files first?"Alexander Sterling leaned back in his leather chair, his dark eyes fixed on his chief operating officer across the wooden desk. The private office on the top floor of Sovereign Holdings overlooked the glittering Manhattan skyline, but Alexander wasn't looking at the view."Not only did he sign them, sir, he didn't even read the custody clauses," his COO replied, adjusting his glasses. "Tristan Sinclair handed over his marriage for a woman who lied about her taxes five years ago. And right now, his entire logistics network is crashing because Evelyn pulled her private backing."Alexander let out a slow breath through his nose, his thumb tracing the smooth metal edge of his pen. A faint smirk touched the corner of his mouth."He never deserved her," Alexander said, his voice dropping into a low, rough register. "He spent three years treating her like a piece of furniture while she quietly held
"What do you mean every major bank in Manhattan just turned us down?"Tristan slammed his coffee cup onto the glass table, making the dark coffee splash over the edge.Henderson, his chief financial officer, wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. He stood stiffly on the other side of the desk, holding a thick stack of rejection letters against his chest."They aren't just turning us down, Mr. Sinclair," Henderson said, his voice shaking. "They are quoting the exact same risk margin. Someone has flagged our corporate profile across the entire banking sector. Every private lender we approach is pulling their credit lines within ten minutes of reviewing our files."Tristan pressed his lips together in anger. He walked back and forth across the rug in his office, his heavy shoes making loud sounds against the wooden floor. "Find who did it. Dig into every competitor in the tri-state area. I want to know which firm is systematically buying up our debt.""We already checked







