Inside the Rolls-Royce, silence reigned for a while as the car smoothly glided through the city streets, its windows tinted like secrets.
Lan Brown sat upright beside Cora, his voice calm but filled with quiet thunder. "Lady Cora," he said, turning slightly toward her, "we've removed James Lorenzo's name from the guest list for the Victor family's Most Uprising Businessman of the Year ceremony. As of this moment, he no longer exists in that space."
At that moment he paused, then added coldly, "Your father has also ordered us to begin blacklisting him. Every contract our networks gave him every investment we funneled through his pathetic name will be revoked. Even if we incur losses in billions… it won't affect the Freeman family."
Lan's voice darkened further.
"Your father said it's time to destroy him, not the old way. Not in silence. But publicly… rightfully."
Still Cora remained quiet.
She looked out the window, the city lights blurring like memories she no longer cared to hold.
Her reflection stared back at her, unreadable.
After a long pause, she finally spoke, her voice soft but firm.
"Add his name back to the list," she said.
At that moment Lan turned to her slowly, surprised.
But Cora's eyes didn't shift. "Let him attend," she whispered. "I want him to be there."
The car's atmosphere shifted instantly.
Again Lan and Giovanni stared at Cora, stunned by her order.
For a moment, both men silently wondered Could Lady Cora still have feelings for that bastard? Was this hesitation… mercy? But then Cora turned to them, but this time,
her eyes were sharper than ever. Cold, Precise, Like the blade of a sword drawn just before a kill.
"I'll deal with James myself," she said, her tone steady and laced with quiet fury. "On my own terms."
Lan leaned forward slightly, still cautious.
Cora's lips curved into something between a smile and a threat. "Don't blacklist him. Don't cut off his contracts. Don't move too fast."
She looked at Lan, her voice growing colder.
"James is my prey. And I want him to feel the chase the heat, the fear, the desperation before I finish him off completely."
Then Giovanni's lips twitched into a dark grin.
Lan's expression relaxed, and he nodded with admiration from what he just heard. "Understood, Lady Cora."
Just then, the car began to slow.
The golden gates of the Freeman estate opened in elegant silence, and the vehicle rolled to a stop in front of a sprawling modern mansion.
As Cora stepped out, the evening breeze lifted her hair gently.
Giovanni followed behind her and spoke with a slight bow. "Your father sends his regards, my Lady. He said he'll arrive in a week's time."
He gestured toward the grand entrance. "In the meantime, he figured you might want space. The entire mansion has been redecorated to your personal taste."
Cora gave Giovanni a small nod of acknowledgment, her gaze sharp and composed.
Then she turned to Lan, her voice firm but unhurried. "I want all the records," she said. "Every deal. Every single contract and connection my companies used to support James Lorenzo. I want it all before sundown."
Immediately Lan straightened, nodding with purpose. "Yes, Lady Cora. I'll have it prepared immediately."
Without another word, Cora turned and walked alone toward the grand estate. Her shoe clicked softly against the polished stone path, each step measured, deliberate like the calm before a coming storm.
As she neared the entrance, two figures emerged from a short distance ahead.
Both well-dressed, their suits tailored, their postures proud but their expressions softened the moment they saw her.
It was the Young Master of the Victor family… and beside him, his older brother the Eldest Son of the Victors.
They approached slowly, respectfully, And then, together, they bowed slightly.
"It's an honor to have you back, Lady Cora," the younger one said quietly, with genuine admiration.
But before Cora could respond, the eldest stepped forward.
His eyes met hers, unwavering.
"My feelings haven't changed," he said with quiet sincerity. "My love is still available to you."
He smiled gently, a hint of warmth under his composed demeanor. "I can cook. I'll wash your feet if you ask. I'll drive you anywhere, anytime, like your personal chauffeur."
He took a breath and added, "I'll protect you with my life, like your bodyguard. And above all… I would never ask for intimacy unless you say otherwise."