Chapter 99

Author's POV:

The opulent sitting room in the Wu family villa thrummed with scarcely repressed tension as the two rival patriarchs faced off. On one side of the ornately carved redwood table, Wang Zhenguo radiated outrage from every pore. His son Wang Dazhong and granddaughter Ming flanked him like grim-faced bodyguards. 

Across the polished marble floor, Wu Qiang sat back in his high-backed chair with a facade of implacable calm. But his eyes glittered with the faintest hint of goading amusement at the sight of the Wang family's bristling indignation.

"You overstep yourself, Wang Zhenguo," the Wu patriarch stated evenly. "Our two houses may have had some vague conversations decades ago about a union, but nothing was ever formalized beyond that. Certainly nothing binding enough to restrict my grandson's options indefinitely."

Wang Zhenguo's weathered face mottled an ugly crimson at the dismissive words.