Power Struggles

Beatrice was a little shaken as she witnessed Noran's icy demeanor. It was a side of her brother she had never seen before. Throughout their childhood, Noran had always been composed, never getting upset despite their parents' relentless demands for perfection.

She swallowed and replied cautiously, "You misunderstood me, Brother. Even with my position, I have no control over the flight schedule. And even if I did, I wouldn't be foolish enough to waste millions just to delay your flight home for a few hours. Do you realize the extent of our losses every time there's a flight delay?"

"Losses?" Noran expressed skepticism. "I'm sure our parents wouldn't mind bearing those losses. Tens of millions mean nothing to the Kingstons."

"You're wrong, Brother. Mum and Dad aren't doing as well as before. That's why they need you now."

"What do you mean?" Noran asked, his anger giving way to confusion.

Beatrice sighed. "I'm sure that you heard about the Skylight plane crashes which killed thousands of passengers in the past two years."

Noran was aware of the plane crashes involving Skylight Airlines. The first crash, shrouded in mystery as wreckage remained undiscovered for weeks, claimed numerous lives. The second, occurring during harsh weather conditions, worsened public confidence. Skylight faced financial strain from settlements and investigations, edging dangerously close to bankruptcy.

"To tell you the truth, the crashes were orchestrated by our rival company to undermine us," Beatrice revealed. "Over the past few years, Mum and Dad poured significant investments into Skylight. With Skylight now facing bankruptcy from the sabotage, they've suffered significant financial losses and needed more cash to sustain their position within the Kingston family."

"What does that have to do with me?" Noran frowned. He wasn't interested in the Kingston's or his sister's financial situation.

"You still don't understand?" Beatrice shook her head at Noran's ignorance. "You may be a genius but you sure aren't familiar with how crafty humans can be.

Beatrice paused before adding, "They need you now because Sophia Carter wants you."

Sophia Carter.

That name ignited a storm within Noran, a tempest of anger and resentment swirling beneath his calm exterior as he clutched his hands.

Despite noticing her brother's darkened expression, Beatrice continued to explain, "Sophia had agreed to help Mum and Dad with their losses and invest in Skylight, but only if you agreed to marry her."

"Bullshit," Noran cursed without caring about his public image now. "They couldn't force me into marriage with her twelve years ago. What makes them think they can succeed now?"

"They let you off twelve years ago because they had me, Brother," Beatrice replied and sighed with a hint of distress. "Do you think I wanted to marry my husband back then? I had no choice. I wasn't brave enough like you to abandon everything and run away…"

Noran kept quiet, knowing quite well that their parents had arranged for Beatrice to marry the current CEO of Skylight to improve their positions within the Kingston family's hierarchy and influence. Strategic marriage like this was quite common among the upper echelons of society.

However, Noran felt no sympathy for Beatrice. He knew she had benefited from the marriage as well. Upon learning that Sophia would rescue her husband's company if he married her, Noran suspected that Beatrice had come to persuade him to divorce Shuri and marry Sophia.

"So, now I'm of no use. They switch their target to you," Beatrice spoke truthfully, "If they could make me marry someone I've never loved, they could do the same to you, Brother."

"I'm not like you," Noran replied bluntly. "I don't yield to anyone."

"I know." Beatrice replied, her expression tinged with sadness. "You may think I came to convince you to give up on your marriage and marry Sophia, but that's not my intention. To be honest, I don't care if Skylight goes bankrupt."

Noran was a little surprised by her words, but he remained expressionless.

"I came today because I wanted to see how my brother whom I once envied is doing," Beatrice stated honestly. "You probably never realized how much I wished I had your talent to effortlessly excel in everything you do. I also admired your courage to sacrifice everything for love, and I wanted the freedom you obtained after leaving the family. But now, I'm starting to pity you…"

Beatrice paused and walked past Noran, looking regretfully at him. "You shouldn't have returned here if you're going to remain this powerless…"