CHAPTER 7

Hearing what Cecilia just said .

Raymond stood in silence for a long moment, his red-rimmed eyes fixed on the ground as though lost in thought. Finally, he spoke, his voice calm but laced with determination. "She will survive it. I won't turn her again."

Charles glanced at Cecilia uneasily before speaking, his tone cautious. "But it might not be like before… things have changed drastically—"

Raymond cut him off sharply. "Enough."

The air around Raymond seemed to ripple with his rising anger. A sudden, almost imperceptible vibration emanated from him, making the hallway feel charged with energy.

Instinctively, both Charles and Cecilia dropped to their knees, their heads bowed low.

"Master, we're sorry," they said in unison, their voices trembling with respect and submission.

Raymond took a deep breath, his rage dissipating as quickly as it had risen. "I don't want to talk about it," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Raymond stepped closer to Charles and tapped him lightly on the shoulder, his voice soft but authoritative.

"Bring me the files on ZRK Company," he ordered. "I want to see the list of bidders for the new project we've placed on the market."

Immediately Charles nodded, bowing his head again before rising to his feet and leaving the hallway without another word.

Raymond then turned to Cecilia, his tone no less commanding but carrying a hint of expectation.

"Go to the Jonah City Trade Center," he instructed. "I want a full report on all the companies they've been investing in. Announce that we're about to launch a multi-billion-dollar investment plan. Only those with impeccable paperwork and high-quality proposals will qualify for a slice of it."

He paused, his gaze sharpening. "Make it clear that the Jonah City Trade Center will no longer accept new companies for now. Instead, they will review every company already involved in previous investment plans. I want a thorough assessment to determine who stays and who gets cut off."

At that moment Cecilia bowed her head respectfully to Raymond before walking away. Her steps were brisk as she made her way to the car park, her expression unreadable.

Charles was already waiting for her by the sleek black cars lined up neatly under the covered lot. His posture straightened when he saw her approach, and he opened his arms as if to embrace her.

"Cecilia," he began, a soft smile on his lips.

But before he could take another step, Cecilia's knee shot up with precision, landing squarely in his groin.

Charles doubled over instantly, his face contorted in pain as he stumbled backward and collapsed onto the pavement.

"Don't even think about it," Cecilia said coldly, her voice sharp and unwavering.

"We're not pretending to be married anymore. Don't get an inch close to me."

Charles groaned, clutching his stomach as he rolled onto his side. "This… this is the perfect time for us to build chemistry!" he managed to choke out between gasps.

"If we don't act convincingly, Valentina will sense that we're not real… that we're not an actual elderly couple!"

Cecilia scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she strode past him.

"We don't need to make contact to know each other, Charles," she said coolly, her heels clicking against the pavement.

"We haven't done that for decades, you still remember my name, don't you? So clearly, we don't need it."

She reached her car—a Rolls-Royce Phantom with a polished silver finish—and opened the door with effortless grace.

Charles, still grimacing, managed to push himself upright. He leaned against a nearby vehicle for support, his expression a mixture of frustration.

"You know, this could've been easier…" he muttered under his breath, but his voice lacked any real fight.

At that moment Cecilia shot him a sharp look from over her shoulder before sliding into the driver's seat. Charles straightened up slowly, clearly unhappy, but there was little he could do.

Cecilia gripped the wheel tightly, her eyes sharp and focused as the car roared to life and sped down the private road. The soft hum of the Rolls-Royce Phantom quickly faded into the distance as she headed toward her destination.

Meanwhile, Charles moved with less grace.

He climbed into his car, an understated but powerful sedan, and drove toward the location Raymond had assigned him.

As the car rolled away from the mansion, his face began to shift subtly, the youthful features softening, wrinkles appearing like cracks on porcelain. By the time he reached the outskirts of the city, he had fully transformed into an elderly man—though not the version Cecilia or Valentina had seen before. This was an entirely different person.

Pulling his phone from the dashboard holder, Charles made a quick call.

"I'm on my way," he said curtly to the ZRK Company secretary.

On the other end of the line, the secretary's voice wavered with excitement and urgency.

"The boss is coming!" he roared, and the sound of frantic footsteps and commands echoed in the background.

Charles smirked faintly, amused by the chaos his arrival always seemed to cause.

Without wasting anymore time he ended the call and focused on the road, the gleaming city skyline growing larger with every mile.

When he arrived at the ZRK Company's headquarters, it was clear that his presence was no small affair. A red carpet stretched from the curb to the entrance, flanked by neatly lined staff members in crisp suits. Trumpets blared as soon as his car came to a stop, and every employee present, including the secretary, bow 90 degrees in perfect unison.

At that moment the driver hurried to open the car door, but Charles, now fully embodying his persona, opened it himself.

He stepped out gallantly, his movements slow and deliberate, exuding authority and control.

The crowd parted like waves as he walked toward the entrance, his polished shoes tapping against the red carpet. The company secretary, a woman with sharp eyes and a poised demeanor, bowed deeply at a perfect ninety-degree angle as he approached.

"Welcome, Master George Kaden," she said, her hands extended in greeting.