Chapter 21: The Table of Hidden Truths

Green returned to the dining room, her heels clicking softly against the polished marble floor of the estate. Her mind still rang with the voice she had overheard moments ago .

"She doesn't deserve him… He was mine before she even showed up with her fake little smile…"

Her throat burned. She took her seat beside Joseph, who was mid-conversation with two distant uncles about the meteoric rise of Leon Corp.

"…the Santiago Port project will be finished in six months," Joseph was saying, his tone calm but confident. "We've expanded into renewable logistics, and my father's legacy is being realized."

"You've done what Leon dreamed of," one uncle said with a proud nod. "He'd be proud."

Green tried to smile as she slipped back into her seat. Joseph turned to her and gently held her hand beneath the table. He leaned in, brushing a soft kiss to her cheek. She managed a faint smile, even though her chest was knotted with unease.

Joseph studied her face. He knew her well enough to sense the shift in her eyes.

"Is everything alright?" he whispered low, only for her to hear.

She nodded too quickly, squeezing his hand. He let his palm rest warmly on her lap, then slid it slowly down to her thigh. It calmed her, slightly. But her mind was still tangled.

She pointed toward a golden platter of lobster butter risotto set further down the table. "I think I'd like that," she said, her voice small.

Joseph reached for the dish and served it onto her plate with a smile. Around the large dining table that seated fifteen, more glasses clinked and conversations buzzed. Green tried to eat, but every bite felt heavy.

Was it the engagement announcement, or the fact she didn't belong in their world that made her the center of so many glances?

Suddenly, a voice cut through the clamor.

"Joseph, where do you plan to hold your wedding? Mexico?"

It was Ashley, a pretty, curious cousin no older than eighteen. Her ponytail bounced as she leaned forward, clearly fascinated. She'd been eyeing Green since the moment she sat down.

Joseph turned toward her with an amused smile.

"That's for Green to decide," he said, resting his arm behind Green's chair.

Ashley squealed a little. "Oh! I bet it's going to be huge. Like, talk-of-the-country huge. The money is there, after all. I want mine in Paris someday… in every magazine."

Green chuckled. "And you'll make a beautiful bride, Ashley."

Ashley's eyes sparkled. "Thank you!"

Green leaned toward her and said gently, "But for me? I'd prefer something private. Intimate. Somewhere no cameras could find."

Joseph smiled at her. "Anywhere you want, it's yours."

Ashley swooned a little. "You two look like a movie. It's unreal."

Green smiled again, but her heart was heavy. The words she had overheard from Arianna wouldn't stop scratching at her mind.

She leaned closer to Joseph. "Can I talk to you… privately?" she whispered.

He nodded instantly. "Of course."

They stood, excused themselves politely, and slipped away from the grand dining room. Joseph led her through the long corridor, past glistening chandeliers and Renaissance oil paintings, until they found a quiet library room lined with dark wood, velvet curtains, and a marble fireplace crackling softly.

Joseph leaned against the wall and pulled her close, hands at her waist. "What's going on?"

Green hesitated, her fingers trembling slightly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's Arianna," she began. "She's up to something, Joseph. I overheard her."

He frowned.

"She was talking to someone—on the phone, I think. Crying. Saying I don't deserve you. That… you were hers before I ever came around with my fake little smile."

Joseph's face hardened. "We were never a thing."

"She has feelings for you, Joseph. I've seen it. Felt it." Green touched his cheek. "She was crying. I didn't hear who she was talking to. But I think we should be careful."

Joseph pulled her closer. "Hey," he said, his voice soft, "You're not the girl who came around with a fake smile. You're the woman I would fight the world for. I love you, Green. Nothing Arianna says or does will change that."

He kissed her forehead, then tilted his head. "In fact… let's leave. I'm tired of the eyes and the tension. I just want peace. With you."

Green smiled faintly. "Should we just… go to a hotel tonight?"

Joseph was already pulling out his phone. "You want to pick, or should I buy the whole place?"

She laughed. "Joseph. You have enough houses already."

"Then I'll buy you one more. Just in case you want to run away from all this someday."

He kissed her cheek, then her lips. She leaned into him.

They returned to the dining room moments later.

"Something came up," Joseph announced with polite authority. "We'll have to leave early. It's been a pleasure."

He held Green's hand firmly as he scanned the room. His eyes landed on Arianna, who had returned to her seat. She forced a smile. Joseph didn't return it.

He turned to his mother, who stood slowly.

"I'm glad you came, son," she said as she hugged him.

Green nudged him, and he hugged back.

"I'm proud of what you've built. Your father would be too."

Joseph nodded, his eyes dark with something unreadable.

The woman turned to Green. "Come here, dear."

She opened her arms and hugged Green with a little more warmth than before.

"You raised the perfect son," Green whispered.

Joseph's mother blinked fast to hide tears.

"Please invite me to the wedding!" Ashley shouted suddenly.

Green turned with a soft laugh. "You'll be the first."

Joseph opened the door of the Bugatti La Voiture Noire, and Green slid in. He followed.

As they drove, Joseph's phone buzzed. He answered quickly.

"Joseph," Ken said. "We found where Josiah is hiding. You're not going to like this… Isabel visited him. She's helping him."

Joseph's eyes darkened. "Send me the location. And keep her under surveillance."

"Got it."

The line ended.

Joseph reached for Green's thigh again, his hand firm and protective. He leaned in and whispered,

"I love you. And I would raze kingdoms before letting harm come to you."

Green smiled faintly. "Then drive faster."

Joseph grinned—and stepped on the gas.

—

Isabel sat stiffly on the white leather couch, her fingers coiled tightly around her designer handbag, though she hadn't touched her wine. The estate was quiet except for the buzz of the air conditioning and the occasional gust of wind flapping against the long ivory curtains.

Josiah poured himself a drink, silent as ever. The living room was luxuriously bare—white couches, marble floors, an oversized TV screen mounted above a fireplace, and fresh orchids in every corner. But none of it calmed the fire in Isabel's chest.

"It was humiliating," she muttered finally, breaking the silence. "You don't understand. Ever since Joseph defended Green in front of everyone… I can't walk down the hallway without someone whispering. The staff, the shareholders. Even interns. My father is disappointed in me."

Josiah didn't look at her right away. He stood by the drinks table, swirling his wine slowly in the glass. "Fredrick is dead," he said, calm and deliberate.

The words sliced the room .

"What?" Isabel sat up straighter. "Dead? When? How? Why isn't it in the news? Josiah—did you… kill him?"

He gave a humorless smile and sipped his wine.

"I didn't. We were allies once. But now… I need a new one. Someone who wants Green gone just as much as I do."

Isabel's breath caught. "Green is officially Joseph's now. He proposed. I saw the ring. I just stood and watched, pretending I didn't care. Pretending it didn't break me."

Josiah raised an eyebrow. "Maybe that's why he loves her."

"What?"

"Because she's not like you. Or me. She doesn't come from this world. And Joseph—" he scoffed lightly, "—Joseph has always been drawn to chaos disguised as innocence."

Isabel's eyes narrowed. "You mean… because she was poor?"

"She's not just poor," he said, placing his half-full glass on a small marble console behind him. "She's beautiful. Untouched by the rot of power."

He walked toward her slowly, his voice steady. "With Green out of the picture, Joseph will be unsteady. Vulnerable. That's when you strike."

Isabel laughed bitterly. "He hates me now, Josiah. He doesn't even look at me."

"He will. When he's in pain. That's when people need comfort."

"Comfort?" Isabel frowned. "You're talking like this is some romance movie. Joseph is not a boy you coddle after heartbreak—he's a storm."

Josiah leaned down, his face close to hers. "Then you become the calm after the storm."

Isabel hesitated. For a moment, she seemed to waver. But then her voice lowered.

"And what exactly do you want me to do?"

"Set her up. Make Joseph doubt her. Distrust is more effective than violence. Once he believes she's disloyal—he'll do the rest himself."

She stared at him. "You think I'm that good at manipulation?"

"I know you are. High school girl bullied to the brink of death, remember?"

Her mouth tightened. "That was… not the same thing."

Josiah didn't argue. His silence said everything.

After a long pause, Isabel stood up, walked to the console table, and picked up Josiah's glass. She finished the drink in one smooth gulp, wiped her lips, and turned to him.

"If it means tearing down their perfect little fairy tale, I'm in. I'm sick of seeing him treat her like she's everything."

She walked over and placed her hand on his chest with a sultry smile. "Joseph is the man I want. And I'll do whatever it takes to make him mine."

She picked up her purse and strutted out the door, her heels echoing through the quiet estate. The sound of her sleek black Jeep revving to life echoed off the stone driveway.

Josiah remained inside, standing by the window, watching her drive away. A cruel smirk curved across his face.