CHAPTER 16
Archibald continued, “You know, there are some people watching these things closely. And while public messes are unsightly, they also reveal where the pressure points lie… and where potential still breathes.” (1
his phone rang.
“Hello, Sir Archibald,” he said quickly, almost cutting through the air with urgency and
respect.
And Archibald Everhart… was the head of that table.
They were the gatherers of power. The architects of silent thrones.
The Everharts were not kings, but they were the ones who hosted the table at which kings were invited to sit.
With a slow breath, he turned away from Cora and walked toward the far corner of the hall. His steps were steady now. His posture more controlled. He looked like a man
reminded of who he really was.
Because now, he had leverage. A backdoor into the game. One that even Cora wouldn’t
expect.
“You think you’ve won?” he said, taking a threatening step closer. “You think because you
stood on that stage and ran your mouth in front of everyone because you somehow got
the Victors to back you that makes you victorious?”
“Archibald Everhart.”
The Everhart family, though they weren’t quite as blindingly powerful as the Victor family in terms of current global influence, they had something else. Something deeper. Ties. Networks. Old alliances woven through governments, corporations, and private councils around the world.
Immediately James glanced over his shoulder at Cora, still standing confidently on the other end of the hall like nothing that had just happened mattered to her.
“I’m going to get this contract, Cora,” he growled. “You hear me? I’m going to get it. And when I do oh, you’ll see. It’ll be the shock of the town.”
“James,” Archibald Everhart began, his accent polished and dignified, “I heard there was
quite the… eventful disruption at the awards ceremony tonight.”
His breathing was sharp now, loud in the empty hall.
But then… he saw the caller ID.
“Yes, Sir Archibald. I’ll be there. Just tell me where and I’ll be on my way right now.”
“You turned against me, you acted so the Victors could turned against me. And now
you’re standing there… smug… thinking you’ve won?” Again he leaned forward slightly. “Let me tell you something.”
James didn’t like that. Her calmness… it made his rage bubble hotter.
He could already see it: the proposal he was working on, the potential partnerships, and the names that would be seated at that table tonight. If the Victors were kings, the
Everharts were the ones who hosted the war councils.
Then… in that wave of boiling anger, his body twitched.
He gave a small, scoffing laugh.
Immediately, a soft chime echoed from James’ phone. A message. Location attached. A five-star private estate in the hills. No media, no noise. Only those who mattered.
The call ended.
He picked the call with both hands, placing it against his ear respectfully.
At that moment, James walked up to Cora with eyes that burned like fire.
At that moment his tone changed instantly.
He didn’t care what had just happened with the Victors. If anything, this was kind of better.
But the phone rang again. Relentless, Finally, he yanked it from his pocket with pure irritation ready to silence it without checking.
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But just as his hand was about to complete the motion.
That was the name glowing on his screen.
At that moment he stepped even closer, the hatred in his eyes so thick it could choke the room. He was staring at her like she was dirt on the sole of his shoe. He wanted her to
feel it that bitterness, that resentment, that buried shame.
He raised his hand, he didn’t even think. His fury had pushed him that far.
And James despite his ambition, despite his ego knew that when the Everhart called, they
answered with head lowered.
His voice was reverent. Measured. He knew what this family represented. They weren’t
flashy like the Victors, but they held weight in places others couldn’t even see.
“Good evening, Sir Archibald,” James said, bowing his head slightly though no one could
see him. “I wasn’t expecting your call.”
Although they were not that top tier, but at least they were, and they were not as
powerful as the Victors, but at least their homes, their whole ground when it comes to
connection and when it comes to bringing group of investors together, when it comes to bringing group of people together to form a very powerful alliance, they are the go-to people anyone can run to and you will get, and you will definitely succeed.
He jabbed a finger in the air between them.
He didn’t want to look at it. He didn’t want to be distracted.
James didn’t speak when he saw the name. He just smiled cold, quiet, and victorious.
On the other end of the line, the voice that replied was calm, composed, yet heavy with
weight. A voice that didn’t need to shout to be heard. A voice that had once whispered
and made nations shift their policies.
His breathing was still heavy, but now the rage was momentarily confused.
And suddenly, like a switch flipped in his head he smiled, and his entire mood shifted.
› I › I
His grip on the phone tightened, but not in fear. No. It was something else.
བ
And James had just been invited in.
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James actually couldn’t help but smile because he could tell that definitely, even though if the Victor doesn’t want to give him that contract, he’s going to leverage on this because
of the contract he himself was working on.
James didn’t interrupt. He knew better than to speak over Archibald.
The shrill sound sliced the silence like a dagger, freezing James mid-motion.
However Cora’s eyes didn’t flinch. She just stood there calmly, arms loosely crossed, as if
watching a tantrum from a stranger.
“I’d like you to attend a dinner, James,” Archibald said. “A private contract dinner. Several parties will be present quietly, of course. Bring your best mind, not your pride.”
“Everybody’s going to talk about it. About me. James. The one who turned defeat into a
crown.”
James stared at the screen, lips curling into a slow, calculated smile.
There was a short pause-approval lingering in silence.
“Very well. My secretary will send the location to your line in a moment,” Archibald said.
“We’ll be expecting you.”
But before Archibald could say another word, James responded quickly, his voice steady
and eager.
“This is just me… telling you, you haven’t won. You haven’t won anything.”
His lips were pulled back in a sneer, and his voice came low, strained, and bitter.
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五街
