20 CHAPTER 20
He didn’t actually know what was going on.
1
At that moment, Bartholomew Ainsley slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his
phone. His fingers trembled not because he was scared, but because he was confused.
Deeply confused. And angry.
But none of them said anything. They were all still trying to wrap their heads around what had happened.
He had been doing business with the Victor family for a very long time. They were one of
the few families he actually respected-powerful, precise, ruthless when needed, but
always professional. He had always believed their decisions were calculated, not
emotional. So… why now? why blacklist him?why blacklist all of them?
And he meant every single word.
A few men nodded slowly, cautiously.
Bartholomew Ainsley continued, pacing slightly now, still holding his phone. “So what if…
this has nothing to do with one person? What if this is a punishment? What if… someone
crossed a line, and now all of us are paying for it?”
Then it picked.
At that moment he stopped walking and stared blankly at the floor, thoughts running wild in his head. “Or maybe… maybe someone framed us. Maybe there’s more going on
than we know.”
“This doesn’t make sense,” he whispered to himself. “None of this makes any damn
sense…”
He turned to face the group again. “We all know the Victors, don’t we?” His voice echoed in the silent room. “Most of our biggest deals came through them or passed through their network. Right?”
He looked at each one of them carefully, his eyes narrowing.
20 CHAPTER 20
“Hello?” the voice came through, sharp and professional.
It wasn’t just punishment. It was a statement. A warning. A thunderclap meant to silence
the entire business circle.
He just stood there, completely frozen eyes wide, lips parted, breathing slowly as if he was trying to understand whether what just happened was real. But it was. It was all
real.
He turned around, almost stumbling backward as he tried to gather his thoughts. “How?
How is this even possible?” His voice rose, slightly shaky now. “How can this just happen
to all of you at the same time? Did… did any of you do something wrong? Did any of you
offend someone?”
“What the hell just happened…?” he muttered, then looked at the others. “You guys called
me here… for a meeting. Just a normal meeting. And now this? This…?”
The way the contracts were revoked…The way their names were dropped publicly
without a single chance to defend themselves…
The line rang once. Then twice.
At that moment James blinked slowly, still processing what was still happening. he
looked at the television screen where the breaking news was being broadcast live. the
other businessmen seated beside him, was boldly displayed. Each of them powerful men
in their own right now looked like helpless children. One was still standing, trembling.
Another had already slumped back into his chair, his face pale, lips trembling. Another
one was gripping the edge of the table as if he was about to faint.
“If anybody could pull this off…” he muttered under his breath, “it has to be someone with
deep connections.”
immediately Bartholomew Ainsley swallowed hard.
At that James could feel the weight of a thousand questions pounding against his mind.
The room remained quiet. Everyone looked confused. No one had an answer. That made
James feel even worse.
“Someone… Someone we offended must have planned this. This is too calculated. Too
perfect in timing. Someone’s pulling the strings.”
“I don’t know what’s going on but I think the victor are behind this…”
At that moment, seeing and hearing what just happened, James couldn’t even say
anything.
His ears were ringing with the words “blacklisted by the Victors” and “Global Investments
pulled out.” The atmosphere inside the VIP room had changed completely. What was once a warm room filled with powerful men and high expectations was now drowned in
dread and disbelief.
He clenched his jaw, brows furrowing deeper. “Unless…” he began slowly, “this isn’t
about me alone.”
At that moment, everyone in the room slowly began nodding their heads, as if James had
finally said the one thing they all didn’t want to admit out loud. The silence wasn’t just heavy-it was suffocating. Each of them had power. Wealth. Influence. Yet all of that seemed meaningless now.
Because the way it happened…
But something dark had just been set in motion.
His chest tightened as the silence in the room grew heavier.
His throat felt dry as he finally spoke up, voice lower than usual, but filled with disbelief.
Then his eyes shifted around the room. The other men-business moguls, respected
figures in the industry-were all in various states of panic. Some were whispering rapidly
on their phones. One was pacing back and forth. Another still sat slumped, his hands
clutching his head. They all looked like kings who had suddenly been stripped of their
thrones.
So without wasting any more time,Bartholomew Ainsley, the one with the ancient
English lineage and deep-rooted influence-snatched his phone from the table, his fingers fumbling slightly as he dialed a number only a few people in the world could claim
to have.
At that moment Bartholomew Ainsley couldn’t help but say.
17:13 C
3/5
James didn’t know whether to sit or stand. He didn’t even know how to breathe at that
point. His thoughts were scattered. A minute ago, he was sure the contract was back in his hands. A minute ago, he was full of confidence. Now… now he was speechless. Completely lost.
He ran his hand over his face in frustration, trying to breathe properly. “No. No, this can’t
be a coincidence. this… this isn’t just something random. You don’t just gather for a
business meeting and then, boom your names show up on a blacklist in the same
moment.”
He looked around again. Everyone’s face mirrored his confusion. Their panic. Their
helplessness.
And worst of all, it was effective.
He stared at the screen for a moment before unlocking it. His heart pounded against his
chest, the sound echoing in his ears louder than the murmurs in the room.
He looked at his phone again but didn’t dial. There was no one to call. No one to ask.
Because he didn’t even know what was going on.
“Jeremy,” Bartholomew Ainsley said, his tone tight with anxiety. “What’s going on? Talk
to me, now. What the hell is going on? Did… did the Victors do this?”
Was it Cora? was it the Victors?
Bartholomew Ainsley could only say one thing- truth that lingered in every man’s heart
at that moment, yet none of them had the courage to admit aloud.
Was it someone else entirely?
At that moment James lowered his voice, more serious this time. “I don’t know what’s
going on. But whatever this is… it’s not good. Not good at all.”
