Empire 133

This chapter makes a quiet but clear adjustment to the story. Small choices and brief pauses point the plot in a new direction. The shift is steady, not loud, and it sets up what comes next.

A few actions and reactions stand out. A held-back answer, a quick decision, or a look that lingers changes how characters see each other. These beats feel small now but carry weight forward.

Emotions sit just under the surface. The tone shows doubt, hope, or pressure even when the words stay measured. What is not said guides the scene as much as what is spoken.

Earlier choices and old tensions shape how people act here. History does not repeat, but it limits and nudges. The present is easier to read when the past is kept in view.

Trust, distance, and leverage shift by degrees. Roles adjust, and the space between characters changes shape. By the end, connections are not exactly what they were.

Objects, gestures, and setting notes do quiet work. They mirror the mood and hint at motives. Paying attention to them clarifies what is at stake.

Short remarks, paused replies, and choices made too quickly point to what will matter soon. The chapter plants markers that future scenes will pick up.

A few sentences carry the heart of the scene. They show fear, resolve, or longing in simple words. These are the lines that will echo next chapter.

Ramona was well aware that the Shepard family’s businesses were tied into the supply chains downstream of the Covington Group. Among all their competitors, the Shepards stood out as one of the best. Word had it that the Shepards had recently partnered with the Jordon Group as well.

If this was a major project, she really had no reason to turn it down.

Still, the fact that Nadia had come to see her personally left Ramona feeling slightly uneasy.

“Let her in,” Ramona decided after a moment’s thought, instructing her assistant to bring Nadia up.

Now that she was finally at the helm of Covington Group, she desperately needed a few big projects

under her belt.

It didn’t take long for Nadia, led by the assistant, to arrive at Ramona’s office.

This time, Nadia looked completely different from the last time they’d met at the banquet. She was dressed in a tailored blue plaid suit, her long hair softly curled, a briefcase in hand–confident, poised, and every bit the consummate professional.

Ramona rose to greet her. Nadia’s gaze was cool, but her manner was polite. She shook Ramona’s hand briefly, then took a seat in one of the chairs by the desk.

“Ms. Jarrett, I’ve brought a major project proposal today. We’re looking to collaborate with Covington Group, and the profits are definitely negotiable.”

Nadia got straight to the point, and Ramona nodded, immediately launching into a discussion about the project.

She’d already seen the proposal before, and it was impressive. Covington Group had already set up a dedicated team to negotiate the details. What she hadn’t realized was that the project belonged to the Shepard family.

“The proposal looks solid. Let’s finalize the details after I review it a bit more,” Ramona said after they’d talked for about fifteen minutes.

Nadia smiled, but made no move to leave. “Ms. Jarrett, I’d really like you to oversee this project personally.”

“You want me to handle it myself?”

“Yes. Out of everyone at Covington, I believe you have the most capability. I’d feel better if you took a personal interest in this venture. Besides…” Nadia’s eyes glinted with a hint of challenge, “You’re well aware of my relationship with Ethan. Our families have been close for generations, and Ethan and I grew up together. Since you’re his fiancée, I’m honestly more at ease knowing you’re involved.”

Her words sounded friendly, but there was something pointed in the way she looked at Ramona–almost as if she wanted to remind her of her connection to Ethan.

Ramona hesitated for a moment, then replied coolly, “I’ll give it some thought. That’s all for today. I have another meeting shortly.”

Nadia nodded and gathered her documents, rising from her chair. “Ms. Jarrett, I’m not very familiar

with Covington Group’s building. Would you mind showing me to the parking garage?”

“Of course.”

Ramona didn’t think much of it and led Nadia to the elevator.

Nadia’s gaze lingered on Ramona as they rode down. Suddenly, she smiled. “Ms. Jarrett, have you ever noticed? Our eyes and brows… they’re actually quite similar.”

“Hm?” Ramona had no idea what Nadia meant, but she glanced at her features anyway. Content originally comes from Find★Novel.net

Their temperaments were worlds apart, so at first glance, there was no real resemblance. But if looked just at the shape of their brows and eyes, there was some truth to what Nadia said. Both women had naturally soft, arched brows set close together, which accentuated their deep–set, luminous eyes. From certain angles, there was an undeniable similarity.

you

“Not just our eyes,” Nadia went on softly before Ramona could respond. “Your personality… It reminds me a lot of who I used to be.”

Ramona felt a prickle of discomfort, but at that moment, the elevator doors opened. She stepped out quickly, gesturing to Nadia.

“The garage is just down that way, Ms. Shepard. I’ll leave you here.”

“Ramona!”

As Ramona turned to leave, Nadia spun around and grabbed her arm. “You’re the heiress to the Covington Group, a woman worth billions. How can you stand being trapped in a loveless engagement? Ethan doesn’t care for you. Why not just walk away?”

“Ms. Shepard, what are you trying to say?” Ramona’s rational side told her she shouldn’t get drawn into this, but Nadia’s words pressed against something raw inside her.

“Three years ago, Ethan and I almost got engaged. He called it off because of me. If I hadn’t hurt him, he never would have settled for marrying someone else… The moment I saw you, I realized he still has feelings for me. You and I, we’re far too alike.”

Nadia’s words hit Ramona like a punch to the gut.

So Florence was right–the woman Ethan almost got engaged to was Nadia?

It was a lot to process. Ramona stood there, stunned, her mind racing. Though she was shaken, she still trusted the Ethan she knew. There was no way he’d ever treat someone as a mere replacement.

“I don’t believe Ethan is that kind of man. Maybe it’s your own way of seeing him that caused him pain,” Ramona replied, her tone cool and level, far calmer than Nadia had anticipated.

“Don’t you want to know what happened between us? You’ve only known Ethan for a few days. Can you really trust him that much?”

“I am curious,” Ramona admitted softly, “but I don’t want to hear about your past with him from you. And honestly, the past means little to me. Just as Ethan doesn’t judge me for mine, I only care about who he is now.”

She let out a quiet breath and spoke from her heart, “Ms. Shepard, yes, Ethan and I are engaged. I had no expectations for this marriage in the beginning. It was always just a business arrangement. What

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Ethan does or doesn’t feel was never my concern…”

As these words left her lips, Ethan appeared behind her. He’d heard rumors that Nadia had gone to Covington Group, so he’d hurried over. Before he could go looking for Ramona, he’d stumbled upon. the two of them together.

Just a business arrangement…

Nadia spotted Ethan and, for a moment, surprise flickered in her eyes, but she quickly composed herself. She didn’t interrupt, hoping Ramona would continue, hoping Ethan would hear every cold, indifferent word.

Sure enough, Ethan’s eyes darkened at her words.

Just a business arrangement… Was that really how Ramona saw him? Did she not care about his feelings at all?

“But things have changed,” Ramona went on, her voice still gentle but now carrying a quiet strength. “Ethan and I are getting to know each other. In my eyes, he’s not just capable and kind–he’s someone I could entrust my whole life to. If I get to spend my future with him, I’ll consider myself lucky. And I keep my promises: unless my fiancé gives up on me first, I would never break off our engagement.”

The scene closes, but its pressure does not. Something has shifted, and the next step will have to meet it. The feeling is unfinished on purpose.

Expect tighter tension and fewer safe options. Hidden truths may press forward. The path ahead should feel earned and a bit sharper.

Which choice will echo the longest? Who revealed the most by saying the least? How might today’s restraint become tomorrow’s turning point?

Rules, memory, and the setting frame each decision. Inside that frame, even small moves gain size. The chapter belongs to its world as much as to its people.

With this chapter done, the story steps forward—quieter, clearer, and ready to show what those choices mean.