Empire 25

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. Check latest chapters at findnovel.net

Jotham snapped back to himself. “Ramona, what’s gotten into you? You never used to care about this stuff. The Holt Group is our joint effort; we’re married. Half of my shares are as good as yours. What you’re asking me to do is completely unnecessary. Besides…”

He hesitated, then pressed on. “You know the situation at the Holt Group. The shares my father and the other major board members hold far outweigh mine. Even if I wanted to give you what you want, my hands are tied.”

“Besides, those old-timers would never agree to a woman running the company. If we tried, you’d just become their favorite target.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt. That’s why I never wanted you to take company shares in the first place.”

Jotham cleverly shifted the blame onto the board, dodging Ramona’s request while making himself look like the concerned husband.

“Exactly, we’re married. Even if you gave me your shares, they’d still be our joint property, wouldn’t they?”

No matter how Jotham spun it, Ramona simply followed his logic and replied calmly, “I’m doing this for the good of the company, for our family, for you.”

A surge of frustration rose in Jotham’s chest, but he had nowhere to vent it. He wanted to argue, but tonight, Ramona was an entirely different person, nothing he said seemed to land.

Were all women this stubborn? Or had Ramona’s heart changed, making her start to keep score with him?

“Ramona, it wasn’t easy for us to get here together. I don’t want something at home to end up driving a wedge between us…”

He softened his tone, his voice dropping, hoping to tug at her emotions.

In the past, no matter how badly they fought, all he had to do was remind Ramona of how he’d defied his family to be with her, and she’d always soften and give in.

But this time, before he could finish, Ramona quietly interrupted him.

“Jotham, they say a man’s money always follows his heart. I’ve given everything to the Holt Group without holding back. I hope you could do the same for me. Otherwise, I might need to reconsider whether I should stay at the Holt Group. Maybe if I resign, things would be easier for you-and the board would have one less thing to complain about.”

“Ramona, what are you saying…”

Jotham froze. Was she threatening him?

“Think about it. And until you’ve made up your mind, don’t contact me again. I finally managed to take some time off, and I’d like to spend it on myself for once.”

With that, Ramona hung up.

When Jotham tried calling back, he found himself blocked.

She’d used this trick before, but this time she seemed addicted to it.

Jotham’s chest heaved with anger. He swore he wouldn’t give in to her again-he’d have to teach Ramona a lesson!

But that determination lasted all of two hours. The company’s problems were spiraling. If they didn’t salvage the project soon, their plans to take the company public would go up in smoke.

Unable to sleep, Jotham waited until Brianna was fast asleep, then slipped back to his study.

But whenever he closed his eyes, all he could think about was Ramona. He couldn’t understand why she’d suddenly turned cold.

Yet as doubt crept in, memories of their years together came back to him.

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22:32

He was certain of one thing: Ramona was loyal to the core, and her love for him had always been wholehearted. That wouldn’t change.

Comforted, Jotham came up with an idea.

He picked up his phone and transferred money to Ramona-five times in a row, two hundred thousand each time.

Ramona, who hadn’t fallen asleep either, soon received the notifications. Jotham had just wired her a million.

But beyond sending money, he didn’t say a single word.

Ramona scoffed. She knew exactly what he was doing: sending her money in silence, hoping she’d read into it, imagine he still cared.

He wouldn’t give her the shares, but he had no problem wiring her a fortune. Wasn’t this just another way to save face?

If Ramona so much as wavered, if she felt guilty, Jotham would go right back to being the perfect husband, and she’d be expected to keep giving without question.

Unfortunately for him, these little gestures might have worked on her once, but now, they just seemed laughable.

And she wasn’t wrong-Jotham was waiting, hoping she’d see the transfers and reach out.

But he waited all night, and Ramona never replied.

Meanwhile, Ramona noticed another notification after the transfers. When

she opened it, she realized it was a message from Ethan.

He’d replied twenty minutes ago. Just two words:

“Not yet.”

Ramona felt a ripple of emotion. She started to type, hesitated, then deleted her words.

22.22

Ethan’s answer was perfunctory; he clearly wasn’t in the mood to chat. Would it be impolite to bother him again?

But since she was the one who started the conversation, it also felt wrong to leave it hanging.

After a moment’s hesitation, Ramona sent another message:

“I saw your post on Twitter-just wanted to say hi.”

“Are you in Corvonia Country?”

The reply came instantly.

Ramona had expected the conversation to end with her last message. She quickly typed back, “Yes, I’m here for a charity gala. Are you here too, Mr. Jordon?”

If Ethan knew her location, maybe he’d received the same invitation. The thought of seeing Ethan in person sent a jolt of nerves through her.

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.