Empire 26

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.

“I’m not. I’ve got a meeting tonight and need to go live soon.”

“Oh, am I bothering you? Sorry about that.”

Ramona typed her reply quickly, not waiting for Ethan’s response before adding, “You go ahead, Mr. Jordon. I should get some rest too.”

If she kept the conversation going, she’d probably just end up annoying him. Better to end it cleanly.

Ethan didn’t reply after that.

Still, Ramona found herself intrigued by what he’d said.

Sleep was nowhere in sight, so she grabbed her laptop and started searching for Ethan online.

Information was scarce, until she remembered what Fenton had mentioned-Ethan was a heavyweight in the international business

world.

Switching to a different network, she finally found some news on

international financial websites.

The “Global Business Summit,” an event hosted by the world’s top financial conglomerates, was underway. The attendees were all titans of industry and finance.

And Ethan, as the head of the Jordon Group, was one of the summit’s key speakers.

Ramona found a live stream of the summit and waited for half an hour before Ethan finally appeared on screen.

He was dressed in a tailored dark suit, tall and commanding, standing beside the main stage with his assistant. Even through the screen, his presence was almost tangible-sharp yet composed, with the quiet authority of someone long accustomed to power. He drew attention like

a magnet.

When the speeches began, Ethan took the microphone and spoke with ease. His arguments were incisive and precise, immediately igniting a lively discussion among the audience.

His deep, resonant voice came through the speakers, more captivating than any news anchor on the financial channel.

Ramona had always enjoyed watching speeches, but Ethan’s

performance was on another level-she found herself completely

absorbed.

Even his impromptu responses to questions were impressive: concise, eloquent, and full of insight.

Every time he finished speaking, the room erupted in applause.

Ramona couldn’t help but join in, clapping at her screen.

There was something irresistibly attractive about someone so

competent. He just stood there, cold and distant, like a marble statue you could only admire from afar. Yet, to Ramona, he radiated an

overwhelming magnetism.

After the live stream ended, Ramona thought maybe Ethan’s aloofness was only natural.

People like him-so exceptional-were meant to be admired from a distance. Socializing was optional. Romance, even less necessary.

Her phone stayed silent.

Sleep finally crept up on her, and she pulled the covers over her head, drifting off at last.

The next evening, Ramona attended a formal banquet. Fenton accompanied her for a while, but had to leave midway for another

commitment.

Yancey was busy too, constantly fielding calls or getting pulled into

conversations.

By contrast, Ramona-despite being the Covington family’s

heiress-found herself mostly alone, apart from the brief moments at Fenton and Yancey’s side. Few people approached her directly; most just handed her business cards and offered polite greetings before moving

Ramona knew the score. The guests tonight were all major players in the business world. They respected the Covingtons, but their deference was really for Benedict and the family’s established members.

As for her a suddenly surfaced illegitimate daughter-most saw her as unworthy of notice.

Fenton had already warned her. People here held Melinda and Holden in high esteem. In their eyes, Ramona would never be able to handle

Benedict’s empire; sooner or later, the family’s assets and power would slip from her grasp.

So, nobody wanted to offend Melinda and her camp prematurely. Keeping a safe distance from Ramona was the wisest move for now.

Ramona didn’t take it to heart. She knew she was only representing Covington Group in name, but with a fortune worth billions behind her, she wasn’t about to shrink away. She’d prepared her speech for Covington Group meticulously.

Fenton had someone draft it, and Ramona herself had revised it multiple

times.

Before the speeches began, Yancey noticed her nerves and suggested he could take her place on stage if she didn’t feel up to it.

After all, she was representing the Covingtons; if things went wrong, she wouldn’t be the only one to end up a laughingstock.

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Ramona shook her head. Clenching her fists to steady herself, she whispered, “Don’t worry. I won’t let you down.”

When she first arrived, she’d seen Solenne and Wisteria with their parents, surrounded by a crowd.

They’d only greeted Ramona in passing before hurrying off, and the focus of the evening quickly shifted from the Covingtons to the Huxleys.

Even with Yancey by her side, Ramona couldn’t help but overhear the whispers directed at her.

Most of it came down to the same things: “illegitimate child,” “riding on the family’s coattails,” “not fit for the spotlight.”

If she really couldn’t even handle giving a speech, she’d be living down to their expectations.

“Ramona, don’t worry about what they think. They’re really nothing special themselves,” Yancey said, casting an arrogant glance around the room.

To him, even if Ramona was just a half-sibling, she was still a Covington. Their attitude toward her was nothing but jealousy in disguise.

Ramona glanced at Yancey, giving him a grateful nod.

Soon, it was her turn to speak. As the host handed her the microphone, the spotlight shifted to her.

Ramona was stunning-dressed in an ice-blue, jewel-encrusted evening gown and adorned with millions’ worth of diamonds. She looked every inch a movie star, instantly commanding the room’s attention.

Yet the hall fell strangely silent. Not even the usual polite applause.

The previous speakers had all been business veterans or respected elders. Never before had a representative looked anything like Ramona-young, beautiful, unfamiliar, and, above all, a woman.

AIA

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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? Chapters first released on FindN()vel.net

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.