Empire 34

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 can’t accept this gift. It’s far too valuable.”

Ramona glanced at Yancey, already reaching out to return the box.

But Yancey stopped her at once. “Mr. Jordon gave this with the best of ntentions. Even if you want to refuse, you should do it in person.”

Ramona saw the sense in that and reluctantly put the gift away for now.

3y four in the afternoon, Fenton’s private jet touched down at Havencrest City’s central airport.

At the same time, Jotham arrived at the airport, his assistant trailing ɔehind him. He was there to see off a client.

With the company suffering heavy losses lately, this particular client was crucial. Until the deal was signed, Jotham couldn’t afford to let his guard

down.

f only Ramona were here. She always closed a deal in record time.

After the client’s departure, Jotham found himself checking his phone yet again. He’d been glued to it all day. Ramona never replied to his

nessage from last night, and when he tried calling this morning, her >hone was switched off.

Was she really planning to freeze him out for good? In all these years, hey’d never stayed angry at each other for this long.

But it wasn’t just the silence that unsettled him. He had the nagging feeling that Ramona wasn’t deliberately keeping her distance-she just didn’t seem to care anymore.

The VIP terminal was crawling with reporters, and Jotham’s car was parked in the exclusive lot.

As they passed through, he had his assistant ask around. It turned out the reporters were waiting for the Covington family’s heiress.

22-24

“The Covington family’s heiress?”

“That’s right,” the assistant replied. “She just got back from a charity gala in Corvonia. Usually, the Covington patriarch would attend, but now the whole business world is abuzz-people are saying the Covington Group is about to name a new successor. Even their top spot in the industry seems up for grabs.”

The assistant rattled off the details. The Covington Group was one of the top investors Jotham had always hoped to work with, but over the years, no matter how many proposals he sent, it was like tossing a pebble into the ocean. Clearly, they weren’t in the league to attract Covington’s

attention.

But if there really was a change coming… maybe this was their chance, especially if the leadership was shifting.

Jotham stopped walking and quickly pulled up some info on his phone.

There was nothing about the Covington heiress online-no photos, no details, just rumors about her enigmatic presence. Supposedly, she’d never even made a public appearance in the country.

He remembered a group chat from his school days and scrolled through the old messages, but the images had long since expired.

Meanwhile, Ramona, flanked by bodyguards, exited through the VIP passage into the parking garage. She and Yancey left in separate town

cars.

Yancey had already arranged for the reporters to be cleared out, so when Ramona’s car pulled out, the area outside was completely deserted.

But just as they reached the exit, her driver slammed on the brakes. A car had pulled in front, blocking their way.

The driver honked, and the bodyguard beside Ramona straightened up, instantly alert.

A man stepped out of the car ahead.

Ramona, who had been feeling drowsy, snapped to attention the moment she saw him.

Jotham.

What was he doing here?

Tap, tap-

Jotham knocked on the window beside her. He leaned forward slightly, his voice respectful and polite. “Ms. Covington, I’m sorry to intrude, but could I trouble you for just a minute?”

Before Ramona could reply, her bodyguard was already out of the car, blocking Jotham’s path. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn find⁂novel.net

“Who are you? What do you want? Who gave you permission to block our car?”

The bodyguard was built like a linebacker and radiated menace.

Jotham, however, stayed perfectly calm, his expression unruffled. “I’ve long admired the Covington Group and have always hoped for the chance to work together. When I heard Ms. Covington was here, I thought I’d introduce myself in person. Would you be so kind as to ask Ms. Covington if she could spare a moment?”

“There are plenty of people dying to get a minute of our lady’s time. Who do you think you are?” the bodyguard snapped.

Ramona sat straight-backed in the rear seat, silent, watching Jotham’s face through the tinted glass.

His expression was strained, but none of this seemed to surprise him. Despite the insult, he only smiled faintly, holding out his business card and glancing once more in Ramona’s direction.

“Ms. Covington, my company may not be a household name in

Chapter

Havencrest City, but our business capabilities rival any of the big firms. If you’d give us a chance, I’m confident it would be a win-win.”

The bodyguard didn’t bother answering. He took the card and tossed it onto the ground.

The driver turned to Ramona. “Ma’am, should I tell him to leave?”

Ramona tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. “No, let him be. He’ll do whatever it takes to get what he wants.”

“What?” The driver looked confused, not sure who she was talking about.

True to form, Jotham didn’t lose his cool when his card hit the pavement. He simply gestured for his assistant to step forward with another card.

“Ms. Covington, please, just take my card. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ve wasted too much of your time already.”

He addressed Ramona directly, but still held the card out to the bodyguard, a faint, joyless smile on his lips—the kind that promised a brewing storm.

The bodyguard, for a moment, seemed at a loss for words. He bent down, ready to toss the card again.

“Just take it.”

Suddenly, Ramona’s voice came from inside the car.

“Ramona?”

At the sound of her familiar voice, Jotham’s heart skipped a beat.

23.24

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.