Empire 98

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.

Chapter 98

“Yes, sir!” Ash snapped out of his daze and hurried out of the room.

Remembering Ramona’s advice, Ethan, who had started to get up, relaxed back against the headboard. The faint scent of Ramona’s perfume still lingered in the room.

Glancing at the empty bowl on the nightstand, he couldn’t help but smile.

Being sick… sometimes, it’s not so bad.

Night had fallen at the Holt Group headquarters, in the executive suite. This text is hosted at find⁂novel.net

City lights spilled through the floor–to–ceiling windows, casting flickering shadows that outlined the weary figure hunched over his desk.

Jotham was staring at the company’s financial reports, but his mind kept wandering.

Just then, a graceful silhouette appeared at the door, and for a split second, Ramona’s image flashed through his mind.

He stood up quickly and opened the door before she could knock. “Ra-”

“Mr. Holt, here’s the file you requested. I just finished organizing it.”

The woman in front of him had an unfamiliar face–Jotham recalled she was the new project

assistant.

He nodded, taking the file with a polite, distant tone. “It’s late. Why haven’t you gone home?”

“There’s just too much work in the project department. Most of us are still here. Thank you for asking, Mr. Holt.”

She gave him a shy, respectful nod before turning to leave.

Of course, the project team was always swamped. They were the company’s frontline, after all.

When Ramona was around, everyone worked efficiently and could usually clock out on time. Even when overtime was unavoidable, Ramona always volunteered to stay late.

Jotham would often keep her company, sometimes working so long that he’d doze off at his desk.

Whenever Ramona finished her work, she’d pause outside his office, checking to see if he’d fallen asleep, afraid of barging in and disturbing him. But in truth, she was always the one shouldering the hardest burdens.

Lost in these memories, Jotham was jolted back to reality when his phone lit up with a number he rarely saw.

His expression darkened. After a long pause, he picked up. “Grandma? It’s so late… is everything alright?”

Though his voice was calm, anxiety gnawed at him.

Liliane cherished her peace and lived alone in Hillside Manor on the outskirts of Linea City. She rarely

19:06

accepted visitors, even from family, except during the holidays. A call from her was never trivial.

Among the Holts, Liliane was the only one who had ever truly accepted Ramona.

When Jotham brought Ramona home for the first time, it was Liliane who silenced the doubters and insisted they marry.

After Alaric passed away, she left the family estate. But before she did, she had clasped both their hands, looking Jotham in the eye with a rare seriousness.

“Ramona may not come from a prominent family, but you must never mistreat her. I’ve seen enough to know women like her, loving and capable, are rare. Treasure her. You and she are meant to grow old together.”

Remembering those words now, Jotham felt more than just guilt. There was a hollow ache he couldn’t quite name.

“I’ve been hearing things. Did you and Ramona have a falling out?”

Liliane’s voice was frail but carried undeniable authority.

Jotham hesitated. “Grandma, where did you hear that? Everything’s fine between us.”

“If everything’s fine, why has she moved out?”

He’d hoped to brush it off, but Liliane clearly knew more than he’d expected.

He could only admit the truth. “We had a small argument. Every couple argues, but it’s already blown over. In a few days, it’ll be behind us.”

“Ramona never struck me as someone who’d storm out over nothing. Let’s not discuss this over the phone. I’ll be home tomorrow, then you can tell me what’s going on. And have Ramona over as well. I’ll help you sort things out… Honestly, young people these days have no idea how to handle a relationship!”

“Grandma, really, it’s not necessary. Ramona and I can work this out ourselves-”

Jotham tried to protest, but Liliane was having none of it. She had already made her plans; before he could make excuses, she’d hung up.

She was old and tried not to meddle, but she couldn’t ignore her late husband’s last wish. As long as she was alive, she would see to it that Jotham and Ramona stayed together.

She knew her grandson well. He might always seem calculating and detached, but deep down, he was stubborn to the core. And, apart from Ramona, there was probably no one else who could ever bring him to heel again… especially after his ill–fated past with Brianna.

Staring at his phone, Jotham felt another wave of headache coming on.

After a moment, as if something occurred to him, he immediately tried calling Ramona. When she didn’t answer, he sent a message.

[Ramona, my grandmother’s coming home tomorrow and she wants to see you. Why don’t you come by for lunch?]

The message popped up on Ramona’s screen almost instantly. She was chatting with Ethan at the

19:07

time. He’d just wrapped up work and told her he’d be returning to Havencrest City soon. She was busy reminding him not to overexert himself and to get some rest.

But Jotham’s text instantly soured her mood. Her conversation with Ethan came to an abrupt halt.

Liliane was the only one in the Holt family who had ever stood up for her. When Liliane still lived at the estate, no one dared give Ramona a hard time, and she’d always been deeply grateful for that.

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.