Chapter 197

It had been a rollercoaster of a day for Jaden and his people.

They left the Verricks banquet with empty stomachs and bitter hearts, their dignity bruised by the sneers and cold shoulders. But fate had a twisted sense of humor. Hours later, they found themselves seated at a private table, being served course after course of food so exquisite it made the banquet's spread look like leftovers. The air was warm with laughter and clinking cutlery. For the first time that day, there was quiet peace. For the first time in weeks, maybe, they felt human again.

The food wasn't just good-it was a balm. Every bite washed away a little of the humiliation they'd carried. And with each sip of wine, the knots in their chests loosened just a little more. Jaden watched his daughter smile with sauce smeared on her cheek, and for a brief moment, the world stopped spinning.

But while one table found joy in peace, the banquet they'd walked away from spiraled into disaster.

Not long after Jaden and his family exited the ballroom, a convoy of high-ranking government officials showed up. No announcement. No warning. Just suits, security, and authority that could freeze blood.

These were men even Xander Verrick wouldn't dare offend. Men whose very presence could change a man's fortunes overnight—or destroy them just as fast.

Xander was caught completely off guard. But the shock quickly turned into elation. His pride swelled like a balloon as he welcomed them in with shaking hands and a fake calm in his voice. To him, their arrival was a divine stamp of status. A public reminder of just how important the Verrick name was.

In his excitement, he raised a toast

to each one, one after the other, determined to impress. The man downed glass after glass without pause gnoring the heat climbing up his neck and the throbbing in his temples. By the time they left, he'd finished almost twenty bottles of wine.

He was smiling.

Until his body gave out.

The stroke hit fast. One moment he was boasting about legacy, the next his words slurred into nonsense and his legs buckled under him. The ballroom erupted into chaos. People scrambled, screaming. Some froze watching the once mighty patriarch convulse in a pool of spilled wine and shattered ego.

Xander had been warned. His

personal physician had made it clear-no alcohol, not even a drop He had the trifecta high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and blood sugar levels that danced on the edge of danger. Ignoring it was a gamble. Today, he lost.

The celebration turned to carnage in seconds.

Guests backed away in panic. His sons yelled for help, pale-faced and useless. The party that was supposed to prove Xander's dominance turned into a public display of his frailty.

Fortunately, someone kept a level head. Elias Verrick—ever the observer— remembered something critical: a world-renowned cardiologist, Professor Victor Harlan, happened to be dining in the private room right next door.