After the video call ended, Annelise Valentine slammed her phone face down on the table with a muffled thud.
She scanned the gossiping faces in the room, her irritation mounting.
"Meeting adjourned!" she snapped.
Everyone immediately began rustling about, packing their things and preparing to bolt.
But Annelise couldn't just let it go. The more she stewed, the more frustrated she felt. Her gaze swept randomly through the crowd and landed on a male employee with black-framed glasses, clutching a stack of files, who looked like the very picture of an "honest Joe."
"You!" Annelise pointed. "Which department?"
The employee froze. He turned around slowly and stammered, "Ms., Ms. Valentine... I-I'm from the secretarial department. My name is Lan—"
"The secretarial department?" Annelise cut him off, her eyes narrowing. "Perfect!"
"Go, and replace all the potted plants in Zenith Group—and I mean ALL of them! The ones at the front desk, in the hallways, in the offices, in the break rooms, and especially the ones in the CEO's office—replace every single one with an apple tree! Immediately! Right now!"
"...Huh?" His jaw dropped, and his glasses nearly slid off his nose.
Those who hadn't managed to leave the conference room yet froze in place, all staring at Annelise in utter disbelief.
Beside her, Chloe Fairchild couldn't help but cover her face, sighing softly, "...Damn."
After issuing her command, Annelise stormed out of the conference room without a backward glance, radiating a "if I can't be happy, no one can" aura.
She left behind a room full of people staring at each other in dismay, and Lancaster from the secretarial department, who was now facing the greatest challenge of his career.
***
Zane Patterson's private jet cut through the clouds, flying from Aethelgard to Veridia.
Inside the cabin, the lighting was soft and the seats were spacious and comfortable, but the atmosphere was delicate.
Annelise was slumped in her seat with a dejected look on her face, swirling the juice in her glass and muttering in self-doubt.
"You guys, I trashed the bar, caused a scene at the club, and stormed Zenith Group. I've raised a pretty big ruckus, haven't I? So how come I feel like that Jett Westgate guy isn't angry at all?"
"Not only is he not angry, he even wants to have dinner with me?"
The more she thought about it, the more something felt off. "What do you think is going through his head? Is he holding back, planning some bigger, nastier trick?"
Chloe Fairchild shook her head, deciding it was time for a reality check for her friend.
"Annelise, honey, let's break it down. Look, you trashed Nivelis. It felt great, sure, but in the end, we also had to fork over more than a hundred million in compensation, right?"
Annelise nodded.
"But then he turned around and trashed Skyline, and he even changed our 'Skyline' sign to 'Horizon.'"
"And! Most importantly, he didn't pay any compensation!"
"Then, we raised hell at his club, turning his golf course into an apple orchard. But in return, Jett Westgate wrecked your Supercar Club. The damages from that probably weren't any less than the golf course, right?"
"And after that..." Chloe Fairchild spread her hands, a helpless expression on her face. "You stormed Zenith Group, but he just went and visited your grandfather. He shut you down with a single video call and even locked in this dinner for tonight."
Her voice was laced with sympathy. "So, when you add it all up, Annelise, it seems like... we haven't won a single round. We've actually lost out. Especially with that hundred-million-plus in compensation..."
As Annelise listened to this tally, her expression grew darker and darker.
With Chloe laying it all out so bluntly, she finally realized that Jett Westgate had not only countered her every move, but he had retaliated with double the force.
The crucial part was that he had maintained an effortless, even slightly mocking, attitude the entire time, treating her like an angry kitten trying to scratch but failing to land a blow.
She leaned back against her seat and sighed in frustration.
'He really is seven years older. Those seven years of experience weren't for nothing.'
This realization only made her more agitated.
But she really didn't want to marry a man she barely knew.
Her entire impression of Jett Westgate, aside from the rumors, consisted of their infuriating clashes over the past few days.
Most importantly, she didn't want to get married at all right now.
She was only twenty-two; her life had just begun. She still wanted to mess around care-freely with her friends and enjoy these days of wild abandon.
But once she was married, all of that would likely come to an end.
A man like Jett Westgate would never allow his wife to be out fooling around and drinking all day.
And even if he did, the rules, responsibilities, and scrutiny of Aethelgard society would tie her down.
The problem was, Jett Westgate was about to turn thirty. At his age and with his family background, getting engaged and married was something that had to be put on the agenda. That was why this engagement was happening so quickly and was so non-negotiable.
Zane Patterson's gaze never left Annelise, and he could see every thought in her heart as clearly as day.
"Annelise," he said her name softly, "no one can force you to do something you don't want to do."
Zane Patterson's words were like a sudden beam of light shining into her heart, and an idea exploded in her mind.
'That's right. No one can force me to do something I don't want to do.'
'It's my marriage, so I get the final say! Nobody gets a say in it but me!'
'I'd rather tear a hole in the sky than just give myself away so thoughtlessly!'
As this surge of reckless determination rose up in her, all her previous dejection and confusion were instantly burned away, replaced by an excited fighting spirit.
Zane Patterson said no more, turning his gaze to the sky outside the airplane window. He knew she would figure it out. He had just given her a little push.
And that little push was enough.
***
「By the time they returned to the Valentine Ancestral Home, it was nearly dusk.」
The Valentine Ancestral Home was situated in a quiet corner of Veridia's bustling old western district. The building itself was a classic example of traditional Chinese architecture—white walls, black tiles, wooden pillars, and covered walkways. It looked ancient, and from a distance, it exuded an inviolable dignity.
Annelise had assumed the dinner would be held in a private room at a hotel, but she hadn't expected her grandfather to arrange it at the ancestral home.
A family banquet, and at the ancestral home no less—this was an honor not just any guest of the Valentine Family could enjoy. It seemed her grandfather had already accepted Jett Westgate as his future grandson-in-law in his heart.
At this thought, the mischievous urge to cause trouble that had been brewing inside her began to deflate a little.
The moment she stepped into the courtyard, she froze, utterly stunned.
The once-square courtyard now looked like a luxury goods warehouse that had suddenly burst its seams. All sorts of gift bags, gift boxes, gift chests, jewelry, antiques, and ornaments were piled up, stretching from the corners of the walls all the way to the covered walkways.
Butler Ward was bent over, carefully taking inventory. He looked up, saw Annelise frozen at the entrance, and immediately straightened up.
"Oh, Miss, you're back! The old master, as well as the master and madam, are all inside waiting for you."
Annelise pointed at the mountain of obstacles. "Butler Ward, what's with all this stuff?"
Butler Ward said cheerfully, "These are all betrothal gifts from the Westgate Family. There's more in the inner rooms; we're running out of space to put it all! Please, Miss, go on in. Don't keep the old master and the others waiting."
"Betrothal gifts?!" Annelise's voice jumped several octaves.
'Who agreed to this? Who said I was going to marry him?'
'This afternoon we were fighting to the death, and by evening he's already piled the betrothal gifts up in my family's courtyard?'
'Fine, fine, fine. So that's Jett Westgate for you.'