Chapter 227

Vincent Langley's eyes gleamed as he took a sip of tea. "Adrian Valentine dotes on Isabella, and Margaret Valentine favors our daughter. If this marriage succeeds, our business in Vienna will flourish."

She pursed her lips. If not for the benefits, she would never tolerate that cold-faced tyrant.

Every time he visited, he wore that icy expression—as if the world owed him a fortune.

"But what if his intentions aren't genuine? We should be cautious, especially after what happened back then—"

Vincent cut her off with a cold laugh. "He was just a child back then. What could he possibly know? I leave no traces. Even if Adrian investigates, he'll find nothing."

His confidence silenced her.

——

Night deepened, neon lights pulsing in the bar.

Bodies writhed on the dance floor, moving to deafening music.

When Vincent Ashcroft received the invitation, he almost declined. But suffocating in that cramped apartment drove him out.

Pushing open the VIP room door, he found his old crowd drowning in liquor and women.

The scene tightened his throat.

A year had passed since he last indulged in such luxury.

Lucien Croix lounged on the leather sofa, black shirt unbuttoned at the collar, his buzz cut gleaming under the lights.

"Well, if it isn't the mighty Vincent Ashcroft." He swirled his glass, lips curling mockingly. "Fallen so low, yet you came running. Here to beg or grovel?"

Vincent frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

A playboy nearby sneered, arm around a scantily clad woman. "Stop pretending. You're out of our league now. Be a good dog and pour us drinks—maybe we'll throw you scraps."

Vincent's face darkened.

"Lucien! When your family's finances collapsed, my father lent you thirty million! This is how you repay us?"

Lucien burst into laughter.

"Business is war. Fewer competitors mean bigger slices." Leaning closer, malice glinted in his eyes. "Gratitude is one thing—but I won't just watch your downfall. I'll make sure the Ashcrofts never rise again."

The words struck like lightning.

Once, Vincent had been the most admired among them.

Now, with Adrian Valentine withdrawing support, the Ashcrofts were truly finished.

At that moment, he finally understood his father's words about the fickleness of the world.