Chapter 294

To amass a fortune that could rival nations—that was Vincent Langley's relentless pursuit.

Anyone who stood in his way would vanish without a trace.

The call connected, and Dominic Lombardi's voice came through.

"Mr. Langley."

"Have you uncovered Phoenix Group's background?"

Dominic's voice tensed. "Sir, they're too well-hidden. Not even a shadow of them can be traced. These people are highly trained—far beyond my clearance level."

Vincent narrowed his eyes.

Abroad, he could operate with impunity.

But on home soil, he had to tread carefully.

His path to legitimacy couldn't afford a single misstep.

"Keep digging!" Vincent slammed his palm on the desk. "Find them. Retrieve those diamonds at any cost. How dare they touch what's mine!"

A weighted silence filled the line.

Dominic knew how obsessively his boss coveted those diamonds.

They were the golden ticket into the world's elite.

"Sir, I've been monitoring the diamond situation. But the operation against Julian Roscente failed. He survived and is now hospitalized with Adrian Valentine."

Vincent's brow twitched.

Adrian was in the hospital too?

"Perfect," he sneered. "Now we have grounds to postpone his engagement to Isabella."

Dominic understood immediately.

Adrian's sudden interest in Isabella was clearly an investigation into the past.

After hanging up, Vincent stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Years of meticulous planning, yet progress remained agonizingly slow.

What was Adrian compared to him?

If only he could secure Sebastian Cortez's alliance...

But that man cared only for power.

——

Downstairs in the living room, Isabella flipped through a script, noticing her mother's distracted expression.

"Mother, is something troubling you?" She closed the binder.

Eleanor Langley snapped out of her thoughts, forcing a smile. "Just missing your brother. Another year without him home for the holidays. The house feels incomplete."

Isabella handed her a teacup. "He's doing well abroad. Don't worry."

Eleanor stared blankly at the cup.

This wasn't her real daughter.

Where was her true child?

She rose and headed upstairs, her posture heavy with exhaustion.

Watching her mother retreat, Isabella dialed Warren Garten.

"Miss me already?" His tone was teasing.

Isabella's voice turned icy. "Cut the act. Track my mother's recent movements."

"Consider it done." He paused. "Should I come over tonight?"