“If I don’t respond properly today, people might actually think someone from a classified government unit like me is easy to mess with.” Just as I finished speaking, Hayden’s phone started to ring.
He glanced at me nervously, hesitated for a few seconds, then finally picked it up.
“What did you say? Say that again!”
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at me like he’d just seen a ghost.”
“What? There’s an issue with the company’s finances? The entire group is being investigated and frozen indefinitely? And the team’s been sent straight from the Cabinet?”
After confirming with Legal multiple times, Hayden was completely dumbfounded.}
He turned to me and asked, his voice trembling, “Veronica… don’t tell me… this was you?“}
Even after hearing that his company was going bankrupt, Hayden still couldn’t wrap his head around the idea that I had the power to do this.D
But this time, I didn’t even need to explain myself. His father, Edric, who had held back for way too long, finally exploded in rage.§ “Hayden, how could I have raised such an idiot! You think your mess isn’t big enough already? You want to drag our entire family down with you?!”
He slapped his own thigh in frustration, his voice shaking with fury. “My god… Do you still not understand why I insisted you marry Miss Riley? I’ve let you get away with so much over the years, but today you just had to defy me at the worst possible moment!“}
“You see this?” He pointed toward the silent crowd. “You caused our company’s collapse. Are you happy now?“>
Edric was shaking from head to toe, stomping his feet in helpless anger. Honestly, if I were just a bit colder, their family would already be gone.
Finally, after hearing all this, Hayden’s brain seemed to catch up.
“Wait… Dad, are you saying… this woman’s background is so powerful even we can’t afford to offend her?“>
Now, every person in the room looked at me with eyes full of fear and disbelief.
Especially Gillian, who was hiding in the crowd, trembling, unable to even meet my gaze.
I turned to Hayden, voice calm and collected. “You should consider yourself lucky you didn’t go any further earlier. Because if you had, you’d probably be wearing handcuffs by now.”
Hayden’s face collapsed, and his
shouldn’t have underestimated. Voice cracked with regret. “Miss Riley, I-I was wrong. I really didn’t know who I was dealing with. I
you.
Can
happened. I was joking. A stupid joke.”
I raised an eyebrow and smirked.
we can we just carry on with the wedding? Let’s just forget that whole calling–it–off thing ever
*
“A joke?” I said slowly. “Well… I wasn’t laughing. Because I took it seriously.”
That single sentence hit him like a thunderclap. Hayden was left speechless.
Seeing how things were spiraling, even Edric, the company’s chairman, could only stand to the side and sigh heavily. The room fell into an eerie silence. Everyone was waiting to see how I would deal with the Cobbs next.
After a long pause, I finally turned to Edric, who now looked completely defeated.§
I sighed, “Mr. Cobb… for the sake of my mother, I might
be
willing to spare your family. But have one condition.”
At that, Edric’s eyes lit up with hope. “Miss Riley, please, name it! Whatever the condition is, I’ll agree. Anything, just say the word.”>
I slowly raised a hand and pointed at Hayden, who was still wiping tears from his face, then gave a faint, mysterious smile.
“Mr. Cobb… have you ever heard the phrase: ‘If you open the can of worms, you better know how to close it?”
