Chapter 14 

Derick’s sharp gaze locked right onto Adrianna’s. The only light in the study came from a desk lamp, casting a warm, golden glow that etched his features into a striking silhouette. 

Adrianna raised an eyebrow as she tapped her fingers lightly against the rim of her mug. “What does it mean?” 

“It means that from today onwards,” he said slowly and deliberately. “In the eyes of the public, the Quinnen and Ashford families are completely intertwined.” 

He narrowed his eyes before continuing, “If you’re doing this just to get back at James, there’s no need to go this far.” 

The mug hit the table with a loud clatter, and Adrianna almost laughed from sheer disbelief. She had just offered up her most valuable mining assets under her name, and he still questioned her motives. 

Her moment of silence, however, led Derick to a different conclusion. 

He sat up straight, and his expression turned cold. “I don’t need your charity.” 

“Charity?” Adrianna stood up and slapped a file against his chest. “Mr. Ashford, do you really think that little of yourself?” 

Derick caught the file as it slipped from her hand. When he opened up the first page, he froze. 

It was a transfer agreement for the ownership of the Quinnen family’s three diamond mines in Halstad. Adrianna had already signed on to it. 

“This isn’t charity,” Adrianna said as she turned and walked toward the door. Her heels clicked crisply on the marble floor. “It’s trust.” 

As her hand rested on the doorknob, she suddenly glanced back at him. Echoing his tone back at the hospital, she asked, “You’re not going to let me lose… are you?” 

Derick stared at her briefly before letting out an amused scoff. “Of course not.” 

After the door closed, silence settled over the study once more. Derick remained seated, unmoving for a long while. 

He flipped through the file and went through each document in detail. Every page was signed, and Adrianna even had them notarized. 

It was clear this hadn’t been a last-minute decision. She had planned it well in advance. 

Suddenly, his phone buzzed. It was a message from his assistant. 

“Mr. Ashford, the Four Great Families have partnered with three banks. They’ll be filing a request to freeze our liquid assets tomorrow.” 

Derick’s gaze landed on the valuation figure on the final page of the document. It was enough to cover every shortfall in Ashford Corporation’s current finances. 

He walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, where the city outside glittered in the night. 

A year ago, when he left Gildford, Adrianna had still been chasing after James. And now… It just didn’t add up. 

Dercik dialed a number. 

“Reinvestigate everything Adrianna has been doing over the past six months. Especially anything 

involving James… Actually, no. Focus on whether she’s had any contact with people from Swarenthia.” 

After he hung up, his fingers idly traced the edge of the document. Logic told him this could very well be a trap. But when he recalled the look in her eyes when she said the word “trust”… 

“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath, yanking his tie loose. 

The next morning, the financial world was rocked by a massive upheaval. 

Just as the Four Great Families and their partner banks were preparing to freeze Ashford Corporation’s assets, a Swarenthian consortium suddenly announced a five billion dollar injection into the company. 

What shocked everyone even more was that the funds had been funneled through Quinnen Corporation’s financial channels. 

When the news broke, James erupted in the middle of a meeting. “Find out what’s going on! I want to know exactly what Adrianna and Derick are playing at!” 

Meanwhile, Adrianna was lounging comfortably in the Ashford Corporation CEO’s office, browsing the day’s financial headlines. 

“Are you satisfied?” Derick entered, trailed by a team of assistants with files in their arms. 

Adrianna waved her phone. “Nice move, Mr. Ashford. It took you just one day to turn the Four Great Families’ siege into a joke.” 

The assistants quietly excused themselves from the room. 

Derick walked up to her and suddenly leaned down, planting his hands on either side of her chair and trapping her in the narrow space between. 

“Why did you do it?” he asked, locking eyes with her. “Those mines were your mother’s gift to you.” 

Adrianna caught the faint scent of ambergris on him, mixed with the bitterness of coffee and a sleepless night. 

Tilting her head up slightly, her red lips brushed just under his chin. “Because I trust you’ll make them even more valuable than they are now.” 

3/4 

Derick’s pupils contracted slightly. 

Right then, the office door suddenly swung open. 

“Derick Ashford, what is the meaning of this?” 

James burst into the room, fuming-only to freeze when he saw the two of them in a compromising position. 

Adrianna could feel Derick’s body tense beside her. 

She chuckled softly and pushed him away, then smoothed down her dress. “Mr. Emmons, barging in without knocking is a bad habit.” 

James’ expression darkened. “Adrianna, do you really think he’s sincere about you? Don’t you see he’s just using you? He doesn’t even love you!” 

Derick straightened up, taking his sweet time as he adjusted his cufflinks. “Mr. Emmons, did you come here early this morning just to spout all that nonsense?” 

“Do you think this is over because you won this round?” James sneered. “The real game is just getting 

started.” 

James slammed the door on his way out, and silence settled back over the office. Adrianna noticed 

Derick’s gaze never once left her face. 

“What?” She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me he actually got to you?” 

Derick suddenly reached out, his thumb brushing the corner of her lips. 

“Adrianna,” he said in a low, dangerous voice. “You’d better not be playing me.” 

His fingertip was slightly rough, and the friction stung slightly. 

Adrianna grabbed his wrist and met his gaze head-on. 

“Derick, the one thing a gambler should never do is back out halfway.” She bit down gently on his fingertip. “And me? I never regret my bets.” 

That night, Derick didn’t return to the villa. Instead, he went to one of his private apartments. In his hands was the latest investigation report. 

The file showed that Adrianna had almost completely severed contact with James over the past six months. On the contrary, she’d repeatedly sent people to dig into his movements in Swarenthia. 

Most curious of all, three months ago, she’d suddenly sold off every gift James had gotten her and invested all the proceeds into an anonymous fund. 

Chapter 14 

4/4 

Derick stood at the window, deep in thought. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was missing something crucial. 

Suddenly, his phone lit up. It was a message from Adrianna. 

“There’s an auction tomorrow. Come with me?” 

He stared at the message, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile. But soon, his expression 

returned to indifference. 

“Okay,” he replied, before tossing the report into the shredder. 

He would find out what Adrianna was planning. But for now, the glass before him caught the faint smile 

on his lips.