Chapter 1381
Seeing the name inside, an arrogant smirk curled the corner of his lips.
“Serena Lancaster p>
“Lost in the wilderness for twenty years, and only just brought back to the Lancaster estate p>
“This presents a rather perfect opportunity p>
The butler standing beside him lowered his voice. “What are your orders, sir p>
Dominic snapped the invitation shut, his tone utterly dismissive. “Families like the Lancasters are ruled by guilt. They owe her, so they’re trying to compensate p>
“This newly retrieved heiress might look like she’s sitting on a throne, but her foundation is incredibly fragile p>
“As long as I can win her over, the Lancaster empire falls right into my hands, doesn’t it p>
While the Montgomery family was deeply respected for their prestigious bloodline, that same bloodline caused endless vicious infighting.
The current patriarch of the Montgomery family was nearing the end of his life.
The first, second, and third branches were already preparing for war.
As the eldest son of the third branch, if Dominic wanted to seize control of the Montgomery empire, he desperately needed outside leverage.
The butler understood immediately and bowed. “A brilliant strategy, sir p>
Dominic let out a soft laugh, his eyes brimming with unchecked narcissism. “She’s just a country girl thrust into the terrifying world of billionaires. How much real power has she ever seen p>
“I’ll show her a little charm and basic respect. She’ll know exactly who to choose p>
Meanwhile.
At the Sinclair estate.
Alaric Sinclair, the head of The Global Bio-Tech Foundation, sat in his He stared at the invitation in his hand, his eyes a dark, unreadable void.
study.
Scattered across his mahogany desk was a heavily redacted, internal intelligence briefing regarding the Severia incident.
On the briefing, the name ‘Serena Lancaster’ was violently circled in red ink. Alaric rhythmically tapped his finger against the desk.
Tap.
Tap.
When he finally stopped, a sinister scoff escaped his lips. “The Lancasters are certainly desperate to build her a throne p>
A man standing in the shadows spoke quietly, “Boss, are we attending p>
Alaric smiled faintly. “Of course. How could I miss such an extraordinary event p>
He picked up the invitation, a chilling darkness flashing through his eyes.
“The First Lady of Lancaster caused quite a bit of chaos in Severia p>
“Someone needs to remind her p>
“Now that she’s back in Vaelion City, she doesn’t get to do whatever she pleases anymore p>
The day of the debutante gala arrived in a flash.
Outside a wildly exclusive royal-tier estate in Vaelion City, an convoy of luxury vehicles f
glittering line. Content net
glittering line.
This particular estate was rarely open to the public, and it wasn’t a venue you could simply rent with a fat check.
It sat in the most fiercely guarded, elite sector of the city, backed by a sprawling private mountain range and fronted by an artificial lake linee with century-old trees.
There was no tacky, glaring gold everywhere.
No desperate attempts to flaunt wealth.
From the sweeping red carpet at the entrance to the rare, imported orchids lining the walkways.
The elegant, sprawling branches and the subtle, intoxicating fragrance in the air.
Only when you stepped inside did you truly feel the suffocating, refined power of ultimate old money.
The main banquet hall featured a semi-open architectural design.
Massive, breathtaking crystal chandeliers cascaded from the vaulted ceilings.
The walls weren’t decorated with generic art; they displayed authentic masterpieces from Elyndor’s late historical painters.
Even the intricate wooden partition
near the entrance had been
personally shipped in from Reginald
Lancaster’s private antique
collection.
Nothing was aggressively flashy.
Yet every single detail screamed how devastatingly important this night was to the Lancaster family.
And how unimaginably important the star of the night was.
Every invited guest realized it the second they walked through the doors.
This wasn’t just a casual welcome-home party for a long-lost daughter.
The Lancaster family was making a terrifying declaration to the entire city.
Serena Lancaster was the crown jewel of their empire.
She was home.
And no one was allowed to disrespect her.