Two Reborn, One Throne novel Chapter 97

97 /199

It was already ten o'clock by the time Sharif Madison returned to Harbor Heights.

Harbor Heights was the most prestigious luxury neighborhood in Riverport. Sharif's estate sat on over seven acres of land, complete with musical fountains, manicured gardens, and every amenity imaginable.

Yet, he rarely came home.

Aside from a grey-and-white Garfield cat that lived there permanently, the only other presence was the hourly cleaning staff.

Today, he had originally planned to relax here, but because of Amber's competition, Julian Zeller had driven him out to treat all of her classmates to pre-exam milk tea, before chauffeuring him back to the corporate office.

Her performance during the competition had completely exceeded his expectations. He pulled the three documents she had given him during her interview from the file rack and reviewed them once more.

Catching her owner's scent, the cat leaped from its perch onto his shoulder. Whether it was an illusion or something else, the more he looked at the feline, the more it reminded him of Amber—his little fox.

She was sly, too. Right now, she was standing confidently on his shoulder, completely unbothered by whether he thought she was heavy. Wherever he went, she followed.

He was just about to shower and skip playing with the cat tonight. He had only unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt when his phone rang.

Pulling it from his pocket, he saw Julian's name flashing on the screen.

"Mr. Madison, I have an update. The documents Amber submitted, which you had me put into play, have shifted the board’s stance. They're no longer strictly opposing us. In fact, Mr. Lawson just called me personally. I turned him down, exactly as you instructed."

Sharif chuckled softly. Though he still had plenty of questions regarding the three gifts Amber had presented, each one had solved an immediate crisis for him. Sponsoring that little fox was an absolute no-brainer.

"They'll likely make an even bigger move next. Keep a close eye on them. Oh, right—since Amber won the competition, did the private investigator dig up anything new?"

Sharif turned sideways, the massive floor-to-ceiling window reflecting his striking features and perfectly tailored silhouette.

Julian hesitated for a moment. "I was just about to report on that, sir. Please don't be angry when you hear this."

Sharif raised an eyebrow.

"What? Was the person pulling the strings really the one I suspected?"

"No, we still haven't identified the mastermind. But as for Amber..." Julian paused, choosing his words carefully. "...She was slapped by Lucian."

Sharif's expression darkened.

"The PI is still investigating. Current reports suggest it has something to do with her father. Actually, it involves a classmate named Joanne. Apparently, Lucian spent thirty grand on her, and his mother has been harassing her to pay it back. This girl is quite piece of work—not only did she avoid paying, but she also orchestrated a scheme that resulted in Lucian slapping Amber."

"But don't worry, sir. Amber retaliated by slapping his mother and successfully forced him into a position where he had to beg for forgiveness on his knees. Though he didn't actually go through with it, his mother ended up in the hospital."