Isabella had guessed Seraphina could join hands with Nicholas to make Alaric's life difficult. But she hadn't expected her to target Aveline.

"Sera, why did you do that? What were you trying to achieve?" Isabella asked.

Aveline already had an idea. However, she also asked, "I would like to know it too. We had never met before that day. Or did I offend you in any way before that?"

Seraphina could only look away without answering them. She didn't want to drag this game on for long by pretending to be Aveline's friend or acquaintance. Thus, she chose the short route, considering Aveline was just divorced, and as a socialite, she would try to bury everything.

She was wrong there.

Aveline didn't bury the situation, instead, she blew up the issue, without caring how much negatively it would impact the Laurents and her small business.

Upon all that, she wasn't bothering to play the role of a good lady in front of Lancaster to get brownie points, rather, she was openly playing her game.

Lucien just couldn't sit and watch his daughter being humiliated. So he snapped, "What? Is it wrong to wish for a sister to marry into the same family?" He was simply justifying Seraphina's actions.

"Sera has apologized already, enough of this drama." He roared.

Aveline tilted her head, turning to Lucien, "Were you involved with your daughter from the beginning?" She simply asked, "President Astor?"

Lucien frowned, glaring at Aveline. She wasn't stopping; she was deliberately steering the situation.

"Do you think I run a small company like you? I'm the president of the country, I have numerous critical situations to handle instead of entertaining your petty games here." He hissed.

Aveline simply pointed at the door, "In that case, you may get back to your work. No one's stopping you." She sounded too innocent to believe her words.

"You…" Lucien didn't get to complete it.

Because the next second, her voice turned cold, "If not, please wait for your turn, President Astor. Chairman Lancaster and Chairman De'Conti have the right to learn about their daughter-in-law."

Isabella and Edward looked at each other. They realized there was more to it.

Lucien's face contorted with rage as he rose from his seat, his voice escalating with each word. "You think you can disrespect me? The President of this country?" His finger jabbed toward Aveline like a weapon.

"You're crossing the line again and again, you brazen woman!" His breathing grew heavier, veins visible at his temples. "First, you destroy my wife's reputation, then you humiliate my daughter, and now you dare to lecture me in my own presence?"

The words came out in a venomous hiss. "Know your place before I remind you what happens to those who forget theirs."

The room fell silent, the air thick with tension as his harsh words hung in the space.

Aveline's composure finally cracked. She grabbed Alaric's hand instinctively to stop him from rising, her knuckles white with the force of her grip. "I didn't even know who the freaks you guys were. Why the f*ck am I crossing the line if not you Astors messing with my life?"

The swear cut through the elegant atmosphere like shattered glass.

Then she turned to Isabella, her voice dropping to a whisper, "I'm sorry." Her eyes were genuinely apologetic, without giving them a chance to acknowledge her outburst.

Edward's jaw clenched and unclenched before he spoke, "President Astor, you either stay quiet till the end or leave. Choose." It was an order, delivered with the authority of a man accustomed to being obeyed.

Lucien had no choice but to stay there, humiliation pricking his skin like needles.

Edward's eyes narrowed at Aveline, "What happened after?"

Aveline could sense that Alaric was losing his calm, the tension radiating from him in waves. She glanced at Seraphina and responded, "The more I speak without Seraphina's confession, it wouldn't turn out well for Lancasters and Astors."

By the end of her words, she turned to Alaric. His expression was one of a storm brewing beneath the surface.

Edward knew Alaric was losing his cool. Seraphina was refusing to confess. And he could already imagine Alaric striking the Astors.

Isabella spoke instead, "Sera, why are you quiet?"

Seraphina stayed silent, her lips pressed into a thin line. She wanted the situation to escalate. So that it comes down to the point, Edward would throw them out. And she would rip them off clean by taking Lancaster's wealth.

Aveline reached for her mobile phone, sliding her finger across the screen with deliberate precision. She placed the device on the coffee table where everyone could see it clearly.

A video began playing.

The interrogation room was stark and unforgiving under harsh fluorescent lights. One of Oscar's men sat hunched forward, his face pale with fear as he confessed.

[Oscar Astor instructed us to scare the shit out of Aveline Laurent at her company so that she doesn't think of any Lancasters. He said to make sure she understood the consequences.]

Aveline slid her finger on the mobile screen, and another video started playing. The second video showed Oscar Astor himself.

His face flushed with panic. His voice rose several notches, his eyes wide with shock, "What the f*ck do you mean my brother will lose his seat? He is the president, for f*ck's sake!"

Scarlett's voice came from the video, calm and professional, "President!? Mr. Astor, Alaric Lancaster has evidence of his illegal actions. Your brother would be behind bars longer than you."

"How dare…" Oscar didn't get to finish his words.

Scarlett continued, spreading papers across the table, "I have convinced Aveline to take back this case." She displayed the documents. "See… But before I submit this, I have a doubt. Why were you scaring Aveline? For Dahlia?"

Oscar's eyes went wide as he read the complaint withdrawal papers, hope flickering across his features. He responded desperately, hoping to be released from prison, "No, Seraphina instructed me. She promised me some Lancaster Global Holdings shares, a massive land on the outskirts of Velmora, and the mayor's seat of Velmora."

The video ended, leaving the room in suffocating silence.

Aveline broke the silence, "President Astor, now tell me. Was it a wish to have her sister married to the Lancaster family?"

Lucien's breathing was ragged, his chest rising and falling heavily. Clearly, Oscar believed in the power of Lancaster rather than the political power he held. And the woman in front of him just proved how untrustworthy he was in the presence of Lancasters.

He rose to his feet like a man possessed. He pointed at Aveline with a trembling finger, his voice rising with each word, "Yes! Yes, she tried to get rid of you from Alaric's back!" His face was red with fury.

"So what if she did?" His voice cracked. "Did she kill you? No!" He roared, "Then stop creating these dramatic scenes here!"

His breathing was labored, his entire frame shaking with the force of his outburst. "You think you can destroy my family with your cheap theatrics?"

Aveline: "..."

This is what she wanted. Lose their composure and spit the truth out.

Alaric's voice broke the quiet that followed, each word dropping like a stone into still water. The air around him suffocated the room when he gave a single command, "Ezra, send the file to the anti-corruption department."

Lucien: "..."

Everyone sat there stunned, the gravity of his words settling over them like a blanket.

"Alaric…" Nicholas lunged forward desperately, but Edward grabbed his collar and pulled him back with surprising strength.

"Stop." Edward commanded Ezra, his voice cutting through the chaos. He realized that whenever he was involved diplomatically, the other parties gave in because of fear. However, the situation was different now.

Ezra glanced at Alaric, torn between loyalties, and was about to continue when Aveline's soft voice sounded, "Wait… I'm not done yet."

"Done my foot. Utter another word, and I will have your tongue cut off." Nicholas yelled, his face twisted with desperation.

Suddenly, Alaric rose. He stormed forward, causing Nicholas to step away instinctively, the dark expression on Alaric's face promising nothing good.

'Thwack.'

Alaric threw his fist right into Nicholas's face with brutal precision. The force sent Nicholas stumbling and crashing to the ground, blood immediately streaming from his nose.

"Say another word again, and I'll forget you are a half-brother." Alaric's low and cold voice hushed the hall completely.

Shock flashing across his face, Nicholas's hand hovered near his cheek, trembling between rage and humiliation, but no words came out.

Seraphina rushed to Nicholas, kneeling beside him on the expensive carpet. Her hands shook as she tried to lift him, using her carefully crafted mask. "Nick…" Her voice cracked, revealing a fear.

Lucien's voice cut through, sharp as a blade. "Nicholas, would you still want to stay here? Your parents are bothered about only those two. They let outsiders humiliate you." His glare shifted to Edward and Isabella, the accusation heavy in the air.

Before Nicholas could rise, Edward's voice thundered, "Enough." The command carried more weight than Lucien's taunt, echoing through the room.

And then Aveline, calm and cutting, began clapping her hands slowly. The sound echoed mockingly in the tense silence.

When everyone turned to her in disbelief, Aveline looked directly at Seraphina and Lucien. "I should nominate you two for best actor and actress awards." She sneered, her smile sharp as broken glass.

Lucien and Seraphina's expressions turned ugly, their masks of politeness completely abandoned.

"Aveline…" Isabella warned her to stay quiet, her voice carrying pure concern.

However, Aveline didn't stop. "I hate physical violence more than anybody here." She said apologetically to Isabella, her tone genuinely remorseful.

Her eyes shone with merciless calm when she met Seraphina's gaze. "But here's the tragedy." She tilted her head. "The stage doesn't belong to you anymore, Seraphina. It's mine."

Silence followed, colder than any outburst.

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