As the conversation settled and the clinking of glasses softened, I reached into my coat and slid a matte black card across the table toward Oliver.
"It's all there," I said calmly. "Ten million. No strings attached. Use it wisely."
He stared at it, stunned into silence for a beat, before accepting it with both hands. There was a flicker of disbelief in his eyes, quickly replaced by quiet gratitude.
"I… I won't forget this, Young Master Cedric."
"You don't need to," I said, offering a faint smile. "Just make it count."
And then it came—subtle but unmistakable.
[Ding! Task Complete. You have successfully invested the full 10 million.]
[As a reward, you've unlocked a spin on the Limited Investor's Fortune Wheel. Spin now or save for later.]
I paused, the prompt lingering in the corner of my mind. The usual swirl of color and opportunity shimmered faintly behind it.
'Save it for now,' I thought. 'Too many eyes around.'
[Noted! Wheel stored. You can spin it anytime, Cedric.]
I let the prompt fade without a word, returning my attention to the present.
Oliver was still holding the card carefully, as if it might vanish with a gust of wind. Around the table, the others had shifted their posture—no longer skeptical, but quietly impressed.
Samuel leaned back in his seat. "Well damn. You weren't kidding when you said you believed in bold moves."
"To sudden miracles," Henry added with a dry grin.
Daniel chuckled, lifting his glass. "And to the man who drops investments like it's pocket change."
I gave a quiet laugh, unbothered.
They didn't know what I'd just earned behind the scenes.
And for now, that secret was mine to keep.
Just as the laughter began to pick up again and glasses clinked once more, a faint yet distinct noise cut through the hum of conversation.
A sharp crash—followed by muffled shouting—echoed from the direction of the back garden.
Everyone at the table paused mid-motion.
Henry turned his head slightly. "Did you hear that?"
Daniel lowered his glass. "Sounded like something broke."
Samuel leaned toward the window, brow furrowed. "Back garden?"
Oliver straightened in his seat, his smile fading into something more alert. "Could be a servant dropping something…"
"Or something else," Thomas muttered, eyes narrowing.
I stayed quiet, listening.
The noise didn't come again. But the momentary silence that followed was telling.
Just enough of a stir to seed unease—but not yet enough to rise from our seats.
Around us, conversations had dulled slightly, heads turning toward the source of the disturbance. Staff were already moving, discreet but quick, toward the garden entrance.
---
Certainly! Here's the revised version with an emphasis on the circles and the ongoing commotion:
---
Meanwhile, in the garden—
Luke adjusted his tie, trying to maintain an air of control despite the tension in his chest. The laughter and chatter from the banquet were faint, but the weight of the situation felt heavy against his skin.
His eyes flicked over to Lily, standing a little too far from him, her eyes fixed on the man in front of them.
The man had a predatory grin on his face, as though he was accustomed to getting what he wanted. His gaze was far too familiar with Lily, and that made Luke's blood boil.
This wasn't just an ordinary encounter—it was about status, circles, and the power dynamics of the world they inhabited.
Luke wasn't part of Eirenthal's elite circles. His family, though wealthy, lacked the deep-rooted connections that had secured spots in the higher echelons.
They were nothing compared to the man before them. The man's family might have been from the lower circles, but they still had influence in places Luke couldn't touch. And that was what made him dangerous.
Lily's family, however, was firmly entrenched in the Reed circle—the uppermost of them all—and the man before them knew it. He knew who she was, who her family was, and he wasn't hesitant to use that knowledge against her.
"Come on, Lily," the man said, his voice smooth, but there was a hardness to it. "You're too beautiful to be acting so cold. You can't possibly mean it. Let's talk."
Luke stepped forward, his jaw clenched tight. "I think you've said enough," he said, his tone sharp.
The man's grin widened as he sized Luke up, his gaze cool and calculating. "You're Luke Tanner, aren't you? I didn't expect to see someone like you at an event like this. What's your family name again?"
Luke remained silent, but the man's words were a jab, laced with contempt. He was pointing out that Luke didn't belong here—not in this circle. This wasn't his world.
But Lily was different. She belonged to the Reed family, the most prestigious of all. And the man knew it. That was what made him bold.
He shifted his focus back to Lily. "You know, you're a Reed. I never thought I'd see someone like you with someone like him."
Lily flinched, stepping back slightly. Her hand gripped the side of her clutch as if it were her only lifeline. "Please, just leave us alone."
Luke took another step forward, closer to her, putting himself between her and the man. "You've overstayed your welcome," he said evenly, his voice cold but firm.
The man laughed—low, condescending. "You're her boyfriend, huh? I can't say I'm impressed. Your family... they don't have the right connections. You think you can stand up to me?"
Luke's fists clenched at his sides, but he refused to back down. This man had misjudged him—misjudged them both.
Lily's family may have been part of the upper circles, but Luke had spent years proving himself in the business world, working his way up.
He might not have the right name or the connections, but that didn't mean he wasn't worth something. And he was not going to let this man talk down to Lily.
The man glanced at him again, his grin turning into something sharper. "I know who I am," he said, his voice laced with smug superiority. "My family might not be in the leagues of Reed family, but we're still in the game. You're not."
Luke could feel the heat rising in his chest, but he maintained his composure, the anger only simmering beneath the surface. He could feel the weight of the situation, the implications of everything this man was trying to do.
He could almost hear the laughter in the back of his mind—how this man thought of them, how he saw them in comparison to his own family's "position."
But that didn't matter. Luke wasn't here for a contest of names. He was here to protect Lily. And that meant standing up to people like this.
He took a slow step forward, his voice calm and unwavering. "You don't get to talk about her like that."
The man's eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, Luke added, "You don't know who I am. And you certainly don't know who she is."
Lily glanced nervously at Luke, her fingers trembling around the clutch. She knew the stakes—she could feel the weight of the circles they were a part of.
She might have been connected to the Reed family, but that didn't shield her from the type of person standing in front of them.
The man's grin faltered slightly as he took in the seriousness in Luke's eyes. Then, after a moment of tense silence, he threw his hands up. "You're not worth the trouble," he muttered, turning away. "But don't think you'll be left alone, Tanner. People like you... don't last long in circles like this."
And with that, he walked off, disappearing into the night.
Luke stood there for a moment, his breath coming heavier than usual. He glanced at Lily, who was still holding on to her clutch, but she was visibly shaken.
"You okay?" Luke asked quietly, his hand moving to her shoulder in reassurance.
Lily nodded, though her smile was forced. "I'm fine... but that man... He thinks because of my family, he can just do whatever he wants."
Luke's eyes hardened, and he pulled her gently closer. "No one gets to treat you like that. Not now. Not ever."
She gave him a small, tired smile. "I know. But it's not just him. It's the circles they all run in. It's like they think they can control everything, everyone..."
Luke felt a flash of frustration, but he didn't let it show. "Well, we don't play by their rules."
He turned his gaze back toward the banquet, where the commotion in the garden seemed to still be growing louder. The tension in the air was palpable.
"Let's get out of here," Luke said after a moment, his voice soft but firm. "Let's go somewhere quiet. Away from all this."
But they didn't re-enter the banquet. Instead, they stayed in the garden, out of the crowd, as the sounds of the gathering continued to echo in the distance, muffled by the weight of what had just unfolded.
Lily leaned into him, and Luke stayed silent, his thoughts swirling. They might not have been part of their precious circles, but that wouldn't stop him from standing his ground.
That was when something bigger happened.
The sounds of a heated voice cut sharply through the garden, loud enough to echo all the way back to the banquet hall. Glasses clinked, murmurs rose, and heads turned. A commotion—louder than before. The kind that couldn't be ignored.
In the center of it, Luke's voice rang out, sharp with fury.
"I said—get away from her!"
There was a loud crack as a fist met flesh. Gasps rippled through the nearby guests, and the subtle melody of string instruments faltered from inside.
The man staggered back, clutching his cheek. He blinked in stunned disbelief—before a sneer twisted across his face. Blood at the edge of his lip, but no fear in his eyes. Only arrogance.
"You really did it…" he muttered, laughing under his breath. "Do you have any idea who you just hit?"
Luke stood firm, his breath heavy, hands clenched at his sides. "I don't care."
The man wiped the blood with the back of his hand, grinning wide.
"You should care," he said. "Because I'm Eddie Reyes."
Lily's breath hitched.
Around them, murmurs grew louder. That name—Reyes—wasn't unknown.
Eddie took a step forward, all swagger now. "My family may not be part of the middle circle like the Reed family, but we're in the Eirenthal circle. Connected in the lower ranks, Luke Tanner. And you?" He scoffed. "You're nothing but an outsider with a pretty girl way out of your league."
Luke didn't flinch, but a muscle in his jaw twitched. The pressure wasn't just from Eddie—it was from the weight of those words.
The unspoken truth that everyone around them knew: the circles ruled everything. And even the lower ranks held sway.
"I'm giving you one chance," Eddie said, eyes narrowing. "Apologize. Right now. Or I make one call—and I promise you, Luke Tanner, you'll never step foot in another event in this city again."
Lily's grip tightened on Luke's sleeve, but he didn't look away.
He didn't apologize.
The tension hung like a blade between them, as guests began crowding near the windows and garden entrance, watching but not interfering.
And back inside the banquet—unaware of the faces in the garden—Cedric and the others paused mid-conversation, faintly hearing the escalation. They didn't know who was involved. Not yet. But the atmosphere shifted.
Something serious was happening outside.