At that moment James's eyes burst open, wider than they had ever been.
He blinked once, Twice, But the image didn't change.
Cora… was standing, on her feet.
His heart slammed against his chest. For a split second, he thought it was a trick. A dream. Maybe a cruel joke. But the wind brushing across his face was real. The silence in the air was real, And the look of death in Cora's eyes very real.
Emily let out a gasp and stumbled backward, her heels wobbling beneath her. She hit the ground with a thud, completely stunned. "W-What the hell is happening?" she whispered to herself, trembling. "She can walk? Since when?"
Cora stepped away from wheelchair platform slowly, her shoe making sharp contact with the concrete confidently, like she'd never needed the chair in the first place.
Without wasting anymore time Giovanni and Lan immediately rushed forward, each on either side of her, lowering their arms with synchronized grace.
They intended to escort her properly like royalty.
On any other day, Cora might've accepted that gesture, Let them carry her steps like the queen she truly was.
But not today, today was for James.
She lifted a hand and stopped them both without a word.
And with calm poise, Cora took another step forward perfectly balanced, steady, and proud.
Because James needed to see it.
He needed to know she could walk very perfectly.
Cora gently waved her hand, rejecting their offer without saying a word.
Immediately, Giovanni and Lan dropped to one knee beside her, their heads slightly bowed, a silent display of absolute respect. Their loyalty didn't come from her wealth it came from who she was.
Without wasting anymore time Cora walked forward, every step a quiet storm, until she stood face to face with James.
At that moment in that his lips trembled.
He couldn't say a word. Couldn't move.
Cora looked at him, her eyes calm… but dangerous.
Then she leaned in just a little, close enough that only he could hear.
"We'll see," she muttered, "who comes crawling between us."
And with that, she turned, Graceful, Unbothered.
She approached the first Rolls-Royce, and before she could even reach for the handle, one of the suited men opened the door with a bow.
She stepped in like she had always belonged there.
Immediately Giovanni and Lan followed, entering the same car.
A moment later, the engine purred to life, and the convoy of luxury glided out of the compound.
James remained rooted to the spot, his face pale, his mind was in chaos.
He watched the cars vanish down the road.
Silence followed.
His thoughts were racing, spinning out of control, She walked, Cora walked, That means… she never had any accident…his hands began to tremble.
Was this a joke? A setup? A miracle?
He didn't know anymore, Nothing made sense.
James still stood still, his eyes locked on the road where the convoy had just disappeared. His mind spiraled in every direction.
Could Cora have been telling the truth?
She said her family helped him rise… but that didn't make sense.
He'd seen her family, Poor, Uninfluential, Farmers from Cloudridge, They didn't even live in the city, and Cora herself barely ever left the house, She wasn't connected. She wasn't educated in business. She wasn't even… active.
So how could she be the reason for his success? But then again those Rolls-Royces. The men. The sword. The gold-trimmed logo.
What if the logo was fake?
At that moment James clung to the idea like a lifeline. "Yes." Maybe it was just a well-orchestrated performance. A rented show of power. Something to intimidate him, And the walking? That had to be a disguise, maybe she was never truly injured, maybe she faked it all to spy on him, to watch him quietly while planning something bigger.
At that moment his heart skipped.
What if she stole something? he hadn't checked the vault. He hadn't checked the office. If she took something worth ten million dollars, or one of his signed assets or business template his life could fall apart.
The more he thought about it, the more certain he became.
Cora must've already done something. That's why she walked out so calmly. That's why she showed off everything.
At that moment his breath grew shallow. His hands twitched.
Then someone tapped him on the shoulder.
"Sir," one of the house staff said, "your alarm's been going off. It's time to get dressed for the event."