Chapter 11: Fate Cannot Be Changed.
"Sigh… meet me in the study room when you're done here," Chris said to Raymond as he stood up from the dining table. The tension in the air lingered long after he left.
Raymond sat back in his seat, chewing slowly, the bitterness inside him far heavier than the food in front of him. His father's sudden gestures of fatherly concern irritated him.
Why pretend to care now, after all these years?
Later, in the study room, he stood before his father, arms folded, voice cold.
"You don't need to act like the father of the year. It's a little too late for that."
The words cut deeper than a knife. Chris stood still, stunned into silence. His tongue felt glued to the roof of his mouth. How could a son carry so much venom in his heart?
Chris finally found his voice. "If that's how you see me… then what can I do? I didn't call you here for a fight. It's about the company."
Before he could finish, Raymond cut in, voice sharper than ever. "Don't. I don't need a tutorial on how to run what I already own. If you want the company so badly, you can have it."
He sat down across from his father, his gaze unflinching, calm, and chilling.
Chris clenched the edge of the table, trying to steady his breath. "I'm still your father, Raymond! Don't forget that," he snapped, the volume of his voice shaking the room.
But Raymond remained unfazed. His expression didn't shift an inch.
Chris exhaled sharply and toned his voice down. "All I'm saying is this — think about expanding the company to other countries. Make it your goal. Don't just stay where you are. Be bigger."
He stood up slowly, but just as he reached for the door, Raymond's voice came again, low and biting. "Why do you always want me to create more enemies?"
Chris paused. His back still to Raymond, he gripped the doorknob tightly but said nothing.
If only you knew, son. I only want to make you unbreakable. Stronger than I ever was.
But he couldn't say it. Not today.
Back in the dining room, Paris sat stiffly, forced to share space with her father's second wife and her conniving son. Halfway through her meal, she dropped her cutlery with a clatter and stormed out.
May hissed after her. "Useless brat. Just like her mother."
She turned to Kelvin with a smirk. "Just wait, my dear. One day, everything here will be yours."
Kelvin returned the smile knowingly. They were both counting down to the day the empire would fall into their hands.
---
A Dark Night...
One month had passed since the board members had first suggested the Macedonia expansion. Frances had dismissed it then — not out of business logic, but because of him.
Stafford Raymond.
But tonight, under the dark Lichfield sky, she changed her mind.
Not because of pressure. Not because of their endless whining.
But because fate was inevitable.
No matter how far she ran, she'd still meet him at the next bend.
She sat in her office, sipping black coffee, the city lights reflecting in her window. On the table was a document stamped in bold: "Stafford Raymond – CEO, Luce Group."
Her fingers traced the letters briefly.
So we meet again.
He was once her shield, her temporary escape route… and also her unfinished war.
Frances turned her chair and smirked. "I've faced worse. This? I'll handle it."
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
"Ma'am," Bianca entered quietly. "Flight is set for 7 AM. You have a meeting with the Luce Group CEO in the morning."
Frances nodded. "Good. I'm going over your draft now. I'll send some revisions via text, alright?"
"Yes ma'am," Bianca replied professionally.
---
Macedonia Airport...
A sleek Jeep Versace pulled into the VIP zone. Frances stepped out elegantly, dressed in a tailored grey pantsuit that hugged her figure with power and grace. Her heels clicked confidently on the pavement. Bianca shut the door behind her.
"Ervin, head straight to Luce Group. We'll check in on our branch here afterward," she instructed her driver.
"Yes ma'am."
Meanwhile, in his office high above the Macedonia skyline, Raymond sat alone. The name "Frances Lin" had been glowing across his desk screen for days. He had memorized every detail of her proposal — but not for business.
His smirk stretched slowly. She's finally within reach.
He leaned back in his chair, recalling that unforgettable face, that bold spirit… and the money she vanished with.
A knock broke the memory.
"Boss," Sky said from the doorway, "They've arrived. The representatives are all waiting."
Raymond twirled a pen between his fingers. "Let them wait."
Sky blinked. "Sir?"
"Just give me a few more minutes," Raymond said. His smile turned dangerous. "Let her taste the beginning of her punishment."
Sky wanted to laugh but held it in. He could guess what this was about — the woman.
Raymond noticed Sky's puffy cheeks and raised an eyebrow. "Why do you look like that? What's wrong with your face?"
Sky straightened immediately. "Nothing, sir! I'll deliver your message now!"
As he scurried away, he muttered a silent prayer of thanks. "God, save me from both of them…"
---
Luce Group – Executive Boardroom
Inside the glass-walled room, Frances sat at the head of the table. Every executive and assistant from both companies was already seated — except for one.
Sky walked in, hesitant.
"Ma'am… the CEO will join you shortly."
Frances crossed one leg over the other, clearly unimpressed.
"So," she said coolly, "he sent you to tell us to wait?"
Sky nodded, visibly sweating.
"Tell him we're busy too. He should come now." Her tone was sharp — unbothered, firm.
Sky wanted to defend his boss — the same boss who had once poured everything into Frances. But he knew better. This wasn't his battle.
"Understood, ma'am."
Just as he turned—
SLAM.
The door swung open.
"No need, Sky. Come with me," Raymond's voice echoed like thunder.
He walked in like a force of nature, his coat fluttering slightly with each step. The room fell into silence.
Everyone stood up instinctively.
Everyone… except Frances.
She looked straight at him, unmoved.
"I see. Is this how you treat business partners now? Keeping them waiting like this? Very professional," she said, flipping casually through the contract in front of her.
Raymond's presence grew heavier, but he didn't react immediately. He walked slowly to his seat, sat, and gave her a long, unreadable look.
"Miss Frances," he said at last, "long time no see."
He leaned forward, voice calm but laced with sarcasm. "Is that how you greet your husband after abandoning him in another country? Is that how a wife behaves?"
Frances didn't flinch.
Raymond adjusted his tie. "But this is work, right? Let's save the personal talk for after the meeting. Agreed?"
He smiled coldly, watching her carefully.
Frances smiled back — just as cold, just as sharp.
The game had begun.