3

Mrs. Gilbert's face went dark green with rage at being cut down by me. She threw up her hand to slap me, but I caught her wrist before it landed.

I'm strong. I gripped hard enough to make her yelp. "Sophie Henson, have you lost your mind? Let go of me!"

"And what if I have?" I flung her hand away and shoved her back toward Corey.

I said it slow, one word at a time. "Corey Gilbert, your mother doesn't understand what I'm saying, but you should. If you don't want the Gilbert family to go bankrupt, you'd better talk her into apologizing to my sister. Otherwise... in a little while it'll be too late."

My words left Corey's face burning red.

It was exactly as I'd said.

This decision of mine had landed squarely on Gilbert Group's weakest point.

Earlier he'd let his mother put me in my place because he didn't want to spend the rest of his life at my mercy.

He'd wanted to set the rules for me before the wedding.

He just hadn't expected the whole thing to blow up in his face.

In any other setting, forget talking his mother into an apology.

He'd have gotten down on his knees and kowtowed to me if that was what it took.

But bowing to me now, backing down in front of this many people.

Even if Gilbert Group survived, he'd never hold his ground in his circle again.

His throat bobbed twice, and his eyes cut sideways to the guests murmuring all around him.

Those probing looks, hungry for a show, some even pitying, dug into his back like needles.

It took him a long moment to force a few words out through his teeth. "Sophie, restore the patent license first, and we'll talk about whatever this is in private. Don't make an ugly scene here."

"Scene?" I raised an eyebrow and pitched my voice higher on purpose.

"When your mother was slapping my sister across the face, why weren't you worried about an ugly scene? Now it's a scene? Where was all this before?"

My sister saw the situation spiraling further out of control and tugged at my sleeve again. "Sophie, really, let it go, I'm fine... don't fight with them..."

But the more she gave in, the harder my heart clenched.

I turned to Corey, my face cold. "I'll say it one last time. Make your mother apologize to my sister. Otherwise... don't blame me when I take this all the way."

Seeing me threaten Corey again, Mrs. Gilbert jumped back in to stir the pot.

"Apologize for what? Was I wrong? She got herself pregnant out of wedlock, so what if I hit her? Corey, don't be afraid of her, throw this madwoman out of here! The Gilbert family is big and rich, what do we have to fear?"

Corey, already backed into a corner by me, watched his mother court disaster all over again, and this time he truly couldn't take it.

He whipped around and cut her off, his voice sharp. "Mom, stop talking!"

Then he closed his eyes, as if steeling himself for some enormous decision.

Biting down on his lower lip, he said to Mrs. Gilbert, "Mom, apologize to Sophie's sister... this really was your fault..."

"My fault?" Mrs. Gilbert's eyes went wide with disbelief, and her hand shot out to pound his chest. "You ungrateful son! I did all this for your sake! For the Gilbert family! And now you're taking an outsider's side against me?"

"Look at the situation we're in, and you're still going on about this!" Corey ground his teeth.

"The Aurora chip is the core of Gilbert Group. If she really pulls the license, every one of our orders defaults, and just the breach penalties alone would bankrupt us! Are you not going to be satisfied until you've burned the whole Gilbert family to the ground?"

4

The words hit Jill like a bucket of ice water dumped over her head.

Her mouth opened, and her face went from flushed red to bloodless white in an instant.

Her lips trembling, she stammered, "It's... it's not that serious, is it? It's just one patent. Can't we develop it ourselves?"

"Develop it ourselves? The core technology is all with her. It would take us three to five years, minimum, and by then the market would be gone!" Corey finished, then turned to look at me.

His face was far softer than a moment ago, almost ingratiating.

"Sophie, is this all right now? Cool off a little. I'll have her apologize to your sister in a minute..."

I ignored Corey and kept staring coldly at Jill.

Backed into a corner at last, forced to face reality, she finally shuffled one grudging step forward. "I'm sorry, Angela. I acted rashly just now. Please forgive me..."

"You call that an apology?" I gave a small laugh and looked at Corey.

"When she slapped my sister across the face, the whole banquet hall heard it. Now she apologizes and it's a mosquito's whine? That's beyond half-hearted!"

"Don't push your luck!" Jill blew up again.

"I've already apologized, what more do you want? You expect me to kneel down and beg her forgiveness?"

"Kneeling won't be necessary," I said, holding her gaze.

"But you're going to say it out loud. You were wrong just now. You shouldn't have hit someone without knowing the first thing about it, and you shouldn't have insulted my sister. Say that clearly, and this is over."

"I won't!" Jill stiffened her neck.

"Didn't you just say an apology would do? Well, I've apologized. Sophie Henson, don't keep pressing your advantage. Everyone's watching!"

Maybe it was true, that birds of a feather flock together.

Hearing his mother say it, Corey was actually swayed.

He stepped forward. "My mother's right, Sophie. You only asked for an apology just now. You never said everyone had to hear it. She's apologized exactly as you asked. It's time you settled down and returned the license to Gilbert!"

I let out a cold laugh, looking at Corey, cut from the same cloth as his mother.

The regret in my chest wouldn't stop.

Regret that I'd been blind enough to help him save Gilbert back then.

And deeper regret that seven years together hadn't been enough to see who Corey really was.

Whatever I'd felt for him, in that moment, vanished completely, without a trace.

I was about to fire a few words back at him when the doors of the banquet hall were suddenly pushed open.

I looked up and saw who it was: several shareholders of Gilbert Group.

I couldn't help the cold smile that spread across my face.

It seemed...

This time I wouldn't have to force Corey's mother to apologize after all...