The air in the living room turned to concrete. The sheer, crushing gravity of Bronson's presence pressed down on the Schmitt family, making it hard for them to breathe.
Warren was the first to snap out of his paralysis. He violently pinched his own thigh, the sharp pain confirming he wasn't hallucinating.
He scrambled forward, his face contorting into a mask of extreme, nauseating sycophancy. He thrust both hands out, desperate to grasp Cornelius's hand.
"Mr. Ramirez! What an absolute honor!" Warren practically squeaked.
Cornelius didn't even break his stride. He cast a freezing, dismissive glance at Warren's outstretched hands and walked right past him, heading straight for the center sofa.
Warren's hands hung in the empty air. He awkwardly pulled them back, his face burning, and quickly pivoted to Bronson, bowing so low his back almost snapped.
Bronson treated him like a piece of ugly furniture. He walked past Warren and lowered his large frame gracefully into a single leather armchair, crossing one long leg over the other.
Cornelius lifted his ebony cane and struck the marble floor. Clack.
The sharp sound instantly silenced the room.
"I am here to finalize the marriage arrangement between our families," Cornelius announced, his voice echoing with unquestionable authority.
Warren trembled with pure ecstasy. "Yes, yes, of course! We are completely ready!" He had completely forgotten the original lie about the crippled relative.
Cornelius turned slightly, gesturing to the man sitting in the armchair. "Allow me to formally introduce the groom. My eldest grandson, and the sole heir to the Ramirez dynasty, Bronson."
The words hit the Schmitt family like a localized earthquake.
Mona clapped both hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock and manic joy. They had hit the ultimate jackpot.
Haylie's breathing turned shallow. Her eyes devoured Bronson's handsome face and expensive suit. Her mind raced, instantly convincing herself that this god-like heir could not possibly be meant for plain, insignificant Elva. The arrangement was clearly a mere formality—a placeholder until the Ramirez family laid eyes on her, the true prize of the Schmitt household. She would make them see that she was the only logical choice.
She frantically tried to pull the edges of her casual robe together to look somewhat presentable, pasted on her most sickeningly sweet, innocent smile, and practically glided over to Bronson's chair.
"Mr. Ramirez," Haylie cooed, pitching her voice to sound like a delicate Southern belle. "It is such a pleasure to finally meet you."
Bronson didn't blink. He didn't turn his head. He stared straight ahead, treating her existence as nothing more than a mild draft in the room.
Haylie's smile stiffened, a flush of embarrassment creeping up her neck. But her greed quickly overrode her shame. She convinced herself that billionaires were just naturally aloof, and that once he noticed her, everything would change.
Behind Cornelius, a stone-faced assistant stepped forward and placed a thick, sealed document file onto the glass coffee table.
"This," Cornelius declared, "is the wedding gift from the Ramirez family. A marital trust fund valued at two billion dollars."
Two billion.
The number physically punched Warren in the gut. The blood vessels in his eyes expanded, turning his vision red with raw, unfiltered greed. His mind seized on the figure. Two billion dollars, and it all hinged on delivering the bride. His gaze darted instinctively toward Elva, still standing quietly near the stairs. For a split second, his lips parted to summon her forward, to present her like a winning lottery ticket and claim this fortune before anything could go wrong. But then his eyes flicked to Haylie, who had draped herself inches from Bronson's chair, and cold calculation overtook him. The Ramirezes hadn't asked for Elva by name. They wanted a bride from the Schmitt family. If Haylie could charm her way into the heir's favor right now, the deal could be closed tonight on even better terms, with his biological daughter as the rightful wife. He decided to buy Haylie a few precious minutes. Elva could always be produced as a backup if Haylie's gambit failed.
Haylie let out a strangled gasp of delight. She spun around, her eyes landing on Elva. A flicker of cold, calculating malice crossed her face before she masked it with theatrical condescension. She knew perfectly well that Elva was the designated bride, which was precisely why the girl needed to be removed from sight immediately, before anyone in the Ramirez entourage could acknowledge her.
"Elva," Haylie snapped, her voice dripping with condescension. "What are you still doing here? Go back to your room."
She waved her hand dismissively. "This is a high-society matter. It has nothing to do with a country girl like you."
Elva crossed her arms over her chest. She looked at Haylie with the kind of pity usually reserved for the severely brain-damaged. She didn't move an inch.
Warren, reading Haylie's play perfectly and terrified that Elva's presence would derail his daughter's brazen attempt to seduce the heir, turned on her.
"Did you hear her?!" Warren barked, pointing a shaking finger at the stairs. "Get upstairs immediately! You are embarrassing us!"
The tension in the room snapped tight.
Suddenly, a low, dark scoff broke the silence.
Bronson's long, knuckle-scarred fingers began to tap against the leather armrest. Tap. Tap. Tap.
The rhythmic sound sent a chill down Warren's spine.
Bronson slowly lifted his head. His eyes, cold and sharp as obsidian blades, sliced through the Schmitt family, completely ignoring Haylie, and locked dead onto Elva.
