Chapter 103

No.1

August's insulting words hung in the quiet air of the gallery.

Allena covered her mouth with a manicured hand and let out a soft, breathy giggle. She looked at Elisa with wide, fake-apologetic eyes, playing the role of the embarrassed but amused girlfriend perfectly.

Preston Vance frowned. The amusement faded from his face. He despised crude social bullying,especially directed at someone he was currently evaluating for a nine-figure investment. He opened his mouth to defend his guest.

Before Preston could speak, Cyprian stepped out from behind August's broad shoulders.

Cyprian held a glass of red wine. His face was flushed. He looked Elisa up and down with a sleazy,mocking sneer.

"What's the matter, Elisa?" Cyprian taunted, his voice loud enough for the surrounding crowd to hear."Did your bank accounts dry up so fast that you have to wear Aethel's corporate uniforms to sneak in here for free drinks?"

A few of the younger trust-fund heirs in the crowd let out low, cruel chuckles. They waited to see the disgraced woman break down or run away.

No.2

Elisa did not flush. She did not yell. She did not even turn her head to look at Cyprian.

She slowly raised her glass and took a calm,elegant sip of champagne.

She looked directly at Preston. Her voice was a flat,clinical monotone, as if she were discussing a laboratory experiment.

"Mr. Vance," Elisa asked, her tone perfectly even."When you are preparing to short a failing company, do you ever waste your time listening to the barking of their guard dogs?"

Preston blinked. For a split second, he was stunned by the sheer, cold-blooded precision of the insult.Then, a low, genuine laugh rumbled in his chest.He shook his head.

"No," Preston replied smoothly. "That would be a terrible misallocation of resources."

Cyprian's face instantly turned the color of raw meat. The veins in his neck bulged. He pointed a shaking finger at Elisa's face.

No.3

"Are you calling me a dog, you crazy bitch?!"

Cyprian roared.

Elisa finally turned her head. She locked her dead,black eyes onto Cyprian.

"A man who cannot even manage his own trust fund," Elisa stated, her voice slicing through the air like a surgical blade. "A man who relies entirely on the charitable dividends of the Chambers Group to maintain his pathetic illusion of wealth. What other survival skill do you possess, Cyprian, other than barking at your master's enemies?"

The words hit Cyprian like a physical slap to the face. It was the absolute, humiliating truth. He opened his mouth, but his throat seized. He stood there, completely paralyzed, gasping like a fish on a dock.

August's face turned a dangerous, stormy gray.Striking his loyal dog in public was a direct,unforgivable strike against his own authority.

August took a heavy step forward. His massive frame loomed over Elisa, his physical presence radiating a suffocating threat.

No.4

"Watch your mouth, Elisa," August growled, his voice dropping to a lethal frequency. "Remember exactly who you are talking to."

Alastair moved.

He stepped fully in front of Elisa, his broad shoulders completely blocking August's line of sight. The two billionaire titans stood chest to chest, the physical tension between them thick enough to choke on.

Alastair let out a cold, dismissive scoff. He did not look at August. He looked directly at Allena.

"Speaking of identity, Mr. Chambers," Alastair said.He used the sharp, ruthless cadence of a Wall Street merger executioner. "I find your recent investment logic to be deeply confusing."

Alastair gestured lazily toward Allena's vulgar,diamond-encrusted dress. His voice dripped with the ultimate arrogance of a self-made tech god looking down on inherited rot.

"You completely abandoned a top-tier asset capable of generating exponential, infinite growth,"Alastair stated clearly. "And instead, you dumped massive capital into a highly depreciating,toxic asset. One that possesses absolutely zero core technology and relies entirely on expensive, fake packaging to hide its negative value."

No.5

The surrounding hedge fund managers and bankers instantly decoded the metaphor. Several of

the older billionaires actually covered their mouths to muffle their laughter.

Allena did not understand the complex financial terminology, but the words toxic asset and the mocking laughter from the crowd pierced her thick skull. Her face turned a blotchy mix of pale white and furious red.

She violently shook August's arm. "August! They are bullying me! Make them stop!" she whined,her voice cracking.

August's eyes burned with a humiliating,helpless rage. He could not physically attack Alastair here,and worse, he could not logically refute the insult.In the pure, brutal language of Wall Street,Alastair's assessment was perfectly accurate.

Preston watched the exchange, his eyes gleaming.His admiration for Elisa skyrocketed. She didn't just survive an ambush; she and her ally had completely slaughtered the attackers.

Preston decided to intervene before punches were thrown. He raised his bourbon glass.

No.6

"Gentlemen," Preston said, his voice carrying the authority of the host. "Tonight is strictly for art and capital allocation. Let's leave the personal grievances at the door."

August let out a harsh, breathy exhale through his nose. He shot one last, murderous glare at Alastair,grabbed Allena by the waist, and dragged her toward the opposite side of the gallery. Cyprian scurried after them like a beaten animal.

Elisa watched their retreating backs. The rigid tension in her shoulders dropped a fraction of an inch,but the freezing cold in her eyes remained.

Alastair turned his head slightly. "Are you alright?"he asked quietly.

Elisa gave a single nod. "I can handle a little nausea."

Preston stepped closer to Elisa. He handed her a fresh flute of champagne from a passing tray.

"That was a spectacular counter-attack, Faye,"Preston said, his voice laced with genuine respect.

No.7

Elisa accepted the glass with a polite nod,ready to steer the conversation back to the offshore server funding.

She did not notice that in the dark shadows of the far exhibition corner, August had stopped walking.He stood perfectly still, his eyes locked onto Elisa and Preston. A dark, twisted, suffocating jealousy clawed at his throat, demanding blood.