Yuna steadied her breathing, her heart pounding with dread and determination. She adjusted her stance, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the most prominent figures she’d ever faced. Every muscle in her body tensed with uncertainty, her mind racing through strategies and possibilities.

"I have enough of this humiliation, Zachary!"

Everyone in the room was startled when Yuna suddenly yelled. Her voice was so loud that it reverberated off the walls.

Yuna's eyes burned into Zack’s back, her frustration was evident in the tight set of her jaw and the deep furrows etched into her brow. She gritted her teeth, her entire body radiating tension as she struggled to contain her anger.

'I’m not sure what the old fox said to turn everyone against Zack, but we’ll see whose side you end up on.'

Focusing on the stakes and the chance to turn the tide, Yuna’s eyes widened in fright. She pulled him closer, her voice rising with a note of concern. “Zack, you’re freezing! What’s going on?” Her expression was genuine alarm, masking the calculating edge beneath her surface.

"What!?"

The guests exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions a mixture of surprise and confusion. Whispers began to ripple through the room as they struggled to understand the source of Yuna’s outburst.

"Hey! Do you know the people around you? Show some respect!"

Zack's father, Lucas’s face darkened as he observed Yuna’s outburst.

'What gives you the audacity to talk about respect?' Yuna snapped. Without hesitation, she reached into Zack’s pocket, took his phone, and dialed Victor's number.

“Get inside right now, Victor!” Yuna shouted through her sobs, her voice trembling with fury. Her entire body quivered as she struggled to maintain control, her emotional outburst raw and powerful.

“Respect begets respect!” Yuna’s voice cracked with emotion as she continued, “I’ve been standing here for an hour and a half, and not a single person bothered to offer me a seat or even a glass of water while you all enjoyed your feast and talked nonsense. I’m sorry if I wasn’t as respectful as I could have been, but…”

Lucas slammed his hand onto the table with a thunderous impact, his face reddening with fury as he interrupted her.

"Anybody? Do you know that in front of you is the state's president?"

His words were sharp and commanding, but Yuna's voice, though strained with emotion, cut through from the restaurant's entrance.

“Did anyone here know I’m Zackary’s wife, the one you’ve treated like an insect?” Her tone was a mix of defiance, echoing through the room.

"Who gives a d*mn care about the president if my husband is dying?"

Their whispered conversations grew quieter, and the realization of the gravity of Zack’s condition began to sink in. Eyes darted nervously between Lucas and Zack, the focus slowly redirecting from the heated argument to the more pressing issue.

"I will ensure that everyone here pays a high price if anything happens to my husband."

A wave of unease swept through the room as Yuna’s threat landed with chilling clarity. The guests shifted uncomfortably, their faces paling as the gravity of her words sank in.

“Insolent!” Lucas roared, his voice reverberating as he slammed his fist on the table. The impact was jarring.

“What kind of foolishness are you bringing up here?” Lucas’s voice dripped with scorn. “He was under the effects of illegal substances, and everyone knew it. Or else, how on earth could a normal person like marries someone as worthless as you?”

Lucas’s face was a storm of anger, his green eyes blazing like fiery emeralds. His brows were drawn tightly together, deep lines etched across his forehead.

Throw this girl out,” Lucas ordered with a sharp, decisive edge to his voice.

“Touch me, and let’s see what happens!” Yuna warned, her voice edged with defiance. To everyone’s surprise, none of Lucas’s bodyguards dared to move closer.

“This is a clear case of filicide, I swear,” Yuna declared, her voice heavy with accusation. As she stepped back to photograph Zack from behind and the scene, the bodyguards watched her closely, their unease growing as they noticed her actions.

"Do you send people for CCTV footage, Victor?"

"Yes."

His unexpected appearance added another layer of surprise to the already tense atmosphere, leaving many of them momentarily stunned.

Yuna didn't know that Victor rarely showed his actual face to others. They only knew Victor as Zack's business partner via hearsay and thought Zack had made it up. So, his sudden appearance added an unexpected twist to the situation.

They believed that when Roman, the former son of the largest dark organization, went berserk, he killed his entire clan including his wife and son. But then, all of a sudden, news broke that Zack, the Avere heir, was his son's best friend and business partner. Victor Green.

“Don’t let anyone leave,” Yuna commanded, her voice firm. “And Victor, call a doctor for my husband immediately.”

“Who are you threatening here, Lady?” the president finally spoke up, his tone was sharp and authoritative, reflecting his irritation and the seriousness of the situation.

"A wife who will do everything to save her husband."

Yuna said sternly.

"Who's dying, who? We are discussing an important matter here. It's very rude of you to interrupt us. My son is highly addicted to drugs, and that's a normal side effect."

"Son? You make my flesh crawl."

Yuna bent down, her forehead resting gently against Zack’s as she softly slapped his face trying to wake him. “Darling, please,” she pleaded, her voice trembling with emotion. “You can hear me, right?”

“I can hear… everyone…”

Zack forced the words out, his voice weak and strained as he struggled to respond.

"Thanks, God. Do not force yourself, dear. You will be fine."

Yuna let out a deep sigh of relief, tears continuing to stream down her almond-shaped eyes. The sight of Zack’s attempt to speak brought relief and emotional overwhelm, her shoulders trembling slightly as she fought to maintain her composure.

Hearing Zack’s voice made their blood run cold as if they had hit a panic button. A person quickly stood up from his chair, rushing forward in fright. “I’m going to check on Mr. Zack right now,” he said urgently. “I’m a doctor. We must apologize; we didn’t realize he was here the entire time because we couldn’t see his face, and no one introduced him.”

“No. I don’t trust you.” Yuna stated firmly.

Before anyone could offer another excuse, the phone rang loudly, cutting through the tension. Yuna swiftly pressed the answer button and put on the loudspeaker.

"You whizz kid. Why didn't you tell me about meeting the president and these people? I'm glad I checked your social media and I found out. Do you know how many reacted to your post in just a minute after you posted it? One million and..."

"It's me, sir. Victor."

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"Hahaha. I told you to call me Grandpa and not sir! You are like a grandson to me."

Everyone in the room instantly recognized the voice: the Avere group's founder and most well-known business figure.

"Yes, Sir. Zack is so preoccupied that he can't talk to you right now. I’ll ensure he returns your call."

Lucas trembled with rage, his face flushed with anger as the room fell into a deathly silence. The other guests were as pale as ghosts, their shock evident. Lucas’s frustration was compounded by the fact that he had gone to great lengths to please his father, meticulously gathering these influential people and working to build important connections.

Yuna had effectively dismantled Lucas’s ambitions. If his scheme had succeeded, he would have seized Zack’s position as CEO.

“I genuinely apologize to everyone for the disruption involving our family,” Lucas said, his voice striving for calm. “Unfortunately, it seems she may have overreacted. I assure you, my son is fine. I want to solve this without compromising our family’s reputation.”

After enduring the tense and unsettling moments, the guests exchanged nervous glances before discreetly signaling to the president, seeking permission to leave as the doctor Victor called came.

"Stay."

With one word from the president, they sat back.

The doctor that Victor called came and checked him immediately while Lucas was just confidently sitting across the table.

"How's my husband, doctor?"

"Tests are needed to assess his condition. It’s best to transport him to the hospital immediately.”

The doctor chose his words carefully, acutely aware of the unexpected and influential audience before him.

Lucas, his frustration evident, roared, “As I mentioned, it’s a side effect of the drugs he took. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I know my son is a drug user.” His tone was mocking and derisive, openly criticizing his son.

Yuna’s eyes flashed with defiance. “Yeah, right. I can prove that you planned all of this.”

“Okay, prove it,” Lucas shot back, his voice dripping with contempt.

He said confidently, calm.

He sat crossed-legged, tapping his fingers on the table, showing a haughty visage.

Yuna took the bottle of water Zack had been holding. He barely drank half of it.

“The surveillance camera footage will show that this bottle was here all alone before we arrived,” Yuna stated. “So, drink this to prove your claim.”

Lucas’s disdainful smirk froze, and his nervousness was evident as the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily. While everyone watched in tense silence, Lucas avoided even touching the bottle of water.

Yuna couldn’t help but smirk at the sight of Lucas’s disconcerted expression.

'You haven't seen it coming, huh? But I am not done yet, though.'

...

Lucas stormed up to Avere's huge mansion, his rage an uproar that seemed to match the storm brewing in the sky. He flung a vase through the grand entrance, shattering it into pieces.

"Everything was a wreck because of the lowly bitch my bastard son used as a tool. Furthermore, I was mortified by those highly profiled people!"

His voice, hoarse from shouting, reverberated through the mansion.

"We didn't drug the bottle of water."

his secretary shouted, her voice trembling as she carefully navigated the treacherous path littered with the remains of once-precious objects.

"Are you questioning why I didn’t drink it, or are you suggesting I should’ve died?" Lucas’s eyes were wild, his face twisted in a mask of rage. "That man, he’s a predator, waiting for any opportunity to destroy me. Why do you think he was holding the bottle suspiciously? We didn't add the drug, but he added it after feeling something. Or maybe he already guessed everything!"

Lucas’s scowl deepened, his teeth bared in a snarl. In a violent fit, he grabbed a sleek, mid-century abstract sculpture and hurled it toward his secretary. She dodged it by a hair’s breadth, her face drained of color.

...

The president waited impatiently for his phone to ring in his Oval Office while teetering on the edge of his chair.

When his most anticipated phone call came, his pupils dilated slightly.

"Result?"

He asked, trying not to sound overly interested.

“According to the information gathered, she was orphaned at five and escaped from the orphanage at twelve after a fire broke out. She then lived with an elderly couple in a mountain village in Nation X. After they passed away more than two years ago, she moved to the capital, and she worked tirelessly as a gas station cashier, dog kennel attendant, and KYZ hotel restaurant dishwasher.”

"If she doesn't have a family to support, why does she work to the bone?"

The president took the pursuit of the truth so seriously that he dispatched many private investigators and had his right hand compile every detail to see whether it all matched.

"The property that the old couple used to cultivate was pawned when they became ill and died, so she wanted to reclaim the farm as promised."

"So all of the information gathered from previous investigators matched everyone?"

"Yes, sir."

"So, how exactly did Zack and her meet?"

"She had a friend named Erica who intended to sell her to Mr. Greg Mason, the real-estate tycoon in City Y." He was well-known for his heinous leisure activities. According to the little information I found, Zack and Victor were present by chance. Unfortunately, I cannot find any more details because Erica and the manager were murdered.

"How about the other employees?"

"Greg made it clear that only the manager and the girl serving him should be there that night."

"Hmmm."

The president's brows furrowed in dissatisfaction at what information he had gained.

"She went to the casino the same night and played with Mr. Chan Toma, the Nobel Prize-winning journalist." After three days, Zack announces his wedding to the public. Correct?"

The president asked again seriously.

"Sir, yes. And I regret to tell you that, knowing Zack and Victor, we could not obtain further information since doing so would be too risky."

"Hehe. But I could put things into pieces when I saw her myself. It's a pity to miss the most interesting part, though. He would level as a rebellious son who would preferably marry some rat race to rebuke his family's disposition if I didn't see the character of a woman he married."

"He is more calculative and clever than we thought."

"Do you have any thoughts on why she suddenly played Chan Toma in the casino, sir?"

"It must be a test if she's competent as Zack Avere's pawn."

The president knew Chan Toma would only play with people if they were skilled enough.

"Well. I couldn't agree more. You always get things right, sir.

His right hand agreed though he knew the president made a presumption.

"Well. We shouldn't put greater emphasis on Zack's wife. She is merely a piece of pawn on his game, no matter what, and might be discarded anytime."