The success party was held at one of Adrien Lancaster’s private estates—a glass mansion perched atop a seaside cliff, where the waves crashed below like a distant applause. The place gleamed under a canopy of soft golden lights. Waiters in tuxedos moved elegantly among the guests, offering aged wine and hors d'oeuvres crafted by international chefs. Every inch of the gathering exuded wealth, power, and the silent victory of Siren.Ltd.
Politicians, investors, and pharmaceutical heads flooded the grand hall, raising their crystal glasses in Adrien Lancaster’s honor. But the man himself stood away from the buzz, leaning on the marble balcony rail, watching the sea, half-lost in thought.
Footsteps approached behind him.
“Quite the scene,” said Marcus Aldair, a powerful politician known as the silent kingmaker of the underground network. He adjusted his platinum cufflinks, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Your reputation has recovered nicely.”
Adrien nodded, eyes fixed on the horizon. “Thanks to Graham’s girl. She’s as sharp as they say.”
Marcus let out a low chuckle. “And what better way to seal the alliance than a marriage that binds both families?”
Adrien turned to face him. “You really think that’s wise?”
Marcus shrugged. “She’s a public darling. He’s your heir. Powerful. Young. Beautiful. Their names would dominate the headlines for weeks, and your son will gain the kind of societal armor no drug scandal could ever touch.”
Adrien remained silent for a moment, his fingers curling around the rim of his glass. “And if they refuse?”
Marcus laughed. “They won’t get a choice.”
Back inside the estate, Mayra stood among a small crowd of elite lawyers and CEOs. Her posture was graceful, her tailored wine-colored dress commanding the eye. She spoke politely but without warmth, her charm measured. Levi Lancaster stood across the room, half-engaged in a conversation with a medical investor, his expression unreadable behind his gold-coated glasses.
Neither of them knew the storm brewing just behind velvet curtains.
Adrien approached Graham Vale a short while later. The older man was seated at a smaller lounge corner, away from the main crowd, a drink in hand, his face unreadable under the dim chandelier.
Adrien sat beside him. “Let’s make it official,” he said without preamble. “Levi and Mayra. They’re of age. They’re the best of both our bloodlines. We’ve had our rivalry for years, but this could be a legacy move.”
Graham didn’t answer immediately. He glanced across the room at his daughter. She stood regal and poised, speaking to two CEOs as if she were their equal. A part of him felt a sting—Mayra had never been a child, only a lawyer in training. Only an extension of his will.
“She won’t say no if I ask,” he said at last, his voice cool. “She always follows my word.”
Adrien smirked. “Then it’s done.”
They shook hands quietly. No toast, no announcement. Just two powerful men deciding the fate of their children like stocks in a merger.
Meanwhile, Mayra smiled faintly as she responded to a question about her next case. Her teal eyes flicked across the room just once—to Levi, who seemed equally detached from the noise of celebration.
Neither of them knew that in that moment, a deal had been struck. One that would change the trajectory of their lives.
No declarations. No fireworks.
Just a silent agreement sealed with a clink of glasses.
A storm was coming—and it had just been toasted into existence.
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