“Alright, can we not talk about marriage alliances for now?” Layla made her request calmly.
“Of course, of course!” Vicente Clark agreed immediately.
Tessa Watson didn’t object either.
She could see it clearly-Layla had no interest in her son. Forced unions never bore sweet fruit. For now, the matter was shelved.
But, Layla, you’ve missed a golden opportunity.
My son Vicente has the bearing of an emperor!
A few years from now, if you want to approach him, you’ll find yourself unworthy. By then, the only woman who could stand by his side would be a princess from the top-tier families of Aetherium, someone like Lila.
After both sides reached an agreement, Vicente Clark left to prepare medicine according to the Aetherium Dust formula.
The group then parted ways.
Madeline returned home and, without delay, called her parents to report the events of the past few days.
Paulina, her mother, nearly jumped with excitement. “I knew it! Without Flynn, that walking disaster, the Kaur family is finally taking off!”
“Watch your words!” Matteo, her father, scowled in disapproval, his tone tinged with anger. “What nonsense are you spouting? Flynn is no disaster!”
“If he were, how could he have helped Sharp’s Group win the business war?”
Paulina, however, rolled her eyes dismissively. “So what if he has talent? Didn’t you hear Madeline? Flynn caused trouble again in Slatin!”
“This time, he’s provoked the Clark family. Do you think they’ll let it slide? Eventually, they’ll come back for revenge!”
“And if the Kaur family remains tied to him, we’ll be dragged down with him! If that’s not a walking disaster, what is?”
A small snake might be a guardian to ants, but if that snake goes around provoking elephants, it becomes nothing but trouble for the ants.
Paulina believed she wasn’t wrong.
Matteo sighed deeply. “Flynn is being reckless. With Lyra as a resource, why can’t he focus on building connections? Why provoke the Clark family unnecessarily?”
Paulina scoffed, unimpressed. “Enough. Didn’t Madeline say it herself? He’s already cut ties with us. Why waste your concern on that ungrateful wretch?”
Turning back to the phone, she said to Madeline, “Sweetheart, even though we can’t compare to those billion-dollar families, we can’t afford to lose face at Tessa Watson’s birthday.”
“I’ll go to the old man later. We’ll pool money from the entire family to buy a gift-a gift worth at least a few million!”
With that, she hung up.
—
“A gift worth millions?” Matteo’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Have you lost your mind? Even if we sold the Kaur Group as it is now, we couldn’t scrape together that kind of money!”
The Kaur Group was barely surviving. After Madeline’s divorce from Flynn, none of the wealthy families in Niarak were willing to offer the Kaur family any contracts. They were struggling to stay afloat.
Even if they sold the company, it would only fetch a few hundred thousand. The value had plummeted.
Paulina shook her head in frustration, her tone scolding. “You just don’t see the bigger picture! Didn’t you hear what our daughter said? Even Tessa Watson praised her!”
“She said Madeline has endless potential!”
“If we spend a few million on a meaningful gift and win over Tessa Watson’s favor, our daughter could truly align herself with the Clark family!”
“Clark family, Clark family!” Matteo’s expression darkened with rage. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again-no matter how well your daughter does in Slatin, don’t bring up the Clark family in front of me! Are you deaf?”
“Now tell me, where do you plan to get a few million? Do you expect the old man to sell the company just to buy Tessa Watson a gift?”
Paulina, unbothered by Matteo’s outburst, rolled her eyes again. “Selling the company would leave our daughter with nothing when she returns to Niarak. Of course, we won’t sell it!”
“We’ll have the entire family take out loans from the bank. Whoever contributes the most will be looked after by Madeline in the future!”
Ignoring Matteo’s objections, Paulina stormed off to see Frank Kaur, the family patriarch.
—
Frank quickly called a family meeting.
When everyone heard about Madeline’s achievements in Slatin, they were overcome with joy.
“I always said Madeline was destined for greatness! She’s a phoenix reborn! Look, I was right, wasn’t I?”
“The Kaur family is finally rising again. When Madeline returns to Niarak, even Orion Kennedy might have to come out to welcome her!”
“She secured a partnership with Titan Holdings, gained Tessa Watson’s praise, and is friends with the richest man’s daughter. Who else in Niarak can compare? Who else?”
The family erupted into cheers, hugging one another with excitement.
They had waited so long for this day.
Who would have thought that in just a few days, Madeline would establish herself so firmly in Slatin?
The Kaur family’s attitude shifted completely as they showered Madeline with praise.
Sitting beside the patriarch, Paulina-carrying herself like an empress-said proudly, “How could the daughter I raised be anything less than extraordinary? She’s destined to soar to great heights!”
“If not for that ungrateful Flynn, she would’ve risen much sooner!”
“Now that her future is bright, the Kaur family must fully support her!”
“We need to help Madeline prepare a gift that will impress Tessa Watson!”
“The Empress of Slatin deserves nothing less than a gift worth millions!”
Her declaration silenced the room.
The family was used to hoarding money, not spending it.
But Paulina had anticipated this. Crossing her arms, she gave a cold laugh. “I’m not going to force anyone. But whoever supports Madeline now will be remembered.”
“When Madeline returns, she’ll repay every contribution tenfold, even a hundredfold!”
Her words lit a fire under the family.
An investment with such returns was worth the risk!
After all, if Madeline could secure a deal with Titan Holdings, she clearly had the ability to succeed.
“I’ll take out a $300, 000 loan!”
“I’ll put up $500, 000!”
“I’ll manage $700, 000!”
The family mortgaged their homes and cars, rushing to the bank to secure loans.
In no time, the Kaur family had raised $3. 5 million.
Amidst the flattery and excitement, Paulina transferred the money to Madeline.
“Mom, Grandpa, don’t worry. I’ll make good use of this money to secure the Kaur family’s future!”
“I won’t let the Clark family look down on us. I’ll choose a gift for Tessa Watson that she’ll absolutely love!”
Madeline made her promise with conviction, her voice firm and resolute.
—
Five days later, on Tessa Watson’s birthday, Madeline would seize her moment.
This was her chance to leap through the dragon’s gate, to ascend to a higher level.
Her name would soon echo throughout Slatin.
With Tessa Watson’s birthday as the turning point, Madeline was determined to win the Clark family’s favor and ride their coattails to unimaginable heights.