Chapter 133

Eleanor couldn't contain her shock any longer. "Harold, that pearl bracelet—"

Sophia and Eleanor had never seen eye to eye. But when Sophia witnessed Harold retrieving the heirloom, she suddenly found herself in rare agreement. "Harold, you can't just hand over something so precious without consideration. Even if you favor Alexander, surely you—"

"It belongs to me. Do I need your permission to decide who receives it?"

Harold's icy gaze swept across the room, radiating undeniable authority.

Eleanor refused to back down. "Even so, Evelyn has only just married into the family. How can she possibly be worthy of the Whitmore heirloom?"

"Alexander is the head of this family. Is there any question that his wife should inherit its treasures?" Harold scoffed. "If you're dissatisfied, blame your own husband's incompetence."

Eleanor's face darkened instantly.

Vincent had single-handedly cost Titan Capital Group billions within mere months of taking control.

The weight of his failure hung heavy in the air.

Evelyn stood frozen, the delicate bracelet resting in her palm like a silent declaration.

She had expected resistance, but not this level of open hostility.

Alexander's fingers brushed against hers, warm and reassuring.

"Keep it," he murmured, his voice low enough for only her to hear. "You've earned it."

The words sent a shiver down her spine.

Because she knew—this wasn't just about jewelry.

This was power.

And the game had only just begun.

Then, Harold had urgently summoned Alexander back to handle the crisis.

The first thing Alexander did upon taking charge was fire Vincent from Titan Capital Group, exposing all his wrongdoings to the entire company.

Humiliated, Vincent fled overseas without even consulting Eleanor.

He'd been gone for over six months with no sign of returning.

Every time Eleanor clashed with Sophia these past months, Sophia would sneer about her unreliable husband.

Theodore was merely Harold's illegitimate son. How dare his wife mock Eleanor?

Yet Eleanor had no rebuttal. Her husband had indeed abandoned her.

Now, hearing Harold mention Vincent, Eleanor could only lower her head in silence.

Harold turned to Evelyn, his voice firm. "Take it. This is what everyone covets. I'm giving it to you—do you really need to hesitate?"

Evelyn's gaze instinctively flickered toward Alexander. When she saw—

I gave a small nod as Evelyn accepted the velvet jewelry box.

"Thank you, Harold."

Harold exhaled deeply, his shoulders sagging with exhaustion. He waved a dismissive hand. "Enough. I'm too old for this. I need to rest. You two carry on."

"Harold!" Eleanor protested.

"Grandfather!"

But Harold didn't turn back. His posture was rigid, indifferent—as if none of this concerned him anymore.

He hadn't even questioned Alexander about why he'd married Evelyn. He had simply acknowledged her as Alexander's wife without hesitation.

If the family patriarch accepted it, Eleanor and Sophia had no choice but to swallow their objections.

Eleanor seethed. She didn’t care who Alexander married. What infuriated her was the heirloom pearl bracelet now clasped around Evelyn’s wrist.

She had called Harold down, hoping he would put Alexander in his place. Instead, he had handed the family treasure to Evelyn without a second thought.

With Harold gone, Eleanor had no reason to stay. She clutched her temple dramatically. "I have a headache. I'm going to lie down."

Today was supposed to be Vanessa’s moment to shine. But Evelyn—

The moment Evelyn walked in, the entire atmosphere shifted. All eyes turned to her, and Vanessa felt her blood boil.

Vanessa clenched her fists. "I woke up at dawn and spent hours pretending to be sweet in front of Eleanor. And now she's gone. What was the point?"

Humiliation burned through her. The memory of Horizon Enterprises' absence from yesterday's wedding banquet only stoked her rage.

Her nails dug into her palms. "Evelyn is Alexander's wife now. Does that mean I have to call her Aunt Evelyn?"

"Ethan…" Vanessa whispered, tugging lightly at his sleeve.

Ethan didn’t respond. His expression was vacant, as if his soul had been ripped away. He stood frozen, lost in a daze.