Chapter 201: The Alliance
Late at night, the passion faded.
Evelyn curled into Ryan’s arms, listening to the steady, powerful thrum of his heartbeat as her eyelids grew heavy. Ryan held her, his fingers tracing idle patterns across her smooth back, savoring this rare moment of peace.
Just as sleep was about to claim them, the phone on the nightstand vibrated.
It wasn't a standard notification. It was a high-level alert Ryan had set—one that only sounded when a major crisis hit the family.
Ryan snapped his eyes open. The warmth vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp alertness. He carefully slid his arm out from under Evelyn, trying not to wake her, and grabbed the phone.
The screen lit up, the harsh white light illuminating his grim face. The message was from Victor Lawrence. It was only two lines long.
The Council of Elders has joined forces with the Covingtons to impeach you. They launch the removal process at tomorrow morning’s board meeting. Unless you honor the engagement with Camilla immediately, your executive power will be stripped within 24 hours. Return to the estate now.
Ryan stared at the screen, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
These old men. While he was busy rooting out the mole and focusing on Evelyn, they had bypassed him entirely to stage a coup with outside help. If he didn't resolve this before sunrise, he would lose everything. Worse, Evelyn and Elias would be left at their mercy.
Evelyn felt his muscles tense and slowly opened her eyes. She didn't ask questions. She simply watched as he turned the screen toward her.
"Let's go. Get dressed," Ryan said, his voice tight. He climbed out of bed with efficient, rapid movements. The tenderness of the night was gone.
The car pulled up to the main house of the Lawrence estate. As soon as the door opened, a heavy sense of dread washed over them.
"Remember," Ryan whispered in Evelyn’s ear before stepping through the front doors. "No matter what they say in there, do not believe them. Trust only me."
Evelyn nodded.
The heavy doors to the council chamber were thrown open. Despite the late hour, the hall was flooded with light. The Council members sat along the sides of the long table.
At the head of the table, in the seat that belonged to Ryan, sat Richard Covington—Camilla’s father and a titan of the American energy sector. He was a broad, fleshy man with a thick Cuban cigar in his hand. He looked at Ryan and Evelyn as they entered like they were lambs for the slaughter.
Victor Lawrence, the once-mighty patriarch, sat in the secondary seat looking exhausted, the rhythmic hiss of his oxygen tank filling the silence.
"You’re late, Ryan."
Richard blew a smoke ring. He didn't bother to stand. He pointed arrogantly at a yellowed document on the table. "Since you’re here, sign it. It’s for your own good, and the good of the family."
Ryan glanced at the paper. Memorandum of Strategic Alliance and Marriage: Covington and Lawrence Families.
"A record of a verbal agreement from twenty years ago? You think you can use this to pressure me?" Ryan sneered, sweeping the document off the table.
"Legally, perhaps not enough," Richard said, leaning back. "But what if we add the voting power of every elder in this room?"
One elder stood up, unable to meet Ryan’s eyes. "Ryan, the stock price has hit rock bottom because of the Marcus scandal. The banking syndicate is re-evaluating our credit rating. Without a capital injection from the Covingtons, the Lawrence Group will face liquidation by Monday morning."
"So, you’re selling me out?" Ryan looked around the room.
"It’s an alliance! A merger of giants!" Richard slammed his hand on the table. "Once you marry Camilla, our energy and financial empires combine. We will achieve things never seen before!"
"And if I refuse?" Ryan unbuttoned his suit jacket and leaned over the table, his presence suffocating the room.
"Then you can walk out of this room right now," Richard snarled. "According to the family charter, when an heir’s decisions pose a grave threat to the family’s interests, the Council has the power to impeach you, strip your executive rights, and freeze all your assets."
"Including your precious Nova Group. One look at the fund transfers and I have plenty of ways to turn it into an empty shell of illegal fundraising."
It was a blatant threat. The veins in Ryan's forehead throbbed; his fists clenched until his knuckles cracked. He didn't care about the money, but he couldn't lose the power. Without power, how could he protect Evelyn and Elias?
"Ryan..."
Victor Lawrence finally spoke. He coughed violently, his clouded eyes full of desperation and plea. "Listen to your father. Take a step back."
Victor looked at Evelyn, his gaze complicated. "It doesn't have to be a real wedding. Just announce the engagement. Stabilize the stock price. Calm the banks. Once things are settled, we can find another way."
"A fake engagement?" Ryan looked at his foster father in disbelief. "Do you hear what you're saying?"
"Do you want to see Evelyn out on the streets with you, hunted by your enemies?" Victor roared, his voice hoarse.
Ryan froze. The room fell into a dead silence. Everyone watched him, waiting for him to break or submit.
Just then, a cool hand gently covered Ryan’s clenched fist.
"Ryan." Evelyn’s voice was soft but clear. She stepped in front of him, staring down Richard’s greedy face, then turned to straighten Ryan’s collar.
"Agree to it."
Ryan’s pupils shrank. "Evelyn?"
"It’s just a title, isn't it?" Evelyn looked into his eyes. A faint smile touched her lips, hiding the immense pain in her heart. "For Elias, for the truth we need to find, and to take back what is yours. I don't care what the world says."
She leaned in and whispered against his lips, "I know who you belong to. That’s enough. I’m willing to wait."
Ryan felt as if a dull knife was sawing through his heart. This woman, so proud and fierce, had just agreed to be his wife, and now she was pushing him into the arms of another woman for the sake of his future.
"How touching." A sharp burst of applause broke the heavy atmosphere.
Camilla, wearing a bright red coat, leaned against the doorframe. She had been watching for a long time. "Since Ms. Bell is willing to be the hidden mistress, I won't complain."
Camilla strutted into the room, standing on Ryan’s other side and looking at Evelyn with pure provocation.
"However, since Ryan is getting engaged to me, we should avoid any scandals for the sake of our budding relationship." Camilla swirled her glass, her eyes turning cold. "Shouldn't Ms. Bell move out of the estate?"