Chapter 182

Chapter 182

Watching the scene unfold before her, Isabelle's chest rose and fell with barely contained fury. Hurt and anger tangled together as she muttered under her breath, "How could these people — they were practically falling over themselves to be nice to us five minutes ago, and now they've completely switched sides."

Kane gave her hand a light pat, the corner of his mouth curving into a calm, easy smile. "Don't let it get to you," he said. "It's not worth it."

"People like that have always gone wherever the wind blows. Whoever's got the power, whoever's got the money — that's who they'll flock to. It's just how they are."

Across the room, Evelyn was basking in the attention, surrounded by a fawning crowd. She turned to look at Isabelle, her expression dripping with contempt.

"Isabelle, just look at this little celebration of yours."

"Cheap catering, bargain-bin wine, a guest list full of nobody-relatives — not a single person of consequence in the entire room. Could you be any more embarrassing? This is practically a backyard cookout."

Jeremy stood with his hands shoved in his pockets, chin lifted in that insufferable way of his, radiating smugness from every pore. "In three days, I'll be hosting my own victory party at a five-star hotel."

"And the people I'll have there? We're talking the real power players from Dreamhaven — top-tier, old-money elite. The difference in class between my event and this little family dinner?" He let out a short, dismissive laugh. "Comparing skyscrapers to garden sheds."

The relatives jumped on the bandwagon immediately, piling on with gleeful cruelty.

"Honestly, without any heavy hitters here, this whole thing just feels so... flat."

"Put it next to Evelyn's vision and there's really no comparison."

"Mr. Jones truly has that kind of pull. That's what real Dreamhaven royalty looks like."

Faced with the chorus of mockery, Kane remained unruffled. He let a quiet smile cross his face and spoke with easy confidence. "Who said we didn't invite anyone important? Everyone who needs to be here has already been invited."

"That's right." Isabelle steadied herself and lifted her chin. "I personally extended invitations to the heads of Harborview City's three founding families. All three of them confirmed. They'll be here tonight."

The moment the words left Isabelle's mouth, the room went dead silent — just for a beat. Then the snickering started, rippling outward like a stone dropped in still water.

Disbelief and mockery were written plainly on every face. Not a single person bought it.

Evelyn pressed a hand to her mouth, her whole body shaking with laughter, eyes alight with scorn. "Oh, Isabelle, honey — the audacity."

"Do you have any idea who the heads of the three families are? These are the most powerful men in all of Harborview City."

"They have empires to run."

"Why on earth would they drop everything to come to your little dinner party? That is genuinely precious."

Jeremy pulled his hands from his pockets just long enough to cross his arms, jaw tilted up in cool disdain. He didn't bother hiding his satisfaction. "I get it now — you were embarrassed by how low-rent this whole thing looks, so you made up a story to save face, didn't you?"

The relatives closed in, each comment sharper than the last.

"Exactly. That's just wishful thinking — nobody actually believes that."

"We've been standing here this whole time and there's no sign of anyone. Pretty obvious they politely declined."

"I thought the evening had some potential, but now? This is just sad."

Listening to the wave of ridicule washing over her, Isabelle felt the color drain from her face. Her pulse kicked up with a sick, anxious flutter.

She had called personally. All three family heads had confirmed with their own voices that they would attend. But here they were, the party already starting, and there was still no sign of them — not even a text.

She hated herself for it, but doubt was beginning to creep in. Had they just been politely non-committal? Were they never actually going to show?

Kane kept his expression steady as a rock. His hand wrapped around hers, warm and unhurried, and he smiled. "Relax. When they make a promise, they don't dare break it."

Not 'wouldn't.' 'Didn't dare.'

Just as Evelyn and Jeremy were winding up for one final, crushing blow —

Three black Bentley Mulsannes rolled in at an unhurried pace and came to a smooth, synchronized stop at the hotel entrance. The presence they commanded was immediate and absolute.

The doors opened in unison. Three men stepped out — each dressed in bespoke suits of unmistakable quality, each carrying himself with the quiet, unshakeable authority of someone who had never needed to raise his voice to command a room. They walked side by side.

The reigning heads of Harborview City's three founding families.

Scott.

Thomas.

Samuel.

Behind each of them, attendants carried their gifts.

Scott stepped forward first, his smile warm but measured, and spoke directly to Isabelle. "Congratulations on the successful launch of your new project. I took the liberty of arranging a small token." He nodded to the attendant beside him.

The attendant stepped forward, holding out a set of keys on a polished tray.

A Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Samuel inclined his head with unmistakable deference. "When we heard you were celebrating, the three of us cleared our schedules entirely to be here."

"Please accept this — a complete antique platinum jewelry set crafted in the medieval royal tradition, paired with a natural sapphire brooch that's been in circulation for over a century."

Two attendants stepped forward behind him, bearing the pieces with both hands, treating them like the artifacts they were.

Thomas followed, his voice quiet and genuine. "And for you — a castle, with my sincerest wishes for your continued success."

A polished assistant stepped forward beside him, holding a bound contract in both hands.

All three men carried themselves with a gracious ease entirely at odds with the kind of power they held. There was no performance, no condescension — only genuine, considered respect directed entirely at Isabelle.

The room went absolutely still.

Every relative who had been laughing moments before was now frozen in place, mouths slightly open, eyes wide, completely robbed of speech.

Then the gifts registered.

"A Rolls-Royce Phantom—"

"That medieval royal jewelry set — that's a genuine antique—"

"Oh my God, that sapphire brooch is stunning. I'd — well, I would do a lot for something like that—"

"Thomas brought a castle. An actual castle. That has to be worth tens of millions—"

The smile on Evelyn's face didn't fade — it simply stopped moving, frozen there like a crack in porcelain.

Jeremy's confidence evaporated in an instant. Behind his carefully held expression, something like vertigo was setting in.

He had never — not even in his most paranoid moments — actually believed Isabelle could pull this off. That all three heads of the founding families would show up in person, gifts in hand.

This was beyond anything he had prepared himself for.

Isabelle exhaled slowly, a smile breaking free across her face, and stepped forward to greet them. "Thank you all so much for being here. Please, come inside."

The arrival of the three family heads had, in a single moment, elevated the entire evening beyond anything money alone could buy.

Kane let his gaze settle on Evelyn and Jeremy, his voice carrying a quiet, unhurried edge. "High-end enough for you?"

Evelyn let out a sharp sound — something between a scoff and a laugh — but no words came.

"Three regional families," Jeremy said finally, his tone clipped. "In Dreamhaven, that barely registers. Small players."

He was still holding the line — but something in his posture had shifted.

Then his expression changed, and something cold flickered in his eyes. "Though I do wonder," he said, almost conversationally, "whether you'll actually get to finish this party."

Kane's eyes sharpened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"See for yourself."

Jeremy's smile didn't reach his eyes.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

A convoy of black SUVs came tearing in — raw, aggressive, zero regard for anything in their path. They screeched to a stop in a ragged cluster across the hotel entrance, dust still hanging in the air, engines ticking.

The doors flew open. Nearly a hundred men climbed out, arms sleeved in tattoos, each one gripping a metal baseball bat. Their eyes moved like they were already calculating damage.

The men at the front radiated something darker than just aggression — the particular stillness of people who had nothing to lose and knew it.

They were hired muscle. Jeremy had paid handsomely, and in advance.

"Which one of you is Isabelle? Which one's Kane?"

The lead man's voice cracked across the entrance like a gunshot.

The scene erupted.

Relatives screamed and scrambled, pressing backward in a panicked surge, faces drained of color.

The triumph of moments ago was gone — shattered, replaced by chaos and the raw, animal fear of a crowd that had no idea what was coming next.

Evelyn straightened up, hands on her hips, the satisfaction back in her eyes like a lit match. "Well, Isabelle — what good are your important guests now? Looks like this party's over before it started."

The three family heads stood close together, expressions tight with concern. Men of their standing had resources and reach — but against a hired crew of this size, moving this fast, their options were limited.

Kane took one step forward.

"I'm Kane. You have a problem with me?"

"You crossed someone you shouldn't have." The lead man's voice was flat. "We're here to shut this down."

He barely finished the sentence before he raised his hand.

"Move in—"

The words were still in the air.

Then every head turned.

A deep, commanding growl of engines swept in from the street, rolling over the noise and the chaos and the fear like a wave — and kept building.

A motorcade came into view. Black. Immaculate. Moving in perfect formation.

And the presence it carried hit the crowd before the cars even stopped.