Chapter 3---Sealing the Deal
1212 Words
Alice Casey convinced her parents.
Though they still had doubts, they ultimately relented to her determination and unconditionally supported her decision to end the engagement with Zachary Hawkins.
Alice returned to her room and lay on her long-unseen bed.
Never had she cherished this bed so deeply. Never had she imagined that merely changing her marriage bed could lead to such tragedy.
Her eyes flickered as she drew out the jet-black credit card from her palm.
Raymond Landry...
Who exactly was this man?
Had she made the right choice in aligning with him?
In her past life, she had devoted herself to helping Zachary Hawkins break free from the gilded cage of his wealthy family and ascend the path of the nobility. The sole obstacle on that path—one who remained unyielding no matter how fiercely he was attacked—was Raymond Landry, a man everyone scorned, yet stubbornly resilient.
And that sudden phone call he made on the eve of her wedding—had it truly been a cruel prank, or...? Now, she could no longer guess.
But to utterly dismantle the Hawkins family, she needed an ally.
She paused, then took out her phone and dialed the largest luxury mall in Kaldryn.
"Hello, Ms. Casey," the voice on the other end was deferential.
"Can I simply provide the card number and have it charged directly?"
"Is your card one of our co-branded consumer cards, Ms. Casey?" the assistant inquired.
"I don't know."
"Please provide your card number, and I'll verify it for you."
Alice recited the digits from the card.
After verification, the assistant's tone grew even more reverent: "Ms. Casey, your card is our Super VIP card. It has no spending limit and can be used freely across our entire mall. For any item you wish to purchase, we can arrange video-assisted shopping and deliver it directly to your residence."
Alice glanced at the card in her hand. Could its privileges truly be this immense?
She had heard that many wealthy heirs created such ostentatious 'elite' cards to flaunt their wealth, but she had never heard of one with no spending cap—especially not from a high-end luxury mall where one could spend themselves into ruin.
Alice didn't dwell on it. "Video shopping isn't necessary. Just purchase the items on my list and deliver them to my home—South Ridge Bend Villa District..."
After a long exchange, everything was settled.
Alice hung up and went to sleep.
She needed rest—to steady her emotions.
After all, even someone like her needed time to come to terms with a rebirth that felt like the world had shattered and been reborn.
...
Kaldryn Mount.
A place far from the city's clamor, once a sacred Buddhist sanctuary. On another ridge, however, stood a privately developed ultra-luxurious club—exclusive, membership-only, and inaccessible even to the wealthy.
Raymond Landry was a frequent guest.
He sat in a private room perched on the cliff's edge, a floor-to-ceiling window before him revealing sweeping vistas of emerald mountains and sapphire waters.
He idly smoked a cigarette.
Behind him, friends played pool, with women attending them—interspersed with scenes of blatant decadence.
"Raymond, your phone keeps ringing," Jason Scott, seated beside him, remarked.
Raymond glanced over.
"Another woman you've paid off?" Jason noticed a string of spending records.
This time, he must've bled quite a bit.
Raymond casually flipped through his phone.
Transaction alerts kept flooding in.
"You're too generous with women," Jason said, wincing at the pings. "And the thing is, you don't even touch them..."
"A man should be generous to his wife," Raymond suddenly said.
Jason froze. "What did you say?"
"I said, I'm getting married," Raymond said, crushing his cigarette with a casual flick and a devilishly handsome smile that could make the heavens tremble.
Jason was momentarily spellbound, then snapped back. "What the hell did you just say?!"
Raymond picked up his suit jacket. "Prepare your wedding gift."
Then he left.
Just as he reached the door—
"Mr. Raymond Landry..." a woman with a honeyed voice blocked his path.
Raymond looked at her.
The next second: "Get lost!"
The woman flinched.
Wasn't it said that Mr. Raymond Landry never turned anyone away?
She stared in disbelief. Under his icy gaze, she quickly backed off.
There was a feeling...
That he might actually kill her.
Indeed, rumors couldn't be trusted.
Today was her first time tagging along with these heirs to the club. She had hoped to latch onto Mr. Raymond Landry—clearly, a man this handsome and wealthy wasn't easily claimed.
...
In her sleep,
Alice was jolted awake by a phone ring.
Grumpy from sleep, she glared at the cursed number.
Thanks to her sharp intellect, she recognized it as Raymond Landry's even without saving it. She suppressed her irritation. "Hello."
"If I recall correctly, I only gave Ms. Casey medical expenses," Raymond said, his tone sharp but his voice effortlessly alluring.
Alice remembered she had just charged this man millions. Her intention had been to provoke him into contacting her.
She gave a light laugh. "I believe I told Mr. Raymond Landry—it counts as a betrothal gift."
"So Ms. Casey casually spent three million of my money in one go."
"... That much?"
She had just bought things randomly.
"I won't let your three million go to waste," she said.
"What do you mean?"
"You help me destroy the Hawkins family. In return, I'll remove the obstacles blocking your path to nobility," Alice said with solemn intent.
The other end fell into silence.
Raymond's expression shifted.
How did she know his ambitions? How did she know where he was headed?
Alice could guess his thoughts. She said bluntly, "I know you better than you think."
"Then I'm at a disadvantage," Raymond said coldly.
"No. You should be grateful I chose to help you, rather than..." Alice said, "...help Zachary Hawkins."
In her past life,
though Raymond constantly opposed Zachary, proving impossible to defeat, by the same token, Zachary was also a formidable rival to Raymond.
Two titans locked in battle.
In the end, when she died, she still didn't know who had won.
Perhaps Zachary—after all, he was more ruthless.
Ruthless enough to use the Casey family's wealth after her death to marry into a noble house.
Alice had to exert immense self-control to suppress the cruel pain she had once endured.
"Ms. Casey and the Mr.Hawkins were so deeply in love—now suddenly you want to cooperate with me? I'm truly flattered," Raymond said bluntly—meaning, he didn't believe her.
"Come to my wedding, and I'll show you my sincerity," Alice said, knowing words were useless.
They were both adults. Some things had to be proven through action.
"Fine," Raymond agreed immediately.
Perhaps because she knew too much.
Or perhaps because cooperating with her was beneficial and risk-free.
In any case, his swift agreement surprised Alice.
But she wasn't one to show her emotions. Whether in extreme joy or sorrow, she remained composed. Even when tortured to death by Zachary, she had faced it with dignity. It was her form of self-protection, and a reflection of her excellent upbringing.
"One promise," she said. "And it's sealed."
- Writer
