I Chose The Ruthless Billionaire

Chapter 05: The Velvet Trap

At precisely seven o'clock, I walked down the grand marble staircase leading to the estate’s private dining room.

I had dressed simply, choosing a high-necked navy silk dress that fell softly past my knees, pairing it with minimal jewelry. I wasn't trying to impress anyone; I just wanted to get through this formal "celebration" dinner and return to my room to focus on my business plans.

The dining table, a massive slab of dark polished granite, was set for two. Warm ambient light filtered through minimalist glass chandeliers, casting a soft glow over crystal wine glasses and porcelain plates.

Xian was already seated at the head of the table. He had discarded his suit jacket and tie, wearing only a crisp white dress shirt with the top two buttons undone. The relaxed look was a sharp contrast to his usual rigid stance, making him look dangerously attractive in the low light.

He didn't say a word as I sat down to his right, merely giving the sommelier a brief nod to pour our wine.

"I took the liberty of having the chef prepare a blend of contemporary French and Asian fusion," Xian said softly, taking a slow sip from his glass. "I assumed you prefer lighter meals in the evening."

I looked at him, slightly surprised. "You noticed?"

"I notice everything that happens under my roof, Althea," he replied, his dark eyes meeting mine over the rim of his glass. "It's my business to know."

The dinner proceeded in a surprisingly comfortable quiet. Xian wasn't a big talker, but he was an attentive listener. When I mentioned my long-term goal of starting an educational foundation for underprivileged youth back home, he didn't dismiss it as a sentimental pipe dream. He asked sharp, practical questions about logistics, funding models, and sustainability, offering insights that only an experienced tycoon could provide.

For a moment, behind his icy exterior, I saw the brilliant mind that commanded respect across entire industries. It was easy to forget how dangerous he was when he was giving me his undivided, quiet focus.

Just as the dessert was being cleared, the quiet atmosphere of the room shattered.

Heavy footsteps echoed down the grand corridor, accompanied by a woman’s dramatic laugh and the clinking of delicate gold bracelets.

"Oh, Jin, I told you we should have called ahead!" a voice purred, dripping with forced sweetness. "What if your terrifying big brother is in the middle of execution orders?"

Xian’s expression hardened instantly. The subtle warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by that familiar, impenetrable wall of ice. He set his linen napkin down on the table with deliberate slowness.

Jin walked into the dining room, looking as relaxed and suave as ever. Trailing closely behind him, her arm looped tightly through his, was a breathtakingly gorgeous woman.

Her name was Veronica Lin.

She was Jin’s fifth and newest wife—the daughter of a powerful shipping mogul who had spent years trying to sink their roots into the Zhao dynasty’s vast fortune. Veronica possessed a sharp, striking beauty that demanded attention: dramatic almond eyes, full painted red lips, and an hourglass figure encased in a emerald-green silk dress with a daringly low neckline.

Veronica was a woman used to getting everything she wanted. In elite social circles, she had initially aimed for the ultimate prize—Zhao Xian himself. But after a single glance from Xian during a charity gala months ago—a look so freezing, dominant, and indifferent that it made her blood run cold—she had quickly realized she could never bend the eldest son to her will. Fearing his ruthless aura, she settled for Jin instead.

Yet, as her sharp eyes landed on me—sitting comfortably right beside the legendary Xian, drinking wine as if it were the most natural thing in the world—a spark of pure jealousy flared deep in her eyes.

She had the money, the lineage, the face, and the body. Yet Xian had never so much as spared her a second glance. And here sat an ordinary Filipina schoolteacher, sharing an intimate, quiet dinner with the untamable heir.

It made her blood boil.

"Brother," Jin said smoothly, inclination his head in a polite bow. "Apologies for dropping in unannounced. Father wanted me to drop off the revised harbor development files for your signature tonight. Veronica insisted on coming along."

"You could have left them with Master Lin at the gate," Xian said, his deep voice slicing through the room like a blade. He didn't even bother to stand up.

Veronica’s red lips curved into a subtle, mocking smile as her gaze swept over my simple navy dress, lingering on my bare neck where a multi-million-dollar diamond necklace should have been.

"We didn't mean to interrupt your... modest little dinner," Veronica cooed, her voice smooth as velvet, though her eyes were cold as steel as she stared directly at me. "I was simply so eager to congratulate the new Young Mistress of the family. Though I must say, Althea... you look remarkably casual for someone living in Blackwood Residence. I suppose old habits die hard, even when you're handed a fortune overnight."

The disrespect was subtle, wrapped in a fake polite tone, but the insult was crystal clear.

I felt the air in the room drop by ten degrees. Before I could even open my mouth to reply, a cold, heavy pressure filled the dining room.

Xian slowly turned his head toward Veronica. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't look angry. But the absolute dominance in his dark gaze made Veronica's smug smile falter instantly, her fingers tightening nervously on Jin's arm.

"Veronica," Xian said softly, his tone flat and deadly. "You are in my house."

Veronica swallowed hard, her chest heaving slightly as she instinctively took a half-step back, unable to withstand the overwhelming intensity of his aura.

"If you ever speak to my wife in that tone again," Xian continued, his dark eyes narrowing slightly, "I will ensure your father's shipping company loses its docking permits at every major port in Asia by tomorrow morning. Am I making myself clear?"

Veronica’s face went completely pale. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. The sheer power Xian held over her entire family’s livelihood was not a threat—it was a promise.

Jin’s easygoing posture vanished, replaced by a tense, rigid stance. He quickly stepped in front of his wife, bowing his head slightly toward Xian.

"She spoke out of turn, Xian," Jin said quickly, his voice tight. "We’ll leave the files on your desk and take our leave."

Veronica glared at me over Jin’s shoulder—a look filled with venomous envy and bitter rage—before turning on her high heels and practically rushing out of the room, eager to escape Xian's suffocating presence. Jin followed her closely, his footsteps hurrying down the hallway until the heavy front doors slammed shut.

Silence reclaimed the dining room.

I sat there, my heart pounding slightly against my ribs. I had been ready to handle Veronica's petty jab myself, but watching the way Xian had dismantled her with a single sentence had been... terrifyingly efficient.

Xian picked up his wine glass as if nothing had happened, taking a quiet sip.

"I told you," Xian murmured, his dark eyes shifting back to me, the coldness in his face softening just a fraction. "Outside these walls, you carry my name. No one in this family is allowed to look down on you."

I looked at him—this cold, powerful man who had just threatened an entire corporate empire simply because his fifth sister-in-law threw a passive-aggressive remark my way.

"Thank you, Xian," I whispered, my voice quiet in the vast room.

"Don't thank me, Althea," he said, setting his glass down with a light clink. "It's just part of our contract."

Our contract.

I nodded, repeating the words mentally to anchor myself. It was just business. A rule in a folder locked inside his safe.

Yet as I looked across the table at his sharp, handsome profile, the quiet safety I felt in his presence was becoming increasingly hard to ignore.