Greed

"You are crossing your limit, Prudence. I have tolerated your small pranks but this!" she did not complete it but the way her whole face was cold and her eyes narrowed with darkness filling them would have explained it well. But Prudence knew what Ever had forgotten.

"You think it is a joke? Poor Eve, have you forgotten that my brother had proposed to your sister? He only married you when she went missing and everyone thought that she died. If he were to know that she is alive, would he have ever married you?" The question was like a tumor piercing her heart. And was spreading in her whole body. She could not stop it. This thought… the possibilities. 

"And now that she has returned. How long do you think you can hold his affections? Are you going to be a slave who closes her eyes or like a lapdog who is blind to everything except the feet of her master? Come on, Eve. Wouldn't being a free mistress be better?

 Where you get paid enough and have the right to leave whenever you want. Think about it, Eve. I am doing you a favor for the old time sake. Wouldn't leaving with your respect intact be better than being thrown out with disgust?" the words embed in her heart and though Eve had walked away, she could not get rid of their sound.

They kept echoing in her heart even when she told herself it had been years. Cedric had come to love her. But the words sounded hollow to her with no confirmation. He had never told her that he loved her. But he had bought gifts for her. He had made love to her and he had respected her, fulfilled her wishes. He had been… 

"Madam.." Eve paused and looked around. Only then did she notice that she was standing in the middle of the crowd and whispering the words loudly rather than her heart. Many were looking at her as if she was one crazy woman. She shook her head, but the fog around her eyes did not leave. 

"Where is Cedric?" She held the hand of the maid as if she were the only one in the room. "Where is my husband?" The maid was stunned by her strange reaction.

Normally, Eve had always been timid and kind in front of others. But now her shrill voice sounded no less than a mad woman.

"Sir is in his room, madam." the maid pointed at their room as if she might know where it was. Eve let go of her hands and ran toward the room. She looked strangely frantic. 

"Could it be that.." a woman spoke out of curiosity but two guards stood in front of her with a stoic face.

"You are requested to leave the party madam. Let us escort you." That was how security had always been. It was not like others did not want to gossip about the situation. They simply could not because Cedric was a cold and ruthless man. He would not forgive some careless words but he would come for them like a hawk and leave them in shambles. 

So when the woman was thrown out of the room, they all looked around as if they could not see her.

The silence filled the room again. Prudence had returned to the party at some point. Her mother had refused to join since Elene was not worth it.

Mr and Mrs. What was there? The couple smiled and went to every single person at the party. They tried to flaunt their jewels with each step like a proud peacock. Their daughter was still bearable but they have always been too strange to mingle among them.

The crowd started to scatter as they approached them. Mrs. Lilian Wanhart went to Prudence while Mr. Wanhart's eyes glittered when he noticed the owner of the H&M group.

"Mr. Hunter, I heard that you are looking for an investor for your new chain of hotels." he smiled so arrogantly that Mr. Hunter had to take a breath to not snap at him.

"Yes, that is right. If you can convince Mr Weildmir to do it, I will remember this favor. I heard that your new project needs a hotel. I can offer my X wing branch." the eyes of Mr Wenhart glitter with joy.

"Of course, I will ask Cedric. He always listens to me and Eve and now that Elene has returned. I am sure he would be too busy to care about a single deal." The man was skeptical. But he still nodded. If a small favor could save him billions he was ready for it.

John Wanhart discussed a few more details before reaching out to other businessmen. He offered a few deals with Cedric and in exchange he secured a lot of deals for himself. For those businessmen, all of those deals might be small favors, but for him, it was lotteries. He would earn millions from them.

He was so lucky because of his daughters. Or else he would have worked for a few thousand dollars all his life. His eyes roamed to the room when he noticed Elene walking upstairs and his eyes shone.

Eve had been the madam of the house for two years but she had never been able to win a good favor. It was because Elene was the one he wanted. Now that she had returned, John was sure he was going to make it. He was going to leave the small position of millions and reach a billion-dollar market.

"Soon, they will be the ones who will approach me first. Soon!"