Baroness Wolfsbane rose from her seat. "It''s a joyful day," she dered. "Sofina has secured the coboration with the Eden Group for our family."


    Beatrix crossed her arms. "Grandmother, since Sofina''s the one whonded the deal. You promised that whoever secured the contract would be named Deputy Chair of the Wolfsbane Estate. So, who will it be?"


    The Baroness''s expression stiffened. Her silver brows arched slightly as her mind turned.


    Yes, she had made that promise-whoever brought the deal home would be director of the familypany.


    But Sofina Scheinwald? The woman she never favored? The very wife of that useless man she could barely tolerate? The thought soured in her chest. What if Sofina gained too much power-what if she slipped out of her control?


    “Grandmother,” Beatrix pressed, voice sharp and direct. "Are you truly going to appoint Sofina Scheinwald as Baroness-Designate?"


    The Baroness''s smile vanished. "I gave my word to Sofina. Why shouldn''t I appoint her?"


    Beatrix stepped forward, her eyes zing with defiance. "Because you can''t make her the Baroness-Designate and Deputy Chair of the Wolfsbane Estate!" she snapped. “She doesn''t deserve it! Herst name isn''t even Wolfsbane!"


    "Why not?" the Baroness snapped back. "She''s earned it. She brought in a coboration with the Eden Group. Her contribution is undeniable."


    Annabe spoke up hesitantly. "Grandmother... you don''t even know how Sofina won that contract. She must have done something... inappropriate.”


    The Baroness turned her gaze on her granddaughter, "Inappropriate? Like what, exactly?"


    Annabe faltered. She hadn''t expected to be challenged so directly. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for an escape.


    "Maybe we should call Heinrich," she blurted finally. "He was with her during the Eden Group negotiation. He must know something."


    The Baroness leaned back in her chair. "Very well," she said. "Let''s hear what Heinrich has to say."


    Without wasting a second, Annabe tapped her bracelet and called Heinrich, switching it to loudspeaker so everyone in the room could hear every word.


    At the Rosenheim mansion, Heinrich was already in a storm.


    The news had just broken-Wolfsbane won the coboration with Eden Group— and Katarina was livid.


    She stood in the center of the marble hall, fury shing in her eyes like lightning.


    "You useless bastard!" she screamed. "I told Eden Group if they gave the coboration to the Rosenheim family, you''d make a fine Chief of Artificial Intelligence—that the Eden Group would be lucky to have you!"


    "But they refused! They gave the deal to the Wolfsbanes instead! They refused you, Heinrich! You''re worthless-nothing you do has any value, does it?"


    Katarina hurled the wine bottle across the room. It shattered against Heinrich''s head, spraying red wine like blood across the marble floor.


    "You must''ve helped that ex-wife of yours win the coboration behind my back, didn''t you?" she shouted, her face twisted with rage. "There''s no way Sofina could''ve gotten that coboration without someone helping her!"


    "I didn''t help her!" Heinrich barked back. "Maybe her husband did!"


    Katarinaughed, cold and


    venomous. "Her husband? That


    half-ve? Don''t make meugh. He


    couldn''t help her tie her own shoes.


    youeant


    What good are your to me if you mesit


    even win a simple deal? You''re


    nothing but a useless, miserable bastard!"


    She snatched another ss bottle from the bar and hurled it straight at him.


    It smashed against his face, exploding into shards that rained across the marble


    floor as crimson streaks ran down his cheek.


    Heinrich flinched, a line of blood running down his face, but he didn''t move. "Katarina, please," he said,. "Give me another chance. I''ll make it right-I swear I''ll fix this."


    "Fix it?" she spat, eyes zing with fury. "How? By crawling back to your precious Sofina? Maybe you can beg her to hand over the Eden coboration to Rosenheim, huh Goon-ask


    ask your attle whore to save<fn1ff9> This update is avable on find(?)ovel</fn1ff9>


    UM


    you. And if you don''t, our rtionship ends right here."


    Heinrich''s fists tightened at his sides. "Fine," he said quietly, beaten but burning inside. "I''ll do it. She''ll give me everything I ask for. Just... don''t end us yet. I''ll prove I''m still worthy of you."


    "Then do it now!" she shouted, pointing toward the door.


    Heinrich didn''t argue. He turned and stormed out of the Rosenheim mansion, fury boiling inside him. He had to find a way to salvage what was left of his standing- and fast.


    As he reached his flying car, his bracelet buzzed. A call. He nced at the name: Annabe.


    "Heinrich, we just got word that Sofina won the coboration with the Eden Group. Tell me, how did she do it? She must''ve done something inappropriate, right?"


    Heinrich''s mind raced, calcting. "Annabe," he said slowly, his toneced with dark amusement, "how can you be so sharp? You really think like a wolf." "So I''m right?" she pressed eagerly.


    He paused just long enough to make her lean in. "Yes, you are right."


    Heinrich pretended to hesitate, lowering his voice just enough to sound sincere. "You know... it''s not really proper for me to say this," he began, letting the pause hang.


    "But you deserve to know the truth. I heard that Sofina sold her body to Eden Group''s top executives. All of them—men and women alike. Rumor has it she used her looks and her charm to get what she wanted."


    "They say she entertained nearly ten of them to secure the deal. Every noble house is talking about it-calling her shameless, saying she''s disgraced your family''s name just to win that coboration."


    A wave of murmurs rippled through the Wolfsbane hall. Faces turned. Shock and disgust flickered like sparks in dry grass.


    Baroness Wolfsbane''s expression darkened, her voice dropping to a dangerous calm. "Is that true?"


    Heinrich caught the tone, and he


    struck while the moment burned. "Of


    course, it''s true," he said firmly. "You can verify it yourself. Sure, Sofina may have won the coboration, but shes dragged the Wolfsbanename through filth to do it."


    The hall erupted in angry whispers and clenched fists.


    "How could she disgrace the family like that?" one of the rtives hissed.


    "She''s destroyed our honor!" another growled.


    Heinrich stepped back slightly, hiding his satisfaction behind a mask of solemn


    concern.


    Inside, he was smiling. He''d nted the seed, and now it was growing-turning Wolfsbane against Sofina. This was only the first move. Divide them deep enough, and the coboration would crumble from within.