Abigail mmed her fist on the table. "I should have drowned him when I had the chance!"


    But her words were meaningless now. The room was filled with grim faces as someone suggested cornering Raymond at either the Montague Group headquarters or Manston Manor. Yet everywhere they looked, Raymond was nowhere to be found.


    Meanwhile, Raymond sat in the exclusive Sky Gallery lounge surrounded by heirs and soon-to-be sessors of Silver Bay City''s most powerful families. The social hierarchy here was rigid-Raymond belonged to the elite circle alongside Paul, Alex, and Victor.


    Until recently, many had assumed Raymond would abandon the Montague Group for Selena.


    Now, in a single day, he had acquired Smith family subsidiaries and swallowed 25% of Bailey family shares his own rtives by marriage.


    The room was tense, everyone finally realizing that Raymond had been holding back all along. Had he unleashed his full potential earlier, Silver Bay City''s power structure would have been redrawn long ago.


    The atmosphere in the lounge grew strange as everyone noticed Raymond''s phone continuously lighting up-undoubtedly the Bailey family desperately trying to reach him. Ignoring the calls, he turned to the woman in his arms.


    "La, whichpany would you like me to acquire next?" Raymond asked.


    La could hardly believe that her casualment about a luxury handbag brand had prompted Raymond to begin acquiring an entirepany. His decisiveness and devotion made her feel like royalty—a queen whose knight would fulfill her every whim.


    The others in the room visibly tensed. One quickly offered La a drink and presented her with his jewelrypany''s premium membership card, granting unlimited shopping privileges. Others followed suit, presenting their own tokens of "goodwill."


    La understood their motives perfectly, her face lighting up with a smile as she nced shyly at Raymond.


    "Do you like these gifts?" he whispered in her ear, the alcohol making him unusually affectionate.


    "I love them."


    "Then they''re yours."


    She epted everything without hesitation. Just a few years ago, at seventeen, she had visited Sky Gallery as a nobody with the Reed family, forced to endure humiliation from the powerful elite. Now, with Raymond, everyone treated her like royalty. One smile from her could make them do anything.


    Overnight, she had be Silver Bay City''s most coveted woman. She could feel the envious res from other women across the room.


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    Nestling into Raymond''s embrace, she murmured, "Mr. Montague, you''re so good to me. I want to stay by your side forever."


    Raymond''s expression remained unchanged as he held her. "Then stay forever."


    To everyone listening, this sounded like a marriage proposal. Shocked expressions circted around the room-wasn''t Raymond still entangled with Selena ording to thetest gossip?


    Yet here he was, treating what they''d assumed was a mere recement with more passion than he''d ever shown Selena. He''d never acquiredpanies for Selena''s amusement.


    Then again, hadn''t he nearly abandoned the Montague Group for Selena? He''d been willing to give up everything he''d built, but Selena had chosen Christopher instead.


    Perhaps this was Raymond''s way of going mad after all.