Friction and a Shadowy Gaze

Following the tense confrontation in the grand foyer, Alistair personally escorted Margot up the sweeping staircase. He guided her down a quiet hallway and pushed open heavy double doors, revealing a spacious, elegantly decorated bedroom suite. Sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, highlighting modern furnishings and soft velvet drapes.

"Are you satisfied with the interior design, Mar?" Alistair asked, looking around with a hint of anxious anticipation. "If there is anything you dislike about the aesthetic, just say the word. I will have a crew in here tomorrow to redecorate the space to your exact taste."

Margot offered a gentle smile. "I like it very much, Mister Alistair. Thank you."

As she looked at him, a bittersweet swell of emotion rose in her chest. His warm, fatherly concern mirrored the way her late father, Cyrus, used to fuss over her well-being. The painful sting of memory made her drop her gaze, hiding the brief flash of sorrow that flickered in her eyes.

Later that evening, the tension in the living room remained thick. Alistair sat beside Margot on the plush leather sofa and tried to press a sleek black bank card into her hands. "Take this, Mar. The boys will show you around Oakview tomorrow. I want you to go shopping and buy whatever you want."

Margot politely yet firmly pushed the card back across the glass coffee table. "Mister Alistair, I appreciate the gesture, but I do not need it."

Watching from an armchair across the room, Evelyn let out a sharp, mocking scoff. She glared at Margot with deep annoyance. "Oh, stop pretending to be so noble and upright. It is painfully obvious you only came to our family to dig for money."

"Evelyn Thorne!" Alistair snapped, his voice echoing sharply in anger.

"What? Why are you yelling at me when I am just stating facts?"

Margot merely smiled, her lips twitching with mild amusement. She wondered how she had managed to offend this bitter woman so quickly. She continued to refuse the money, ignoring Evelyn’s venomous glares, until Alistair finally sighed in defeat and pocketed the black card.

Right at that moment, Margot's phone chimed in her pocket. She pulled it out and tapped the glowing screen. It was a confidential notification from her corporate account: a seasonal profit of 53 million dollars had just been deposited. Margot smirked quietly to herself and tucked the phone away. She had always possessed far too much money to ever worry about spending Alistair’s wealth.

The following morning, the grand dining room was dead silent save for the clattering of silverware. Alistair had already left early for work, leaving Margot at the massive mahogany table to join the five Ashcroft brothers for breakfast. Their father had left strict instructions for them to spend the day showing her around the city, but the men clearly had no intention of complying.

Bennett abruptly dropped his fork onto his porcelain plate. "I have an urgent board meeting at the office. I have to leave immediately," he announced in a dull tone, not even glancing at Margot. "One of you take her instead."

That was the cue. The remaining four brothers quickly coordinated a plan to escape.

"Sorry, I have a sudden business trip," Gideon declared, pushing his chair back.

"I have an emergency photo shoot," Julian chimed in.

"Back-to-back surgeries," Elias added without missing a beat.

"Urgent university classes," Caspian finished, grabbing his coat.

Within minutes, all five men vanished from the dining room, leaving Margot sitting alone at the massive table. She silently rolled her eyes at their childish antics. Unbothered, she picked up her coffee cup, continued to eat her breakfast in peace, and spent the rest of the day relaxing in her room.

Evening fell, and Margot's phone rang. It was Silas Vane.

"Why didn't you tell me you were in Oakview?" his voice came through the speaker, sounding agitated. "Come out for dinner right now."

"No, I don't want to," Margot replied coldly.

"If you don't come out, I swear I will march straight up to the Ashcroft villa and drag you out myself!"

Reluctantly, she agreed to meet him. After a quiet dinner, Silas dragged her to an exclusive, high-end bar on the first floor. The bass thumped softly as Silas leaned across their small cocktail table, his brow furrowed with genuine concern.

"Did any of those Ashcroft family members try bullying you today?"

Margot sneered, swirling the amber liquid in her glass. "Who could possibly be foolish enough to bully me?"

Silas offered an awkward, nervous smile. He knew exactly how ruthless and powerful Margot could be when crossed. To him, she was a charming but dangerous demon in disguise. "Fair point. So, do you actually plan to get engaged to one of the brothers?"

Margot took an indifferent sip of her wine. "I don't know. I am only playing along because of my father's promise."

As they sat chatting on the first floor, they remained unaware of a cold, sharp pair of eyes staring intently down at them from a private, dimly lit booth on the second floor.