novelzi Chapter 189- Meeting
Chapter 189- Meeting
The chandelier above cast a soft, golden glow across the spacious lounge of the Grand Opulent Hotel, creating an air of luxury and intrigue.
A trio sat around a round table by the window, their quiet murmurs nearly drowned out by the background hum of other guests enjoying their evening.
The woman in a sleek black gown leaned in, her sharp features and intense gaze exuding an authoritative presence. "Is she on her way?" she asked, her tone clipped.
One of the men, a stocky fellow with a slightly receding hairline and a scar just above his eyebrow, nodded. He nervously fidgeted with his collar, betraying his unease. "Yeah, Lady Margaret should be here soon. Her car left about an hour ago, so she'll arrive in around thirty minutes."
The younger man, lean with slicked-back hair, interrupted with an anxious chuckle. "She thinks this is just another deal. She expects us to discuss business, not her impending fate."
The woman smirked, a confident glint in her eyes. "Exactly. She's good at crafting perfumes and securing clients, but she's stepping straight into a trap. With the Vrandins backing us, her influence won't save her this time."
The stocky man glanced around the room cautiously. "Are we absolutely sure the Vrandins are solid on this?"
"They're fully committed," she replied, her tone authoritative. "Lady Neha Vrandin herself signed off on this plan. It seems she has her own grievances with Lady Margaret."
The younger man chuckled again, though the sound was laced with anxiety. "But isn't it widely known that Marquess Croceaus supports the Grafia family? What if..."
"Stop thinking for yourself," she snapped, her voice sharp and uncompromising. "We cannot afford to second-guess ourselves. This plan needs to unfold without a hitch. One mistake, and the Vrandins will drop us faster than you can say 'noble allegiance.'"
The stocky man nodded, his face pale but resolute. "The poison's ready. It'll be slipped into her drink before the meeting even begins. If she tries to back out, we have a contingency plan. The guards won't let her leave the hotel alive."
The woman leaned back in her chair, rhythmically tapping her fingers against the table, her eyes fixed on the doorway. "Alright, let's just wait and see what unfolds."
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.
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."...you can say that," Margaret said, catching Avendial's attention. He turned his head to follow her gaze and noticed both Aria and Etrinia glancing curiously in his direction, their expressions mirroring the situation. Unlike other hotel guests, the two women seemed particularly invested in him.
"I see. Why not bring them along then?" Avendial replied, playfully engaging with Margaret's jest. Margaret, pleased by his response, nodded and waved to Aria and Etrinia, inviting them to join her.
It was more like the conversation between friends rather than what she feared.
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Finally arriving outside a room, as its doors slumped open revealing a hall room, inside which at the center was a dining table where seated was four people as Avendial made his way inside. Behind him drilled four women in particular—Rivia, Etrinia, Aria, Margaret and her assistant.
Moving as he arrived towards the table with his hands resting on his pocket, observing the people who seemed clearly unfamiliar to him, clearly making him understand they were not of that much importance in the future, so getting rid of them wasn't a hassle, as according to his memory there was a poisoning event that had occurred in here and assistant of Margaret was the one who died.
Though the event was soon enough investigated and ended with the arrest of these four of them but it was true that behind it was Vrandin who were of the main target, especially Neha Vrandin who could be considered a selfish and ambitious woman who went as far as to plot against Margaret until the end.
Setting aside their apprehension, all four individuals seated around the round table slowly rose to their feet, uncertainty evident in their expressions as they beheld the unexpected number of people accompanying Margaret. They had anticipated only her or perhaps her assistant, not a gathering of several others.
"Greetings, Lady Margaret, but..." The woman who stepped forward to greet Margaret did not even attempt to disguise her dissatisfaction and confusion. She directly inquired about the identity of Margaret's entourage.
As Margaret glanced at the other women and men, it became clear they resembled celebrities, which made her hesitate to compliment them or ask questions. The uncertainty in her voice was apparent, heightened by the obvious prestige of the group before her.
"Are you Cristopher Adriaha?" Margaret quickly asked, noticing that the woman's manners seemed lacking. She directed her question to the man who appeared to be the focal point of their displeasure.
"What?—" The woman opened her mouth to respond, her brow furrowed in confusion at Margaret's question. But before she could voice her thoughts, one of the men interrupted, saying, "It's me."
"Hm. So, why did you bring this woman and the other three people here?" Margaret inquired candidly, trying to clarify the situation, as this meeting was ostensibly about a business deal between her and Cristopher.
"Huh?" The man's look of surprise betrayed the fact that he had not expected such a question from her.
"I am his business partner," the woman interjected, raising her hand with a firm gaze fixed on Margaret, her tone steadfast.
"Same here. And beside me is my investor, Marquess Croceaus," Margaret informed them, echoing the importance of her companions as well.
'!?!'
"Wh-what!?" The four of them were visibly taken aback upon hearing the name of the man accompanying Margaret, who had nonchalantly taken a seat at the table before anyone else could react.
Their eyes widened in shock as they processed the unexpected turn of events.
Naturally, they had expected the meeting and the poisoning event to go as flawlessly as possible. However, suddenly the person involved was Marquess Croceus, who was clearly well known and had much more influence than the backing of the Vranden family. Stay connected through empire