The Almighty Dominance

Chapter 463

Night dropped like a curtain, and the Wolfsbane banquet hall burst to life with laughter and light.

This was their night-their triumph-one that would echo in family stories for

years.

They had spared no expense. The Wolfsbanes booked Winchester's most luxurious hotel, hired master chefs, poured the rarest wines, and brought in a singer whose voice could wash the weight off any soul.

Every detail shimmered with wealth and power.

Word had already spread through Winchester like wildfire: the Wolfsbane family had secured the Eden Group contract. Even more shocking-the chairman herself, Countess Marlena Von Adler, would attend.

The invitations became golden tickets overnight. Everyone wanted one. Few had the privilege to hold it.

Alex and Sofina walked through the hotel's marble lobby with Eve gliding at their lead — an egg-shaped robot with soft chrome curves.

Sofina's hand found Eve's smooth shell. She hugged the little machine like she'd hugged a living thing.

"Miss Sofina," Eve said sweetly, "I will be your guardian tonight. You don't need to worry. I will handle everything."

Sofina hugged Eve closer, a small smile softening her face. "With you here, I actually feel safe."

"You can count on me," Eve answered, a hint of pride rippling through her tone.

At the hotel entrance two reception androids snapped to attention. "Dear guests," one intoned, "please present your invitation cards."

Sofina froze, color draining. "They didn't give us one," she said. Her voice was small for the first time all evening. "We are family, can't we get in."

The androids stiffened, voices flat and mechanical. "Without an invitation card, entry is strictly prohibited. Please leave."

A murmur rolled through the line behind them.

"No invitation and still showing up?" someone scoffed. "How shameless."

Another voice cut in, sharper, mocking. "Pretending to be part of the family now, are they?"

A woman sneered. "No shame at all-trying to sneak into a Wolfsbane banquet. Let's see how they get thrown out. Arrogant fools think every door's open for them."

Eve's eyes blinked, then became a stream of numbers. Suddenly the two androids stepped back as if a hand had pressed against their chests.

They bowed, perfectly composed.

"My apologies for the mistake," the lead android said. "Welcome, Miss Sofina and Master Alex. You do not need invitation cards."

Sofina's eyes widened. "How-?"

puffed like

curiosity. "Eve... did you

head, her digital eyes

repeated, raising

"I told them to let us in—or I'd fry their chips and wipe their memories clean. Turns out, they found me... very

breathless and relieved. "Eve, you're

a smug little tilt. "Not brilliant," she

machine-the sharp wit, the confidence that bordered on arrogance, and the spark of pride that made her almost human. Alex let the smile crawl across his face like dusk settling over a town-slow, deliberate, dangerous. "Tell me this, Sofina-wouldn't it be cleaner to burn the whole place down? Turn

yet," Sofina said, a thread of hope in it. "Baroness Wolfsbane promised me the Deputy Chair if I secured the collaboration. I've done my part. Now she has

his voice even. "You

the new Deputy

have a chance-before

the truth-that the Baroness hadn't invited

bridge had already been

moved on. But when he looked at her at the quiet determination in her

the fire thinking

brushing a

believe in kindness-

fragile smile. "I believe people are good," she said softly,

nodded, though the words weighed heavy in

years under Heinrich's cruelty, three years of manipulation by the Baroness, all because she still believed people could be

are each our own devil, and

believes

that keeps flying into the

was a kind of self-inflicted wound — a

foolish to keep believing in people who had already

wolves, mistaking their

them," Sofina said, still holding onto

said. "Take Eve with

turned toward the grand hall, her footsteps quiet yet

out a long breath, "If you repay evil with virtue, how will you repay

cut through the air like a

did you find that counterfeit suit? You look like a stray dog pretending

eyes slid toward Alex, dripping with contempt

outfit isn't any better. You look like a

a man he considered beneath

"That's how she won

narrowed.