"I can't believe my family is doing this. I'm not ready for marriage or a relationship, unless she's a woman I chose myself," Edward said.
"Hahaha! Son, this one is non-negotiable," Mrs. Gray said. "If you don't marry this genius woman, I will lock myself in my room and never come out again."
"Mother, why can't Edmond marry her instead?" Edward asked.
"Oh, no, son. She is an outstanding young lady," his mother replied. "If your brother doesn't step up, he'll be the one getting bullied by her intellect! Do you think you can find such a powerful woman just anywhere? No matter how hard we searched for her in the past, we couldn't trace this goddess of academia. I truly believe your soulmate is finally here."
"Yes, Brother, I don't think she's the right match for me," Edmond chimed in. "I would be doing her an injustice. She needs an outstanding man like you, someone who can protect her no matter what. Besides, with her as my sister-in-law, other ladies will respect you even more."
"Hehe, I'm leaving," Edward muttered, turning to go.
"Brother, I'm coming with you!" his sister Eller called out. "I want to find out who occupied my dream house. I was so heartbroken when Edmond told me it had been taken."
"I don't know what's so special about that house," Edward said.
"That's because you're blind to it. That house is unique and gorgeous; the designer must be one of the best in the Imperial City," his sister insisted.
"Are you saying there is a top-tier designer out there who hasn't joined our Gray Corporation?" Edward's father asked, narrowing his eyes.
"That's exactly what we realized when the house was constructed," Edmond explained. "To make matters worse, we couldn't get in touch with either the engineer or the designer."
"Yes, Dad, I couldn't believe it either," Edward added. "But when I did a background check, I realized the engineer and the designer are the exact same person from Blue Wills Corporation. After discovering that, I couldn't bring myself to dig any deeper. We all know that company isn't our rival—they've always avoided us whenever our business paths were about to cross."
"Yes, that's true," Edward's father mused. "But who is the boss? That company has grown to be one of the top corporations in the Imperial City within just five years, yet the owner has never shown their face. What do you think?"
"I think this person is waiting for the right time to pull us down when we least expect it," Edmond suggested.
"No, Brother, I don't think so," their sister countered. "Just last year, do you remember that government contract worth 50 billion? That would have been the perfect time for this person or group to hit their peak and surpass us. But despite having a flawless proposal plan, they backed down and let the Five Families take part in the project instead. Therefore, this person isn't targeting us."
"I think this person isn't originally from the Imperial City and is just trying to avoid trouble with us," Mrs. Gray analyzed. "To stay safe in the industry, they'd rather keep to themselves than cross the line with the Five Families."
"Then why isn't this person showing up? It's always just the third assistant attending their meetings," Old Master Gray grumbled. "And it's the first company where even the security guards are qualified to handle business meetings, consistently outperforming other industry tycoons. Just who is their CEO?"
"If we want to find out, let's propose a business deal with a 60/40 profit split—they take 60, and we take 40," Mrs. Gray suggested with a smirk. "Who in the business world could pass that up when the Grays are the ones offering it?"
"I think we should initiate that immediately," Edward said without hesitation. He, too, wanted to know who this person was. He vividly recalled that this mysterious figure had once saved him from an Italian Mafia hit. Who exactly are they?
"Okay, everyone, let's catch up later. Stay safe," Old Master Gray said, wrapping up the discussion.
"Don't forget, I'll be going to the university this afternoon," Mrs. Gray reminded them.
"We elders shall go together," the Old Master decided.
"Suit yourself," Edward replied dryly.
"Ah? Is that my brother smiling?" Eller teased, leaning in.
"Has he finally fallen for this mysterious woman?" Edmond joked.
"Then we won't have a hard time convincing him," Eller laughed.
The three siblings walked out to their luxury cars and drove straight to a seven-star restaurant owned by the Gray family. Their close friends were already waiting for them to have lunch. Although these heirs from the Imperial City's richest families seemed relaxed, they actually worked harder than anyone. Thanks to them, their families remained unbeatable.
"Welcome, Gray siblings," Lee greeted them.
"What a boring lunch!" Eller chimed in, slumping into a chair.
"Is anything ever cool in your eyes, Eller? When will you grow up?" Carl asked, teasing her.
"The day I stop running into you," Eller retorted, rolling her eyes.
"Ah! Then stop coming to our gatherings so you won't have to bother seeing me," Carl smirked. He rarely joked with others, but when it came to Eller, he couldn't restrain himself. "Unless... do you secretly have your eyes on me?"
"In your dreams," Eller shot back.
"Guys, we didn't come here to listen to your lovers' quarrel," Lee interrupted shamelessly. "If you want to strengthen your love bond, please take it somewhere else—like a bedroom." No one bothered to argue with him; Lee was notorious for his shameless mouth.
After a few minutes, Edward's tone turned serious. "Any progress on the Ghost's location?"
"You won't believe this, Brother," Drake said, pulling up a tablet.
"Ah, you found him?" Edmond asked.
"We checked everywhere, but there are no traces of any suspicious men," Carl explained. "However, the only passenger with a highly suspicious identity is a woman. She appears with different heights in various surveillance photos, traveling under the name Phelicity Adams. What's crazier is that this new lecturer at Imperial University has zero national records, no travel history within the city, and no registered residence. Everything about her is a blank canvas, except for her recent hiring. This Phelicity has no verifiable face—just like Jessy Williams."
"I ran the same research on Phelicity Adams," Drake agreed. "No real face, not even a trace of her fingerprints. The same goes for Jessy Williams. I think the faces they are showing the world are fake."
"Wow..." Eller murmured, genuinely impressed. "I've just realized how lacking I am. Brother, I really need to work harder."
"Are you just realizing that today, Eller?" Carl teased.
"Nobody will complain if you keep your mouth shut," Eller snapped back.
"Find out who Jessy Williams really is," Edward commanded. "Put the Ghost on hold for now."
"I think these three names are connected," Lee mused, tapping his chin. "They are either using The Dynamic Bio-Masking or the Ghost Protocol. Since they all appeared at the exact same time, they are definitely allies."
Meanwhile, the three elders of the Gray family arrived at Imperial University. The campus was quiet, with students bustling between buildings and professors heading to their afternoon classes. The elders didn't care about the scenery; they were there for one purpose: to see who Jessy Williams was and to verify if her mind-blowing profile was real.
The university administration, having received sudden news of a visit from the powerful family who actually owned the institution, rushed out to welcome them.
"We apologize, Masters. We weren't aware of your visit," the Chairman said breathlessly.
"Oh, it's no problem," Old Master Gray dismissed with a wave of his hand. "We are here to look over the new lecturer's profile and observe her lesson."
"Oh, right this way, Masters," the Chairman said, bowing with deep respect.
Nearby, the faculty lounge was buzzing. "I just saw the three senior masters arrive at the university," one lecturer whispered.
"Yes, I heard they are here for Doctor Jessy."
"As expected of a young genius! I wish she could be my sister-in-law, but honestly, that would be an injustice to her," another lecturer praised. She genuinely liked Jessy, who remained incredibly humble despite her brilliance.
"What's so special about her? She's just a young girl with a bit of capability, so what?" sneered Lecturer Lewinsky. Known for her horrible attitude and fierce competitiveness, Lewinsky had assumed the new genius professor would be an old woman. Seeing how young, beautiful, and brilliant Jessy actually was had consumed her with jealousy.
"Jealous creature," the other lecturer scoffed under her breath.
Meanwhile, in the VIP conference room, the Grays were flipping through Jessy's file.
"Look at these records," Old Master Gray whispered, his eyes widening as he scanned her research papers. "She simplified the Navier-Stokes equations in her spare time?! This isn't just a scholar; this is a national treasure!"
"And she's stunning," Mrs. Gray added, tapping a photo of Jessy pulled from the school forum. "Edward thinks he can hide behind his 'lost girl' from ten years ago forever, but he hasn't met a match like this. Husband, we aren't just here to assess a lecturer. We are here to recruit a Queen."
The Chairman wiped cold sweat from his forehead. "Masters... with all due respect, Dr. Williams is a very private person. She might not appreciate being... 'recruited' for marriage."
Old Master Gray gave a mischievous chuckle. "Then we'll just have to be very, very persuasive."
"I still can't believe it's real. Is she truly only 18 years old?" Mrs. Gray asked in awe. "Father, Husband, we must secure her for our son. She is twelve years younger than Edward, which is a perfect age gap."
"She is beautiful. Our family lineage will achieve absolute perfection if she marries our Edward," Old Master Gray declared.
"I want her as my daughter-in-law, period," Mr. Gray finalized.
The Chairman and the Dean stared at them in utter disbelief. Are these powerful tycoons losing their minds? Dr. Jessy was an innocent girl; why were they trying to tie her to their ice-cold, arrogant, and terrifyingly dangerous billionaire son? Were they trying to scare the poor girl to death?
"Ah..." The Chairman struggled to find words, but nothing came out.
"Take us to her classroom," Old Master Gray commanded, standing up. "We want to see her in action."
Author's Note:
Hello everyone! Thanks so much for the incredible support! @Sandra_Ishimwe @Xferrilis @Sonia_Brophy_1616 @Onz28
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To everyone who has added this book to their library, thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Next Chapter coming soon!