Echoes of Vengeance: The Sweet Wife's Perfect Revenge-Chapter 53: The Price of Survival

Lawrence completely ignored Maxwell when he stormed out of the room. He shamelessly stepped inside and tried to identify the pale girl on the couch. When he failed, he spoke sweetly, "Hello, I’m Lawrence Ashford, Damien’s uncle." He stressed their relationship, "And you, my dear?" He extended his hand.

Aveline glanced at Damien as she stood, "Hello, Mr. Ashford, I’m Aveline Laurent. Damien’s wife." She again looked at Damien, pretending to be hesitant before shaking Lawrence’s hand.

"Aveline Laurent!" Lawrence said it under his breath, and then his eyes widened in disbelief, "The Laurents!?" He struggled to believe it, "Are you the daughter of Henry Laurent?" He knew Damien wouldn’t marry just anybody.

Aveline nodded, blinking as if confused, "Yes, my father is chairman of Laurent Industries." She clarified for him.

Lawrence stepped back in surprise. He turned to Damien, unbothered by his glare. "You’ve won the jackpot, Damien." He laughed, "I was right, that little toy of yours was just a plaything." He immediately tried to ruin the couple.

Aveline: "..."

She understood Lawrence was aware of Vivienne and Damien. Yet, she couldn’t believe he was so venomous to his nephew.

Damien didn’t wait. He grabbed Lawrence’s arm and dragged him towards the door. Because asking politely wouldn’t work with that man.

Lawrence still laughed, glancing at Aveline, "Ms. Laurent, don’t be shocked, we’re like friends..." He stumbled when Damien shoved him out and slammed the door.

When Damien turned back, he saw Aveline recoil as if he might throw her out too. Seeing her so guarded, he softened his voice, "Don’t take Lawrence Ashford’s words seriously. He enjoys it when we suffer."

Aveline nodded like she believed every word out of his mouth. "I understand." Then she hesitated, "Damien, your father..."

She shook her head and added carefully, "My father is just angry. Who wouldn’t be, if their child was poisoned? But Dad hasn’t done anything to hurt the Ashfords."

Damien believed her. Thus, he also believed Laurents weren’t the ones pulling strings to sabotage him. He reached out, and she flinched, her eyes widening.

Still, he gently caressed her head, "Relax, Nina. I had to stop them before they hurt you."

She nodded, "I... I’m not used to it."She added, "He is so fierce." She meant Maxwell.

Damien: "..."

He assumed she was just a docile girl, easy to control with a single shout.

"What happened at the company? Is there a problem?" she asked, as if genuinely concerned.

Damien briefly summarized the back-to-back issues threatening his ascension to the CEO position.

Aveline listened carefully. This was definitely not a coincidence. "Who might be behind it?" She asked. She needs to know all his enemies to use them against him.

Damien returned to his desk, "Not sure. But I have an idea."

Aveline didn’t press for the name. She watched him busy himself in seconds, flipping through files like he didn’t even have time to breathe.

Was he pretending to avoid dinner?

She doubted it. He would have sent her away if that were the case. "Could I help, Damien?" She asked.

He gave a tight smile, "I will handle it..." then he suddenly paused his actions, "Actually... You could help me."

"Huh?" Aveline tilted her head. She caught the shift in his tone. He had waited for her to ask, but why?

Damien closed the file and took her hand, leading her out of the office into a large room.

A huge map of Velmore covered one wall. Divided into several suburban regions. Miniature models of buildings were pinned across it. Marking the locations of Ashford Holdings’ sub-branches.

Ashford Holdings operated across multiple sectors. Finance and Investment Banking, Real Estate Development, Luxury Hospitality and Events Management, Media and PR.

Damien managed the top two, and the room was dedicated to Real Estate.

Across large tables were detailed models of skyscrapers and signature buildings throughout Velmora. There were also projects built under Damien’s leadership.

But something else caught Aveline’s eye.

The two skyscrapers she had never seen in Velmora. She stood stunned, watching the twin towers that rose like a crown forged in glass and steel. It looked like it was straight out of the future.

"Amazing, right?" Damien’s velvety voice pulled her out of awe.

The project looked worth billions. She asked, "Is this your new project?" But before she could finish, her eyes landed on something behind him.

A massive model encased in glass. Futuristic glass towers and circular oasis built amid greenery. It wasn’t just a project, it was a city - City of the future.

She took a slow breath. Damien’s true love was right in front of her. It wasn’t people. It was a legacy. He loved to create history that comes with unlimited money and power. She could see it in every tin, obsessive detail of the two projects.

She turned to him. He was glowing with pride, basking in her reaction. He was ruthlessly ambitious. And he would do anything to achieve it.

Why was he showing it to her?

Damien never did anything without a reason.

"I don’t have words." She exclaimed, "It’s straight out of the future."

Damien took it as a compliment. He gestured to the massive model, "That’s for the future." He said. Then he pointed to the twin towers, "After this project is completed."

Aveline hid her confusion. Before her regression, Damien had focused on expanding the business to technology.

Did he abandon that plan?

Too much had changed after her regression. If Damien wasn’t chasing technology anymore, would Alaric think she lied?

Aveline: "..."

Alaric should be the last person she should be worried about.

Anyway, she quickly focused, "When will the project start? How could I help you?" That was the reason he brought her there to show.

Damien guided her to the eastern part of the map. "For the twin towers project, we need 30,000 square meters of land. I already own 10k, and the government granted 10k for redevelopment."

Aveline nodded and looked at where he pointed to the third section. "But, we are struggling to secure this 10k."

Aveline identified that space. It was a residential area of middle to upper-class families. One of the prime locations. People won’t sell or agree to redevelopment.

"So?" She asked.

Damien pointed to another area, marked by a commercial complex, a mall, and a warehouse. "This 10k square meters is in... your name."

Aveline froze.

The walls began to spin. Her vision blurred. Her breathing shortened. Yet her eyes stung.

Damien married her for this land.

He kept her alive for his project.

The papers she signed before regression weren’t just divorce papers.

They were the property documents.

The land her father left in her name. Even when they went bankrupt. Even when they lost everything.

Her family hadn’t abandoned her.

It was Damien. His cruel game.

He made them think she had chosen money over blood.

He made her think they had cast her aside.

"Nina!?" Damien called when she didn’t respond and stared at the map.

’So this is what I was worth in his eyes.’ A tear rolled down her cheek.

She reached for the wall, but her knees gave out. The darkness swept over her.

’Thud.’