Angus looked calm, but his voice carried a faint chill.
"The company seal only works in the hands of a Romano," Angus said slowly. "Who exactly is he?"
Richard's forehead veins bulged instantly.
"He's your brother," Richard snapped through clenched teeth.
A faint trace of mockery flickered in Angus's eyes.
"My mother had only one son," Angus replied calmly. "And the Romano family has only one heir."
"You—!" Richard pressed a hand to his chest, clearly furious.
After a moment, Richard forced himself to speak again, his tone icy.
"If you refuse, then forget it," Richard said coldly. "But there's one more thing you should know."
Richard leaned back slightly in the chair.
"Your brother's mother has been buried in a public cemetery for years," Richard continued. "That's not appropriate."
"In a few days, I'll pick a good date and move her to the ancestral cemetery."
Richard paused deliberately.
"The Grayson family cemetery," Richard added. "It has nothing to do with the Romano family. Surely I can make that decision."
Liesa froze for a moment.
She thought,
Everyone knew Angus's mother was buried there. Richard's shamelessness was almost impressive.
The timing made everything even clearer.
Liesa thought,
Liesa sighed inwardly.
Liesa turned to study Angus carefully.
Then Liesa noticed Angus gripping the wheelchair armrest. His fingers had tightened so hard that the tips were turning pale.
Liesa pressed her lips together. Quietly, she reached out and laid her hand over his.
Angus's hand shifted slightly under her touch.
After a moment, Angus's fingers slowly loosened. His voice returned to its usual calm.
"We'll discuss the company seal later," Angus said evenly.
That meant there was still room to negotiate.
Richard seemed to relax slightly. He stood up stiffly.
"Then we'll talk about it another time," Richard said. "It's late. Go get some rest."
Without another glance, Richard turned and left. It was as if, aside from business, Angus meant nothing to him at all.
The living room fell silent.
Liesa gently turned Angus's hand over. Red marks from the wheelchair armrest pressed into his fingertips.
Liesa sighed softly.
"Are you really going to give him the company seal?" Liesa asked quietly.
"What do you think?" Angus replied calmly.
While speaking, Angus pulled out his phone and casually sent a text.
Liesa smiled faintly. She thought,
"Then don't get angry over it," Liesa said lightly, watching him.
Angus looked at her with calm eyes. "Was I angry?" Angus asked evenly.
"…No," Liesa said honestly.
The person who had nearly crushed the wheelchair armrest earlier clearly wasn't him.
Angus gave Liesa a cool glance.
"Let's go," Angus said.
"Go where?" Liesa asked instinctively.
"My room," Angus replied.
Liesa blinked slowly.
"…?"
One minute later, Liesa stood inside a low-key but luxurious bedroom.
Soft lighting reflected off dark wood furniture. The whole room felt quiet and expensive.
Liesa looked at Angus with a complicated expression.
"I have to sleep in the same room as you?" Liesa asked cautiously.
"Isn't that exactly what you wanted?" Angus replied coolly.
Liesa fell silent.
She thought,
Liesa rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.
She thought,
A man and a woman. Alone in a closed room.
The setup felt like the opening scene of one of those cheap one-hour TV dramas.
Liesa glanced at the tightly shut bathroom door. Then she looked at the wheelchair parked beside it.
Liesa remembered the moment Angus had stood earlier—his tall frame and that cold, strikingly handsome face.
A quiet laugh slipped from her lips.
She thought,
Liesa rubbed her forehead lightly. She thought,
With that in mind, Liesa grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.
She flipped to a news channel. Soon she sat upright, watching a public affairs program with exaggerated seriousness.
Liesa tried her best to project pure, upright energy.
The bathroom had excellent soundproofing. Once the door closed, nothing could be heard inside.
Even so, Liesa lowered the TV volume to the minimum.
Then, she leaned sideways on the sofa and started scrolling through her phone.
A moment later, the bathroom door unlocked behind her.
The sound made Liesa jump to her feet instantly. Liesa turned around with a polite, professional smile already prepared.
"Mr. Romano, you—" Liesa began.
The rest of the sentence died in her throat.
Liesa froze.
Angus had walked out wearing only a towel. The towel hung loosely around his hips, barely secured over his sharp hipbones. His abdomen was tight and defined, holding quiet strength.
His hair was still wet. Droplets slid down Angus's sharp jawline, then traced along his collarbone. They ran across his chest and abs before disappearing beneath the edge of the towel.
Liesa blinked quickly and forced her thoughts back under control.