A cold glint flashed in Orion's eyes when he spotted Sebastian.

"How exactly are you planning to negotiate with Gregory Jones?" Orion asked flatly.

"That's my business. It has nothing to do with you, Mr. Everhart, does it?" Sebastian replied, his tone laced with hostility.

Orion held his gaze. "Let's team up."

Sebastian was stunned for a second before letting out a cold laugh. "Sorry, I have zero interest in teaming up with you."

The elevator doors slid open, and Sebastian strode inside.

Orion followed him in, his voice steady. "You can't handle Gregory Jones on your own."

"Mr. Everhart, only people who can't handle things themselves go around asking for partnerships."

Sebastian's arrogance hadn't wavered.

Orion took a step forward, his eyes locking onto Sebastian. "But this matters to Lemira. I refuse to let anything go wrong, do you understand? To you, this is just another case. But to Lemira, this is the biggest hurdle of her life. Once she gets past this, she can finally start living for herself."

Sebastian frowned. "Is it really that serious?"

"You've probably looked into some of her history with the Langstons. But the trauma and emotional damage she's suffered are far worse than you can imagine."

Orion wasn't going to let any mistakes happen at such a critical moment.

Sebastian's expression softened slightly. "Then why did you keep lying to her? Why didn't you just tell her you were in that car?"

"That was my mistake, I admit. But aside from keeping that secret, I've poured everything I have into investigating this case with you. Otherwise, things wouldn't have gone this smoothly."

Orion looked at Sebastian again. "I know you've had a problem with me."

"Glad you noticed."

"If apologizing will make you let it go, I'll do it."

Orion stood his ground, his eyes calm and his tone completely serious.

Sebastian straightened his posture. "I never thought I'd see the day a high-and- mighty guy like you would actually apologize."

He hadn't expected Orion to go this far just for Lemira.

He cleared his throat, maintaining a shred of his pride. "Since you put it that way, I suppose I can make an exception and work with you."

Truthfully, if it weren't for Lemira, Sebastian would never have agreed to this alliance.

Orion nodded. "Thank you."

"Save the sappy talk. We aren't friends," Sebastian shot back, adjusting his jacket. "Give me the short version of your plan. Let'

Our stories straight Cont

Sget

And just like that, the two men formed a temporary truce.

When the elevator doors opened, they stepped out in perfect unison, their expressions mirroring each other's resolve.

But as they approached the

reception room, a man walked out to

im so

meet them. "Mr. Every

sorry Mr. Jones had an

Jones had an emergency

and had to leave."

fo

Orion's expression darkened instantly. "Is this the Jones family's answer to me?

Fine. If they want a war, I'll give them one."

He turned to leave without a second thought.

"Wait, Mr. Everhart, please don't be angry. My father really did have a sudden emergency, which is why he sent me to receive you."

A younger man hurried over. He was dressed head-to-toe in designer brands, but he

carried himself with the sloppy swagger of a trust-fund kid.

Sebastian sized him up. "Jasper, what kind of emergency is more important than a scheduled meeting with Mr. Everhart?"

"Have you guys heard of VitaLife Pharmaceuticals? The owner over there has developed some crazy new drugs. Word is, there's a treatment that can actually reverse aging The guy running it just showed up in Orvin, and my dad rushed over there immediately. I'm really sorry."

Hearing the name of the pharmaceutical company, Orion felt a flicker of recognition.

Sebastian scoffed. "In this day and age, people still believe that garbage? Your dad must really be terrified of dying."