Isabella clicked her tongue and quietly hissed as she glared at Ashley’s table. She rolled her eyes when she caught Ashley leaning comfortably against Lucian.

She’s probably doing this on purpose to make me jealous. What a performative bitch!

She scoffed under her breath, letting her gaze wander around the venue.

The lights in the grand hall were dim, with every spotlight focused on the stage. The host had been going on and on, talking about things Isabella couldn’t truly understand. All she saw on the presentation slides were barren fields, plantations, and endless greenery.

"They make it all sound so glamorous," she muttered.

To her, it was nothing more than farming.

Then again, Isabella had been focused on only one thing—a single plantation. She only came here because she had to keep June tied around her little pinky.

Meanwhile, Ashley had expanded far beyond where she started. What began with a specialized soil product had grown into trees—the so-called Trees of the Gods—flowers, agricultural research led by Liza, nurseries, and a wide variety of crops and plants.

Had Isabella actually listened to the presentation, she would’ve realized that Ashley had also built partnerships with local farmers. It was obvious that Ashley’s ambition wasn’t merely to grow a business.

She was building an agricultural empire.

"Amazing," June murmured.

Isabella’s brows twitched as she looked at him.

"Amazing what?"

"Ashley’s company," June answered with a smile. "The whole thing. The way it’s expanding at such a terrifying pace... everyone is going to want a piece of it."

His smile widened.

"She’s preparing to take it public. That’s what tonight is really about, or something like that."

June nodded to himself, finally understanding the true purpose behind the event.

Although it was presented as the grand opening of Project Green’s headquarters, it was actually a showcase of a rapidly rising agribusiness empire. That explained why so many influential names had gathered tonight.

And June wasn’t the only one who realized it.

Every major guest in attendance watched the presentation with unmistakable interest.

"Everything in her business generates revenue," he continued. "Soil, seeds, plants... every part of the supply chain. But even if she’s preparing for an IPO, I doubt she’ll go public anytime soon."

He chuckled softly.

"She already has major investors lining up. If I were advising her, I’d tell her to wait until the company’s valuation reaches the hundreds of billions."

June shifted his gaze toward Ashley several tables away.

Meanwhile, Isabella’s smile had completely disappeared.

She stared at June, who was openly looking at Ashley with admiration.

"Hundreds of billions?" she muttered, lowering her eyes. "Yeah, right."

June raised a brow before smiling. He reached over and gently patted her head.

He didn’t argue.

Instead, he turned his attention back to the stage, genuine interest in Project Green evident in his eyes.

Isabella, on the other hand, scrunched up her nose and rolled her eyes.

"It’s just a few pieces of land and some small plants," she muttered. "They’re not even fully grown. There’s no way it’s worth more than my plantation."

She smirked, thinking about the vast plantation Marshal had funded for her.

"Once my harvest comes in, it’ll be much bigger than this."

The thought alone made her feel much better.

After all, Isabella had chosen to buy mature trees. They had cost a fortune, but they would begin generating profits within months instead of years.

Ashley, on the other hand, was building everything from the ground up.

Seedlings?

Who cared about seedlings?

She understood the flower market, but she doubted it could ever generate even a million a year.

"And behind all of this!" the host announced, his voice rising as the background music rose. "I’d like to invite the woman who made all of this possible. The visionary behind Project Green—a project that benefits not only businesses, but also our hardworking farmers."

The host flashed a broad grin as he swept an arm toward the audience.

"Please welcome... Madam Ashley De Luca!"

Thunderous applause erupted throughout the hall.

Smiles spread across the audience as every head turned toward Ashley.

Still smiling, Ashley glanced first at Lucian, then at Primo.

Around their table, Liza, Shyaan, Tommy, and the others nodded at her encouragingly.

Slowly, Ashley rose to her feet.

Standing nearby as part of the event security, Red stepped forward and respectfully offered his arm.

Ashley accepted it and walked toward the stage.

When she reached the center beneath the spotlight, she offered the audience a graceful smile.

Standing there alone, bathed in light, she looked every bit like the star of the evening.

Lucian slowly rose to his feet, pride shining in his eyes as he looked at his wife.

He had always known she was extraordinary.

But seeing her standing there—alone, commanding the attention of everyone in the room—filled him with a warmth he couldn’t quite put into words.

Just months ago, he hadn’t known where to begin.

How could he convince her to embrace a different life?

How could he persuade her to stop dreaming only of escaping him, the underground, and the miserable life she’d endured—and instead dream bigger?

But now... look at her, he thought with a quiet chuckle.

When Ashley set her mind on something, she mastered it.

She had transformed from one of Marshal’s insignificant errand girls into the feared Ghost.

And she had turned a single suitcase filled with soil—something she originally carried only to help him—into what looked destined to become a hundred-billion-dollar agribusiness empire.

Meanwhile, Ashley slowly swept her gaze across the hall.

With the spotlight fixed on her, she couldn’t clearly see the audience.

She raised a hand and gestured for the light to be switched on.

Betty, standing at the side of the stage, immediately caught the signal.

Knowing her boss well, she quickly relayed Ashley’s request to the lighting crew.

But just as Ashley was about to begin her speech...

People who had no business being at the event had already begun to move through the crowd and had already taken advantage of the dark before the lights switched on.