Chapter 121

Adrian Valentine's brow furrowed slightly as he calmly observed the hatred burning in Evelyn Roland's eyes.

The corner of his lips lifted. "Where is this coming from, Miss Roland? Trying to drive a wedge between me and Mr. Langley?"

Evelyn shook her head gently. "You're his future son-in-law. If I wanted to cause trouble, I wouldn't be so blatant about it."

She retrieved a faded photograph from her bag and turned to Vincent Langley.

"Chairman Langley, do you remember this photo? You showed it to me years ago, and I took it with me. Did you never notice the special material it's made of?"

Vincent's pupils contracted violently, his heart lurching.

"Could it be—"

"Exactly. Alexander Durand's first manuscript was hidden behind this photo." Evelyn laid the picture flat on the table and slowly poured wine over it.

As the liquid soaked through the back of the photo, intricate mineral vein maps gradually appeared under the stunned gazes of the onlookers.

"This—" Vincent staggered back, his face turning ashen.

He had been too fixated on the shocking image on the photo's surface to notice its hidden secret.

Evelyn traced the lines with her fingertips, tears welling in her eyes.

"Alex promised to give me the most beautiful violet diamond in the world." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "But in the end, someone else delivered it to me."

A single tear fell onto the blueprint, leaving a faint watermark.

Vincent snatched up the photo with trembling hands, greedily studying the coordinates. Harrison Macmillan suddenly lunged forward and grabbed it.

"Chairman Langley, you must grant me the mining rights! Your people can oversee everything—we'll split the profits fifty-fifty!"

The banquet hall erupted into chaos.

Evelyn watched the spectacle coldly. This was exactly what she wanted—to make Vincent Langley public enemy number one.

"Father!" Isabella Langley tugged urgently at her father's sleeve.

Harrison turned to Sebastian Cortez with a meaningful look. "I heard the priceless violet diamond you acquired at auction last year was the very one Alexander Durand intended for his beloved. What a shame—the man died, yet the diamond mysteriously appeared at the Roscente auction house..."

A deathly silence fell over the room.