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The senior master of the Rudricks clenched his fist tightly under the table.
He looked at Sophie with an irritated expression. Now that the old man of the COLLENS had threatened them, he would have no choice but to go along with it. No one wanted to be a target of the COLLENS family.
He forced a smile at Sophie, concealing his anger. "I apologize, Mrs. COLLENS, for questioning your status," he said.
Laughter and snickers filled the hall as people witnessed the head of the Rudrick family apologizing to a girl with an unknown status.
Olivia's eyes widened as she glared daggers at Sophie. 'Everything was going so well earlier,' she thought to herself.
But who expected the senior master of the COLLENS to actually stand up for her?
Sophie sat frozen in shock, watching everything unfold. She looked up at Robert Rudrick, who was still standing, waiting for her to accept his apology. She felt he looked rather comical at the moment.
If only he realized that he had just apologized to Sophie Adams, then his expression would be even more amusing.
'Who knew being a COLLEN came with these perks?' she thought to herself.
Robert Rudrick, seeing the young girl observing him like he was from another planet, felt his seething anger flare, threatening to burst out.
He clenched his fists tightly to control it. 'This won't be favorable for me now. I need to think practically,' he reminded himself, reigning in his anger.
Sophie was about to speak, but Shane beat her to it.
The hall grew deadly silent again, everyone shocked to hear Shane speak so suddenly.
"That is not enough," he said coldly, staring at the senior master of the Rudricks.
"What do you mean, Mr. COLLENS?" Robert Rudrick snarled, irritated by Shane's words.
"Your apology is not worthy of my wife. You have not only questioned her heritage but also my decision to take her as my wife," Shane said, his voice icy.
"You must make up for that. And 'I'm sorry' is simply not enough," Shane added.
The senior master of the Rudricks clenched his fists tightly, drawing blood from his thick palms.
"And how should I make up for that?" Robert Rudrick asked, wondering what game Shane was playing.
"You have two options: You kneel and apologize to my wife, touching her feet.
Option two: You transfer full ownership of the Queens Institute, which is currently in your daughter's name, to my wife. So, pick one, Robert," Shane said, emphasizing his name with a disrespectful tone.
The senior master of the Rudricks snarled in anger, outraged by Shane's demand.
"What do you mean, give the Queens Institute to Mrs. COLLENS?" he said angrily, his nostrils flaring.
Shane simply smirked, watching him calmly.
The senior master of the Rudricks would never stoop so low as to kneel for anyone, so he would most certainly choose the second option.
"It is my plan to sue the Queens Institute for mismanagement, considering the unfortunate incident with my wife's face, which caused our lateness to the ball my grandfather prepared.
How do you intend to compensate me if the Queens Institute is sued for mismanagement and you lose the case?
It will be no small charge, Robert. You can bet I won't let it go.
I believe you wouldn't want it known to the public that the Rudrick family is incapable of managing its companies, leading to serious damages to public health.
So, Robert, I gave you an easy way out. You should be grateful," Shane replied.
He picked up his wine glass, finished it in one go, then crossed his legs, making himself comfortable in his chair.
"The papers will be ready tomorrow," the senior master of the Rudricks said, his voice laced with spite as Olivia rushed forward.
"No, Father, you cannot do that! It is my company! How dare this bitch take it? I will not allow it!" Olivia cried, gripping her father's hands to stop him from moving.
She turned to face the woman sitting close to Shane, finding her somewhat familiar but not having time to dwell on it.
"Father, that company was passed down to me by Grandmother! You can't just give it away, especially not to Shane's bitch!" Olivia shouted, causing the entire hall to gasp at her words.
"I believe this is a family matter, so you'd better take it outside. I won't tolerate any further disrespect toward my granddaughter," the old master of the COLLENS said.
The senior master of the Rudricks dragged Olivia out of the hall as she continued ranting.
"SHUT UP!" he shouted, cutting her off and silencing her once they were outside.
His eyes scanned the empty garden where they stood, ensuring no one was around.
"If you keep this up, you're going to get yourself into more trouble," he snarled at his daughter, who finally calmed down.
"Now listen, did you bring what I asked you to?" the senior master of the Rudricks asked, facing his daughter.
She nodded quickly, reaching into her bag and pulling out a substance wrapped in a small transparent packet.
"Good. You remember everything I told you, right?" he asked her.
She hastily replied, "Yes," while looking into her bag.
"Good. Now go in and do it. If this works, we won't lose anything to the COLLENS. Instead, we'll gain," he said, directing Olivia to return to the ball.