Location: Nevaris' Manor | Forest
The tranquility of Nevaris' private estate was about to be shattered.
A few days had passed since his last phone battle with his mother, and in that time, Nevaris had seamlessly returned to his usual routine—doing absolutely nothing productive while Titan Vale continued to dominate the global market.
He was currently sprawled across the massive sectional couch in his grand manor, a controller in one hand, a bag of truffle chips in the other, and zero concern for the world beyond the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows.
Freya stood beside the couch, arms crossed, watching him with the unimpressed stare of a woman who had seen too much nonsense.
Nevaris, without even looking at her, crunched on a chip and said, "There are couches, you know. Why are you standing like some judgmental statue?"
Freya sighed. "Because unlike some people, I don't waste my day playing games and eating overpriced garbage."
Nevaris gasped dramatically. "This is not garbage. These are imported premium truffle potato chips." He held up the bag like it was some sacred relic.
Freya arched an eyebrow. "You mean the ones I ordered because you kept complaining that the usual ones tasted 'too basic'?"
Nevaris grinned. "Exactly. You get me, Freya."
Freya shook her head, unwilling to indulge his nonsense. Instead, she glanced at the game on the giant screen. "Are you even winning?"
"Freya," he said in mock seriousness, "I always win."
One second later—
ELIMINATED.
Freya smirked. "Uh-huh. Always."
Nevaris groaned, tossing the controller aside. "That was clearly hacking."
"Or maybe," Freya said, voice dry, "you just suck."
"Impossible. I am a trillionaire. I don't suck at anything."
"Except relationships, apparently," Freya muttered.
Nevaris choked on his chips. "Excuse me?"
"Nothing."
Nevaris narrowed his eyes. "You're enjoying this way too much."
"Just a little."
Nevaris sighed, dramatically slumping further into the couch. "This is workplace harassment."
"This is your home."
"Even worse."
Freya shook her head, deciding she was done entertaining his theatrics. "Have you actually done any work today?"
Nevaris waved a lazy hand. "I signed a few documents this morning. Moved a few billion dollars around. Acquired a few smaller companies. The usual."
Freya blinked. "You acquired companies while lying on your couch eating chips?"
Nevaris shrugged. "What? It only took a few clicks. Business is easy, Freya."
Freya stared at him. "That's not how it works."
"For me, it is."
Freya sighed. Sometimes, she forgot just how terrifyingly powerful he really was.
Sure, Nevaris acted like a lazy fool half the time, but the moment he decided to move, entire industries shifted. He had turned Titan Vale into an unstoppable behemoth—not through brute force, but through sheer mastery of contracts, acquisitions, and corporate warfare.
And yet, here he was. A grown man, covered in crumbs.
"Disgraceful," she muttered.
Nevaris smirked. "You love it."
Freya did not dignify that with a response.
Instead, her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen—another update from the intelligence networks she monitored. A few reports of minor threats, nothing unusual. Still, she scanned them carefully, making sure nothing was a direct danger to Nevaris.
Meanwhile, Nevaris casually scrolled through his own phone, probably checking his stock portfolio or buying another yacht out of boredom.
Then, he suddenly froze.
Freya immediately went on alert. "What?"
Nevaris slowly turned his phone around to show her the screen.
It was a text message.
[Mom]: I just landed. See you soon! <3
Silence.
Freya blinked. "Wait, what?"
Nevaris sat up, staring at the screen in horror. "She's here."
Freya processed that for a moment. Then, she smirked. "Oh, this is going to be fun."
Nevaris groaned, flopping back onto the couch. "I am so dead."
Freya crossed her arms. "Oh, come on. How bad can it be?"
Nevaris turned to her, expression grim. "Freya. She is my mother."
"So?"
"She will try to arrange a marriage."
Freya snorted. "For who?"
Nevaris just stared at her.
Slowly, realization dawned.
Freya's smirk vanished. "Oh no."
Nevaris groaned. "Oh yes."
Freya sighed, already regretting everything.
Nevaris' mother had arrived.
And chaos was coming with her.