The Villain Who Stole Hearts
Chapter 127: With this setup, Caspian’s done for

Chapter 127: With this setup, Caspian’s done for

The private room had grown noticeably quieter.

As time ticked by, the weight in the air only intensified. Caspian, Joseph, and Sierra could all feel it—that suffocating pressure, like an invisible hand wrapped around their throats, making it hard to even breathe.

Caspian, especially, looked rattled. People said these young heirs were unpredictable—moody, arrogant, dangerous.

And no one could tell what was going on with Veil.

If he exploded now, it wouldn’t just be awkward—it would be a catastrophe.

Barely daring to breathe, Caspian wiped the sweat from his brow. Every fiber in his body screamed to run. He instinctively glanced at Joseph, treating him like a human shield.

If a gun’s about to go off, best let the shield take the first hit.

Joseph could tell something was off too, but he had no choice. Swallowing hard, he asked quietly,

"Lancaster, sir? Are you alright?"

"I’m fine."

Veil looked up with a calm smile and casually wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb.

Blood?

Sierra’s heart nearly stopped. Panic surged through her chest. Had she bitten too hard? She shouldn’t have lashed out like that...

She watched him, wide-eyed, concern bubbling in her gaze. She wanted some kind of response, a sign that he was okay.

But Veil didn’t even glance at her. He acted like she wasn’t even in the room. Like nothing had happened. Like the entire incident had never occurred.

Instead, he turned his attention to the two men.

"You two were gone quite a while. What were you discussing that even I couldn’t be part of?"

Caspian forced a smile. Something about this felt... wrong. Deeply wrong. But money had a way of dulling fear, and even now, he didn’t want to back away.

Since Veil wasn’t making a scene about the earlier tension, Caspian decided to play along.

"Oh, nothing major. I was just thinking about Veyport’s economic future. This city’s got real potential. And I’ve always felt a sense of warmth toward it, like it could be home. In hindsight, selling the complex might’ve been a bit hasty."

Veil raised a brow, feigning confusion.

"What are you saying?"

Caspian winced.

"Lancaster, sir..."

Veil’s smile vanished.

"You mean you want to back out of the deal? Don’t forget—the contract’s already signed. Even if you wanted to break it now, it wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference."

"No, no! That’s not what I meant, sir. You misunderstood." Caspian panicked. Backing out in front of Veil? That was suicide. He turned quickly to Joseph for support.

Clearing his throat, Joseph gave a wry smile.

"What he means, Lancaster, sir, is that he doesn’t want to breach the contract. Not at all. He’s just wondering... if it might be possible to buy the complex back."

Veil’s expression darkened.

"So you sell it when it suits you and buy it back when you feel like it? What do you take me for? Some kind of errand boy you can summon on a whim?"

The chill in his voice was unmistakable.

Caspian swallowed hard.

"I swear I meant no disrespect, sir. My company ran into trouble back then, and selling was the only option. But things have turned around now. I want to commit to Veyport long-term.

If... if there’s anything I can do for you, Lancaster, sir—anything within my ability—I’ll do it without hesitation."

To his credit, Caspian held his composure remarkably well, even under this level of pressure. His words sounded humble, but his real motive was obvious.

He wasn’t just trying to be useful. He was trying to get close to Veil—leverage his power.

If he could attach himself to someone like Veil, he’d own this city in no time. Who would dare cross him?

"Help me?" Veil sneered. "You’re an outsider with no foothold here. What exactly could you offer me? Or do you believe the Ashford family in Luxhaven is stronger than the Lancasters?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Caspian shook his head vigorously. "I’d never think that."

He felt completely out of his depth. Should he just walk away from the deal?

But how could he?

Word was, a new school was being planned near the Tianyun Complex. The second it became a school zone, the value would skyrocket. He’d be walking away from a goldmine.

Still... what could he do?

Threaten Veil? He didn’t have the guts.

Looking at Veil’s unreadable face, Caspian knew he was boxed in.

"If you’re unwilling to sell, sir... then forget I asked."

A bitter pill to swallow, but between money and survival, Caspian still knew how to choose.

"It’s not off the table."

Veil leaned back, the frost in his voice melting into a casual smile.

"We’re all businessmen here. If you want to buy it back, that’s fine... but it’ll cost you."

"Of course!" Caspian latched onto the glimmer of hope. "You’ve already made two trips for this, sir. Even if you didn’t ask, I’d still offer something extra."

Hope surged through him, barely contained.

Veil raised a single finger.

"Two trips. That’s double the hassle. Double the price. Twenty-four billion."

Joseph audibly sucked in a breath.

Double?

Twice the original twelve billion?

That wasn’t business—that was daylight robbery.

Even Sierra, who normally couldn’t care less about money, was stunned.

She kept glancing at Veil, trying to read him. Was he serious?

But Veil never looked her way. Not once. He acted like she didn’t exist.

The feeling unsettled her—like being erased.

She didn’t know why, but it gnawed at her.

"L-Lancaster, sir..." Caspian struggled to find the words. That price hit harder than expected.

Sure, if the school zoning came through, the value could triple. But he couldn’t agree too easily—that would make him look desperate.

The room fell silent again.

Caspian hesitated. Joseph furrowed his brow, suspicion creeping in.

They were businessmen. Not fools.

As for Sierra?

Her face was flushed with anxiety.

If Joseph and Caspian weren’t there, she might’ve already rushed over and pried Veil’s mouth open to see how badly he’d been bitten.

"The price you’re asking is just too high, Lancaster," Caspian said through gritted teeth. "It’s far beyond what I can afford."

He paused for a beat, then seemed to make a painful decision. "But... this situation was caused by me. I wasted your time, Lancaster, and I need to pay for that. It’s a hard lesson, but one I’m willing to accept. I just hope you won’t hold it against me."

After a moment of silence, Caspian gave a reluctant nod. He agreed.

Even Joseph turned his head, surprise flickering in his eyes.

"It’s just business," Veil said casually, his tone light. "No need to talk about blame. As long as there’s money to be made, what else matters?"

He didn’t make things harder for Caspian, simply offering a faint smile. "Then let’s get the contract signed."

"Of course. The six hundred million you advanced last time will be wired to your and Joseph’s accounts by tomorrow. As for the remaining balance, I’ll do my best to pay it off within six months," Caspian said, visibly relieved.

Yes, the price had doubled, but once that zoning plan was released, the real estate value would skyrocket.

In this era, not even the most advanced transport systems could boost housing prices like a nearby school could.

Once a property was labeled part of a school zone, it entered an entirely different market.

Even if he took a loss now, he could earn it all back later.

"Six months?" Veil’s expression turned icy. "You think I’m going to let you drag this out again? I don’t care about your timeline. Twenty-four billion. All of it, up front. You don’t have the cash, we’re done here."

He waved dismissively, cold and firm.

Six months? By the time that zoning plan officially dropped, what would there be left to negotiate? The play would be over.

He wasn’t bluffing. It was take it or leave it.

"Wait..." Caspian froze, trapped. He hadn’t expected this at all. Pay everything upfront?

He didn’t have that kind of liquidity—not even if he leveraged all his assets.

But if he didn’t pay, there was no way Veil would return the property to him. And once the zoning plans became public, the truth would be out.

By then, Veil would never agree to sell Tianyun Complex back to him.

"Lancaster, sir, could I at least have a few more days?" Caspian pleaded. "Give me a month. I’ll reach out to some friends—get the money together. I swear I’ll pay in full within the month."

Veil looked visibly irritated. "Isn’t the Ashford family in Luxhaven City supposed to be filthy rich? What, can’t even scrape together this little bit?"

He leaned in, voice cool and biting. "Your family’s prosperity is your own. If you fall, they fall too. You think they won’t help you with something this small?"

Veil gave him a hard deadline. "Three days. That’s the most I’ll give. If you don’t have the money by then, don’t bother coming back."

Caspian looked increasingly uneasy. Three days? To come up with that kind of money?

Even with the help of friends, that wasn’t happening.

He’d have to go to the Ashfords.

But if he told them what he knew, he’d be giving away the entire opportunity—and his own cut of the profits would shrink fast.

His thoughts were racing. Options flying by in chaos. In the end, he agreed to Veil’s terms.

He didn’t have a choice.

Maybe he’d lose some profit, sure—but if he used this to help his wealthy relatives make money, it could be his chance to finally earn real respect in the Ashford family.

At least then, people would stop saying he only got where he was by marrying into power.

Caspian left the private room, heading off to find the money.

Joseph waited a moment, then spoke cautiously.

"Lancaster, sir... I think something’s off here.

Caspian isn’t the kind of man who makes moves for pride or sentiment. He only cares about profit. And the way he agreed to this deal—it’s far beyond his limit."

He paused, brows furrowed in thought.

"I think that complex has something we don’t know about. Something big. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be acting like this."

Joseph’s eyes suddenly lit up. "Could it be Veyport’s new urban development plan? Subway line? High-speed rail? Or maybe a new business district? Even... a school?"

Say what you will—Joseph had business sense. Sharp instincts.

He’d picked up on the oddities in Caspian’s behavior and pieced together a likely explanation.

"What do you think we should do, Uncle Joseph?" Veil asked calmly. The domineering attitude was gone now—he was composed, even respectful.

"After all, we co-own the complex. I want to hear your thoughts."

Joseph thought for a long moment.

"My opinion? We don’t sell.

Property prices rise even without good news. But if a government plan is involved—if demand spikes or scarcity increases—the value could explode overnight. Caspian already signed the contract. The complex is ours. Why give up a goldmine?"

Blood might be thicker than water, but even brothers could turn on each other when money was involved. Caspian was no brother—just another player on the board. And in this game, there was no loyalty beyond profit.

He had made up his mind. Even if Veil wanted to sell, Joseph would push back.

Veil chuckled lightly.

"You’re not wrong, Uncle Joseph. But what if the information Caspian got... isn’t real? What if someone who’s about to leave office put out a fake lead—a last-minute smokescreen?"

A chill rippled through the room.

Joseph froze, staring at Veil as that realization sank in.

If he didn’t get it now, he never would.

It was a trap. One Veil had laid with meticulous care—and Caspian had walked right into it.

Like tossing a rope ring on the ground and waiting for someone to stick their head through.

And when he did... Veil just pulled.

Game over.

"Caspian’s a live-in son-in-law. Everyone knows he has no real status in the Ashford family," Joseph muttered. "He’s got no power of his own. He only made it this far by clinging to their name.

This deal... you’re pushing him into a fire. Once the truth comes out, he’s finished."

Sierra had been silent this whole time, but finally spoke up.

"Lancaster, maybe we shouldn’t push so hard. Maybe we lower the price a little, so we don’t make an enemy out of him."

Her tone softened, realizing she might’ve been too forceful. "We don’t want to destroy him over this."

But Veil didn’t even respond. He looked at her for a fleeting second—expression unreadable—then turned back to Joseph without a word.

"Uncle Joseph, what happened today stays between us. If word gets out... the deal’s off."

And with that, he rose and walked out—never once looking at Sierra again.

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