Chapter 277: Declaration Of War!

Unbeknownst to Vincent, a faint smile appeared on Harvey Adams’s face. Moments ago, when Jack had practically turned himself into a lapdog in front of Phil Hernandez, Harvey had felt a surge of anger.

As descendants of a proud people, welcoming foreign guests with warmth was only natural. But that was different from eagerly lowering yourself at someone’s feet.

Were the British born superior? Did being British automatically make them better than everyone else? Because that was exactly how Phil Hernandez was being treated.

The situation had completely reversed.

Harvey, who had received patriotic education from a young age, couldn’t help but nod in satisfaction. ’That’s more like it.’

People should have confidence in their own culture and civilization. They shouldn’t spend their entire lives looking up to others simply because they came from somewhere else.

Unfortunately, some people had been on their knees for so long that they had forgotten what it felt like to stand straight.

While Luca continued chatting casually with Phil, the people from Maison Premier approached their table again. Their attitude, however, was completely different from before. The arrogance was gone. They were noticeably more restrained.

"Mr. Hernandez, we’ve prepared a seat for you near the front. Would that be acceptable?" After a moment, Vincent managed to put a smile back on his face.

Phil hadn’t explicitly cut ties with Maison Premier yet. There was still a chance to repair the situation.

As for Jack, he had already been sent to the entrance to welcome members of the Stones family.

Originally, the Denim family had planned to use the joy surrounding the engagement to secure a double victory. The engagement would strengthen their alliance with the Stones family, while Hernandez Finances would provide the investment Maison Premier desperately needed.

Instead, Jack had managed to ruin everything with a few careless words.

’What an idiot.’

But there was no point settling the score now. The priority was calming Phil down. Unfortunately, after what had just happened, Phil had already decided that Maison Premier was not worth dealing with.

He didn’t even acknowledge Vincent. Instead, he remained seated beside Luca, making his position perfectly clear. Emily, who had been standing nearby, immediately understood.

"Mr. Denim, you should attend to your own guests. Mr. Hernandez is currently discussing highly confidential business matters with Mr. Hale. Please don’t interrupt."

Luca and Harvey exchanged glances. Even the usually reserved Arabella couldn’t stop a faint smile from appearing on her lips.

’Mr. Hernandez’s secretary certainly knows how to make things up.’ Luca and Phil had been casually chatting this entire time. What trade secrets could possibly have been discussed?

They had even been talking openly in front of Vincent. Yet somehow, the moment Emily said it, their conversation had become a business secret. Did she really think the famous Vincent Denim was deaf?

Vincent’s face flushed, then turned pale again. His expression grew increasingly ugly. He needed Hernandez Finances. He needed their money, their technology, and their connections.

But being rejected over and over again only made his anger harder to suppress. "What right does a mere secretary have to speak on behalf of Hernandez Finances?"

Bang!

Phil slammed his palm against the table and shot to his feet.

He hadn’t been listening to anything Vincent had said, but the contemptuous tone was impossible to not catch.

Whatever the man had said, it clearly wasn’t respectful.

"It seems Mr. Denim doesn’t welcome us." Phil’s voice turned cold. "In that case, there’s no reason for us to stay."

He glanced toward Luca. The meaning was obvious. He was waiting for Luca to decide whether they should leave.

Luca rose with a faint smile. "You’re right. This place isn’t very interesting anymore." He glanced around the table. "Let’s leave. We can organize our own gathering."

The others immediately stood as well. They had no reason to stay.

Just as Luca was about to leave, Vincent’s voice rang across the hall. "Arabella! Is this the man you chose? He doesn’t know the first thing about manners!"

The atmosphere instantly became tense. Even when the major families of Capital City fought behind closed doors, they usually maintained a superficial level of courtesy in public.

Luca had just torn that courtesy apart.

Vincent had expected Arabella to consider the Windsor family’s reputation and compromise for the sake of appearances. Instead, she looked at him without the slightest hesitation.

"Vincent Denim, you’ve spent so many years pretending to be a gentleman." Her voice was calm, but every word carried weight. "Aren’t you tired of pretending?"

"You..." Vincent’s face turned ashen.

The woman he had loved for years was now willing to openly stand against him for another man. She hadn’t even considered protecting the dignity of the Windsor family by backing down.

"And another thing." Arabella’s expression hardened. "I already told you not to call me Arabella. Call me Miss Windsor."

Vincent stared at her for several seconds. Then he laughed.

"Good. Very good." His laughter was cold, and there was nothing friendly in his eyes. "Since you’ve decided to tear away the last bit of civility between us, then don’t blame me for what happens next."

He straightened his clothes. "From this day forward, the Windsor and Halloway families will be lifelong enemies of Maison Premier."

He deliberately made the declaration in front of everyone. And he wouldn’t have dared to do so without something to rely on.

The alliance with the Stones family alone would bring enormous benefits to Maison Premier. More importantly, Luca’s Hale-Viv Conglomerate was based all the way in New Orleans.

’Distant water cannot put out a fire nearby.’

Even if Hale-Viv had the resources to support the Windsor and Halloway families, Luca still had his own empire to develop. He couldn’t pour everything into Capital City.

And if Hernandez Finances was no longer an option, Vincent would simply take Summit Capital instead. He would make his comeback.

One day, he would force the Windsor and Halloway families beneath his feet.

His gaze shifted toward Luca. "And you, Luca." His voice became colder. "As long as Maison Premier exists, your Hale-Viv Conglomerate will never be allowed to establish itself in North America."

If Hale-Viv were Luca’s only business, that threat might actually have carried some weight. Unfortunately for Vincent, it wasn’t.

Luca merely shook his head. "You’re quite good at making threats." His tone was almost amused.

Then his gaze swept across the hall. A moment later, a formally dressed man and woman walked toward him in full view of everyone.

"Boss!" They spoke in unison.

The surrounding guests immediately looked over.

"Are those two executives from Hale-Viv?"

"I think so."

"No, I recognize them. I just exchanged business cards with them earlier."

Vincent’s expression changed the instant he heard them call Luca "Boss."

He didn’t recognize the man. But he recognized the woman.

He had personally made sure she was properly received when she arrived because she had been carrying an invitation from Summit Capital. And now one of Summit Capital’s senior executives was standing beside Luca.

Not only that, she had addressed him as her boss.

Vincent’s face gradually turned pale.

’How is that possible?’

He had been so confident.

He had even planned to personally meet the mysterious owner behind Summit Capital and secure their investment. Yet the person controlling Summit Capital was standing right in front of him.

Luca.

The very man he had just threatened.

And if the woman represented Summit Capital...

Then who did the man beside her represent? A terrible possibility suddenly crossed Vincent’s mind.

His eyes widened.

The cooperation between the Windsor family and Northstar Real Estate Company had always gone suspiciously smoothly. At the time, Vincent had simply assumed the Windsor family had negotiated an unusually favorable deal.

But what if that wasn’t the case?

What if...

He looked at Luca in horror.

Luca met his gaze. Then he smiled.

It wasn’t a friendly smile.

"Go back and have Northstar Real Estate Company and Summit Capital issue a joint announcement." His voice carried clearly across the hall.

"From today onward, every company currently cooperating with Maison Premier has three days to terminate those agreements." The guests fell silent.

"Anyone who refuses will not only lose Summit Capital’s investment. They’ll also have to deal with pressure from both Northstar Real Estate Company and Summit Capital."

Luca paused. His smile disappeared.

"And if I discover anyone pretending to comply while secretly continuing to support Maison Premier..." His eyes swept across the crowd. "I won’t show them any mercy."

The words weren’t loud. But they struck the hall like thunder. Silence lasted for only a few seconds, then the entire banquet erupted into an uproar.

Everyone understood what had just happened. This was no longer a disagreement between a few wealthy families. A full-scale business war against Maison Premier had begun.

And Luca had just fired the first shot.

"Let’s go." Luca waved casually and turned away.

He reached for Arabella’s hand and led her toward the exit.

For once, Arabella didn’t resist. She simply followed beside him, staring at his back in a daze.

President of Hale-Viv Conglomerate.

The mastermind behind Northstar Real Estate Company.

The person controlling Summit Capital.

And the owner of Hernandez Finances.

’My man...’

A faint blush crept across her cheeks.

’How can you possibly be this incredible?’