Chapter Three
Laughter echoed in the marble hall.
Margaret clutched her stomach as if Adrian had just told the funniest joke in the world. “A Supreme Black Card? You? Don’t make me laugh, Adrian. You probably picked that up off the street. Do you even know what that card means?”
Sophia leaned against her mother, smirking with venom. “Brother-in-law—oh, I forgot, ex brother-in-law—you’re really shameless. That card is the highest level in this bank. Only nine exist in the entire world. Do you think a dishwasher like you even qualifies to look at one? If the true owner finds out you’re parading around with their card, they’ll skin you alive.”
They cackled together, their voices shrill and cruel, echoing off the polished walls. A few onlookers even began to whisper, shooting Adrian pitying, mocking glances.
But Adrian’s expression didn’t waver. His grip on the card was steady, his eyes cold as ice.
“This card…” he said slowly, his voice like steel, “was not obtained illegally.”
Sophia rolled her eyes, her lips curling. “Please. Stop pretending. What did you do—scam some old lady? Steal it from a real member’s wallet? Men like you survive only by leeching off others. I don’t even want to stand near you. What if I get dragged into your fraud case?”
Margaret sneered, her voice sharp as a knife. “Elena did well to divorce you. Imagine the shame if word spread that my daughter’s husband was a thief pretending to be powerful. Guards! What are you waiting for? Arrest this man!”
The security guard smirked, eyeing Adrian up and down.
“Supreme Black Card? Hah! More like Supreme Black Joke. Look at you—your shoes alone couldn’t even buy coffee in this bank. Hand it over, dishwasher boy.”
The second guard snorted, doubling down.
“Forget dishwasher—he looks more like a stray dog who wandered in here. Hey, mutt, where did you dig that card up? Out of the trash?”
Sophia laughed so hard she had to wipe her tears. “Perfect! Stray Dog Cole—that’s exactly what he is. Trying to pass himself off as a lion when he’s not even a house cat.”
Margaret sneered, her voice cutting. “Don’t bother arguing with him. Parasites always think they can disguise themselves if they wrap in gold. But no matter how you polish garbage, it’s still garbage.”
The guards stepped closer, grinning with contempt.
“Come on, garbage man, stop wasting our time. Before we throw you out like yesterday’s trash.”
Adrian didn’t move. His silence only made their ridicule louder.
Just as the guards reached for him—
“STOP!”
The voice cut through the air like a whip. Heels struck the marble floor, commanding, deliberate. Every head turned.
From the bank’s grand entrance emerged a woman in a fitted black suit, her beauty dazzling, her aura suffocating. Senior Director of the National Bank—Catherine Moretti. One of the most feared and respected figures in the financial world.
Her eyes locked onto the card in Adrian’s hand. The moment she saw it, her breath hitched.
“The Supreme Black Card…”
The guards froze mid-step. Catherine’s face twisted with fury. She stormed forward and without hesitation, slapped the nearest guard across the face. The sound cracked through the hall.
“You blind fool!” she spat, her voice ringing like thunder. “Do you even know what you were about to do? This is the highest-level card in existence. There are only nine in the entire world! Each belongs to a titan who can shake nations with a single command. And you dare to lay your filthy hands on its holder?”
The guards paled, trembling. The one who had been smirking dropped to his knees, his teeth chattering.
“You’re fired!” Catherine’s voice was cold as ice. “Get out of my sight before I have you blacklisted from every financial institution in the country!”
The crowd gasped. Murmurs spread like wildfire. The Supreme Black Card…? This nobody had it?
Margaret’s face twisted, but she quickly stepped forward, forcing a smile.
“Director Moretti, you must be mistaken. That man is Adrian Cole, a useless jobless man my daughter took pity on. He can’t possibly own a card like that. He must have stolen it! Call the police at once and have him arrested!”
Sophia chimed in, her tone dripping with arrogance. “Yes, Director, you should listen to us. This man is a parasite, living off my sister for years. There’s no way he has the qualifications to even breathe the same air as the owner of that card!”
Catherine’s expression darkened. She turned her gaze on them, her words slicing sharper than a blade.
“Shut your mouths.”
Margaret stiffened, her face blanching.
“You dare insult the holder of a Supreme Black Card in my bank? Do you understand what that means? The owner of this card is not someone who ‘loses’ it on the street. Such a thing is impossible. For him to be holding it now… his identity is far beyond anything your petty bronze card can even dream of.”
Sophia faltered, her lips trembling. “B-but—”
Catherine’s voice lashed out again.
“Enough! From this moment forward, both of you are permanently blacklisted from this bank. Your bronze cards are revoked. You have no qualifications to step foot in this hall again.”
The two women froze, their faces drained of all color. “What?” Margaret gasped. “You can’t do this—”
“Can’t?” Catherine’s eyes burned like fire. “I can—and I just did. Get. Out.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Margaret and Sophia, once so smug, were now trembling, humiliated in front of everyone.
As for Adrian—he stood tall, the Supreme Black Card gleaming faintly in his hand, his cold eyes unreadable.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
