As they left the old Assex Manor, Spark looked admiringly at Bill, “Grandpa, I didn’t know you were so well connected that even Lord Lex is your friend. You even managed to help pull the strings for a billion dollars contract so quickly! No wonder you were confident that the old lady would accept our proposal!”

Bill shook his head and said, “The billion dollars contract had nothing to do with me.”

"Huh? Then didn’t you just say…” Spark questioned.

"I was merely going with the flow,” Bill interjected. “Fate has it to be our day. I didn’t expect the Assex family could do business with Thousand Miles Conglomerate. It seems that someone powerful must be helping them. It is a brilliant move for you to marry Dorothy. We might be able to connect with Thousand Miles Conglomerate through you in the future."

Spark smiled and nodded in agreement. The thought crossed his mind, who could be helping the Assex family? A billion dollars was no small sum. Could it be Alex? He quickly dismissed the possibility. In his mind, Alex was just a useless person; there was no way he could pull it off. After all, no matter who it was, his marriage to Dorothy was going to be finalized the next day.

At the other Assex villa, Lady Dorothy received notification that Thousand Miles Conglomerate had offered the Assex Constructions a billion dollars deal and had specifically requested her to handle the negotiations of the contract. She couldn’t believe it was real. After multiple confirmations, she finally accepted the good news to be true.

“Alex!” she thought. “He said that he is going to give me a big surprise! Could this billion-dollar contract be his doing?”

Lady Dorothy quickly went to the conference room to meet the representatives from Thousand Miles Conglomerate. It was as though a miracle had happened; the negotiations went in her favor easily. It was as if the contract was a deal that fell from the sky. Assex Constructions would be able to obtain at least twenty percent larger profit margins than usual, and the deal would total at least three hundred million in profit for Assex Constructions.

As Lady Dorothy managed to sign the contract before the anniversary banquet, it was without a doubt that she would be the top performer and would receive a large performance bonus.

The representatives from the Thousand Miles Conglomerate shook hands with Lady Dorothy, and said, "Thank you, Ms. Assex. The contract is set, I will take it back and go through the necessary process. It will be signed and stamped and be given back to you latest by tomorrow.

After bidding farewell with the representatives of Thousand Miles Conglomerate, Lady Dorothy felt as if she were in a dream. She immediately called Alex, “Alex, was that your doing? Is the billion-dollar contract from Thousand Miles Conglomerate the surprise you wanted to give me?”

Alex grinned and said, “Are the negotiations finalized? That’s great! I’ve owed you far too much over the past ten months. I will do my utmost to make it up to you. You’ll have my full support from now on.”

Upon hearing Alex’s words, Lady Dorothy broke down and cried, “Alex, I do not ask for much. As long as you remain positive in life and have the guts to keep on living, I would stay by your side no matter if we’re rich or poor.”

"I promise you!" Alex promised.

......

Meanwhile, the Assex family had also received the news that the billion-dollar contract had been successfully negotiated. They were extremely excited, especially when they learned of the various concessions Thousand Miles Conglomerate had made.

The old lady of the Assex family took a bath before saying a prayer to God.

Assex Constructions was worth around two to three hundred million dollars. This single deal had doubled their net worth. The Assex family would catapult from a third-rate business family to a second-rate business family, which meant that the outlook for the future of their business had just become much better.

In the courtyard of the old Assex Manor, a couple of young members of the Assex family juniors were gossiping.

"Dorothy actually managed to land the billion-dollar contract from Thousand Miles Conglomerate, I really don't know how she managed to get it," one said.

"I thought that I would be the top performer at this year's anniversary celebration, but this deal has totally changed the game!"

"Dorothy Assex, it’s all just because she’s a little pretty,” said Lady Emma Assex, the daughter of Anderson Assex, who had never taken a liking to Lady Dorothy.

"You know, she is a married woman… But only on paper!”

Madame Joanne walked into the yard at that very moment and interrupted them, "What wicked gossip are you guys spreading?"

Lady Emma replied, "Grandma, the billion-dollar contract sign by Dorothy is not due to her efforts, right? Thousand Miles Conglomerate took the initiative to come to us, and that is due to our brand and reputation. In fact, this deal should be credited to all of us who helped to build up the image of the company."

The old lady put her hand on Emma’s face and said, "Don't even think about it. This deal was brokered by the Rockefeller Family as dower for Dorothy.”

"The Rockefeller family? Hasn’t that trash Alex been driven out by the Madame Claire?" asked Emma.

"It's not Alex, it's the young director of Rockefeller Group, Spark Rockefeller!" Madame Joanne replied.

"What? Spark wants to marry Dorothy?!” Emma exclaimed in surprise. All the other young members of the Assex family laughed in unison.

Lady Emma murmured softly under her breath, "That b*tch Dorothy. She is really shameless and willing to do anything just to become the young lady of Rockefeller Group."

The old lady then said, "Emma, you go to the Ritz Carlton Hotel and raise the profile of our banquet tomorrow to a more luxurious level. This time, we will have a bountiful dinner for all our guests and build on the momentum to further the ambitions of the Assex family! We would also announce the billion-dollar contract between Assex Constructions and Thousand Miles Conglomerate."

The day flew by and Assex Constructions’ anniversary had arrived.

Madame Claire’s family had just finished their lunch. Madame Claire dropped the plates and utensils on the dining table and instructed Alex, “Clean up the table. Do not leave a single drop of food!”

Alex ignored her comment. He had already gotten so used to it over the past ten months.

"By the way, we will be attending Assex Constructions’ anniversary banquet in the afternoon. You don’t have to come. You’ll only bring shame to our family.”

Alex didn't want to go. The old lady of the Assex family Madame Joanne, didn’t like him at all. It would be very awkward if he did show up. Additionally, he would rather not see them as they were worthless in his eyes.

Lady Dorothy quickly chimed in, "No, Alex must go! Grandmother just gave me a call and asked me to make sure Alex comes along."

Madame Claire said, "Is the old lady off her medication?"

But since it was Madame Joanne’s request, she had to obey it. Madame Claire went up to her room to change into a more fitting outfit for the evening’s event.

The Ritz Carlton Hotel was one of the finest five-star hotels in California. They had a grand and retro design which looked magnificent. At half past three in the afternoon, the main entrance was already flying a huge banner that said, “Warm celebration–15 years of Assex Constructions.”

It was a grand event and many extremely famous and powerful guests arrived at the venue one after another. You see, Madame Joanne had let the news of Assex Constructions’ deal with Thousand Miles Conglomerate spread. Many were hoping to join in on the deal, while others showed up as a sign of respect for Thousand Miles Conglomerate.

When Madame Joanne saw that many of the rich and powerful were in attendance, she was extremely pleased.

At this time, Lady Dorothy’s family also arrived. Madame Claire dressed up elegantly, and she had the Love in the Fallen City necklace on.

Both Lady Dorothy and Lady Beatrice were also dressed elegantly; only Alex wore casual clothing, as if he were on a vacation.

As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the banquet hall, Lady Dorothy met Lady Emma.

"Oh, it’s the bride! You're actually late!" Lady Emma said with a teasing smile. "You are the starlet for the night! It's okay for you to be late, but why did you bring him to this banquet?"