Chapter 200: Not Close? Those Three Words Crushed Them
The moment the words left her mouth, the entire reception hall seemed to fall silent.
The elegant woman standing at the front of the welcoming party took a respectful step forward before extending both hands politely.
“Good afternoon, Chairman Lucas.”
“My name is Lilith Kane, Vice President of Lanai Group.”
A trace of apology appeared on her composed face.
“I sincerely apologize.”
“We weren’t informed of your arrival until just a short while ago.”
“Otherwise, we would’ve been here waiting long before your boat docked.”
“I’m sorry we kept you waiting.”
The instant she finished speaking~
Every executive, department manager, employee, and bodyguard standing behind her bowed simultaneously.
“Good afternoon, Chairman Lucas!”
The unified greeting echoed throughout the entire terminal.
It wasn’t loud.
But it carried enough weight to leave everyone present frozen in place.
Lucas smiled faintly.
He casually raised a hand.
“Relax.”
“No need to be so formal.”
“We’re all on the same team.”
“I only got here a few minutes ago myself.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
His calm tone made it sound as though he was discussing the weather rather than accepting the greeting of hundreds of employees from a company worth tens of billions of dollars.
Lilith couldn’t help feeling slightly impressed.
Most newly appointed owners loved making a grand entrance.
Some intentionally kept everyone waiting just to establish authority.
Yet Lucas…
Didn’t seem interested in showing off at all.
He spoke naturally, without the slightest hint of arrogance.
It made everyone present subconsciously relax.
—
Unfortunately…
The same couldn’t be said for everyone else.
The Student Union members felt as though a bomb had exploded inside their heads.
“…Chairman?”
“…Lucas?”
“…The Chairman of Lanai Group?”
The boy who had been recording everything to upload to the campus forum completely lost control of his hands.
His phone slipped from his fingers.
Crash!
It hit the marble floor face-first.
Spiderweb cracks instantly spread across the screen.
But he didn’t even notice.
His eyes remained glued to Lucas.
His mouth hung open.
He looked as though his brain had stopped functioning altogether.
—
Bryce wasn’t much better.
His confident smile disappeared so completely that it was as if it had never existed.
His face turned pale.
His lips trembled.
“N-No…”
“That’s impossible…”
“It has to be some kind of mistake…”
He kept repeating those words under his breath, almost like he was trying to convince himself.
Only minutes ago…
He had confidently declared Lucas would be dragged back onto the ferry.
Now…
The Vice President of Lanai Group herself had personally led dozens of executives to welcome him.
The contrast was so overwhelming that Bryce felt reality itself had become absurd.
—
Standing beside Lucas…
Maya stared at him blankly.
Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.
For several seconds…
She couldn’t find her voice.
Finally…
She whispered softly,
“…Just how many things are you hiding from me?”
Her voice carried equal parts shock and helplessness.
She had already thought Lucas secretly owning the Bellagio Grand Hotel and Switch Live Streaming was unbelievable.
Those businesses alone placed him among the city’s elite.
But now…
She had just learned he also owned Lanai Group.
A company whose assets were approaching one hundred billion dollars.
It felt completely unreal.
Her thoughts drifted back to the first time they had met.
Back then…
Lucas had quietly cooked for everyone during that birthday gathering.
He had endured sarcasm…
Mockery…
Even humiliation…
Without arguing once.
Looking back now…
Maya suddenly found those memories almost laughable.
A man capable of buying an entire island…
Would naturally never care what insignificant people thought of him.
To someone like Lucas…
Buying a mansion worth over one hundred million dollars probably felt no different than ordering dinner.
She slowly looked toward Lucas’s side profile.
The afternoon sunlight fell across his face.
Calm.
Confident.
Steady.
For the first time in her life…
Maya genuinely understood what true excellence looked like.
Ever since she was little…
She had dreamed of becoming a successful businesswoman.
She wanted to build a company powerful enough that no one could ever control her future again.
That dream had driven her to work harder than almost anyone around her.
But today…
She realized the person standing beside her~
Had already reached a level countless entrepreneurs would spend their entire lives chasing.
Without realizing it…
The admiration in Maya’s eyes became impossible to hide.
If before she had merely liked Lucas…
Now…
That admiration had begun transforming into something much deeper.
—
Not far away…
Kristine stood rooted to the ground.
Her face was completely blank.
“…Chairman?”
“So…”
“They weren’t here to welcome Bryce at all…”
“They came for Lucas?”
The thought struck her like lightning.
Everything she had believed only moments ago had collapsed.
The luxurious convoy…
The executives…
The red-carpet treatment…
None of it had anything to do with Bryce.
The person standing at the center of all that attention…
Had been Lucas from the very beginning.
—
While the crowd remained trapped in stunned silence…
Lucas turned back toward Lilith with a relaxed smile.
“So…”
“You said you’re the Vice President.”
“That means Lucas’s gaze lingered on Lilith for a moment.
Outwardly, he remained perfectly calm.
Inwardly…
He activated the system.
A translucent panel instantly appeared before his eyes.
—
Personal Information
Name: Lilith Kane
Age: 35
Beauty Score: 9.8
Current Favorability: 30
Relationship Status: Single
Potential Rebate Multiplier: 100×
—
Lucas’ eyes narrowed slightly.
A 9.8…
The corners of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.
The system really knows how to reward people.
It hadn’t merely handed him ownership of an island worth tens of billions of dollars…
It had also left behind one of the most stunning women he’d ever met to manage it.
Lilith wasn’t simply beautiful.
She carried herself with an elegance that only came from years of success and confidence.
The tailored black business suit hugged her mature figure perfectly.
Her long legs, wrapped in sheer black stockings, seemed endless beneath the hem of her skirt.
Every movement she made radiated composure.
—
Lilith remained completely unaware that Lucas had already finished evaluating her.
She answered respectfully,
“The position of President has been vacant for some time.”
“I’ve been handling those responsibilities as Acting President.”
Lucas nodded thoughtfully.
“So you’ve essentially been doing two jobs.”
Lilith smiled politely.
“You could say that.”
Lucas didn’t hesitate.
“In that case…”
“Starting today…”
“Drop the word ’acting.’”
“You’re officially the President of Lanai Group.”
The executives standing nearby froze.
Several exchanged shocked glances.
No interview.
No board meeting.
No discussion.
The new owner had promoted Lilith within minutes of meeting her.
Even Lilith herself couldn’t hide the surprise in her eyes.
“…Chairman…”
Genuine emotion appeared on her usually composed face, she had dreamed of hearing those words for years.
When Lanai Group was first established…
She had returned from the United States after completing dual master’s degrees in Finance and Business Administration.
She had poured countless sleepless nights into helping build the company from the ground up.
Every major project…
Every financial restructuring…
Every expansion plan…
Her fingerprints were all over Lanai Group’s success.
Yet despite all that…
The former chairman had never intended to promote her.
The President’s position had always been reserved for his personal secretary.
An attractive woman with almost no management ability.
Fortunately…
Whenever real work appeared…
It was Lilith who handled everything.
In practice…
She had already been running the company for years.
Only the title had never belonged to her.
She had refused to play office politics.
She had refused to use her beauty as leverage.
She wanted the position because she had earned it.
Not because someone favored her.
Today…
After only a few minutes…
The new owner had given her exactly what she’d spent years chasing.
Lilith took a slow breath before bowing slightly.
“Thank you, Chairman Lucas.”
“I won’t disappoint your trust.”
The system immediately chimed.
[Ding!]
Lilith Favorability +5
[Ding!]
Lilith Favorability +5
[Ding!]
Lilith Favorability +5
Current Favorability: 45
Lucas smiled.
“Relax.”
“You don’t have to be so formal around me.”
“I’m not here today to inspect the company.”
“I’m here for a vacation.”
“So just help me enjoy the island.”
Lilith couldn’t help smiling.
“Of course.”
“I’ll personally arrange everything.”
She gave a subtle glance toward the security team.
The bodyguards immediately understood.
Without needing another word…
They respectfully stepped forward and took Lucas’s luggage, along with Maya’s bags.
Lilith then made an elegant welcoming gesture.
“This way, Chairman.”
As they walked toward the waiting convoy, she continued introducing the island.
“Lanai Island currently operates eight ultra-luxury five-star resorts.”
“The Ocean Crown Resort in the Beach District offers the finest accommodations on the island.”
“I’ve already prepared two Presidential Suites for you.”
“They overlook the private coastline.”
“The floor-to-ceiling windows face directly east.”
“You’ll have an uninterrupted view of both sunrise and sunset over the ocean.”
Lucas nodded approvingly.
“Sounds perfect.”
—
Unfortunately…
Someone else had heard every single word.
Bryce.
And the entire Student Union.
The students stared blankly as Lucas casually received treatment they couldn’t even imagine.
Two Presidential Suites.
The finest rooms on the entire island.
While they…
Were still hoping ordinary scenic rooms hadn’t already been booked.
Regret immediately spread through the crowd.
Several students quietly lowered their heads.
Only now did they realize how foolish they’d been.
If they hadn’t blindly followed Bryce…
They might’ve been standing beside Lucas right now.
Kristine bit her lip so hard it nearly turned white.
Penny could only sigh helplessly.
Meanwhile…
Bryce’s face looked as though someone had slapped him repeatedly.
His expression darkened so badly it almost matched the color of his suit.
He hurriedly cleared his throat.
“Ahem…”
“It’s not a big deal.”
“We’ll still get ocean-view rooms if we hurry.”
“Come on.”
“Let’s head to the hotel.”
Although he tried to sound calm…
His voice had noticeably stiffened.
—
Just then…
Lucas suddenly stopped walking.
He turned around slowly.
Every student’s attention immediately shifted toward him.
With a relaxed smile, he looked directly at the group.
“If the Student Union has any activities later…”
“Just give Maya a call.”
“I’ll bring her over.”
He slipped one hand casually into his pocket before adding with a grin,
“As for now…”
“She’s staying with me.”
The words weren’t loud.
But they landed like a bomb.
Bryce’s face instantly darkened.
His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Maya’s beautiful face flushed crimson.
She lowered her head shyly, but…
She never denied it.
She simply stood quietly beside Lucas, allowing everyone to draw their own conclusions.
That silent acceptance hurt Bryce far more than any insult ever could.
At that moment…
He felt like his heart had been ripped out and stomped into the ground.
—
Lilith blinked in slight confusion.
“Chairman…”
“Are these students your friends?”
“If you’d like, I can have the resort upgrade everyone’s accommodations.”
The moment those words came out…
Nearly every Student Union member held their breath.
Hope lit up their eyes.
They silently prayed Lucas would agree.
Instead…
Lucas answered immediately.
“No.”
“They can handle themselves.”
“We’re…”
“Not close.”
The students’ expressions froze.
Those simple three words…
Felt like invisible slaps across their faces.
Before anyone could recover…
Lucas casually looked toward Bryce.
“Oh.”
“Lilith.”
“Do you know him?”
Lilith followed his gaze.
She looked Bryce up and down for several seconds.
Then nodded.
“His father owns Titan Building Materials.”
“They’ve supplied materials to Lanai Group before.”
“He once visited my office to request several opening-day tickets.”
She paused.
“But personally…”
“I wouldn’t say I know him.”
“We’ve only met once.”
Bryce’s face instantly became even uglier.
All the prestige he’d desperately tried to create…
Collapsed with a single sentence.
He wasn’t an honored guest.
He wasn’t important.
To Lanai Group…
He was merely the son of a supplier.
Nothing more.
Lucas smiled with satisfaction.
He gave Bryce~and the rest of the stunned Student Union members~a meaningful glance before climbing into the limited-edition extended Rolls-Royce with Maya.
The convoy slowly pulled away.
Leaving behind dozens of speechless students…