Winning Her Heart back (Emelie and William) novel Chapter 897

"The famous Amelia Denning. She was the savior of the Filo family, a legend in both Faldorian nobility and business circles, and my personal nightmare. And I mean that literally, not in quotation marks. She was a real nightmare," Yennifer said with a slight smile.

Since her return to Faldoria as Yennifer, it was rare to see her so serious. Normally, she was extravagant, flamboyant, and lived in a whirlwind of indulgence.

However, she began to recount her past. "A genius doesn't realize the gap between themselves and ordinary people. They assume everyone can keep up with their brain that works at the speed of a computer, and they think anyone who can't is useless. My mother was the same."

"She was born a business machine. I've never seen anyone like her. Whether it was her sharp business instincts, her exceptional ability to control a situation, or her decisive and masterful tactics, she was astonishingly brilliant.

"I even think that, in all of human civilization, there are very few businesspeople who could compare to her."

Yennifer shrugged. "So, naturally, she thought that I, who at 12 years old still couldn't memorize a business theory book thicker than the Orford Dictionary, was an idiot with an intellectual disability. I mean, come on, I was 12 years old! I couldn't even read all the words yet."

The guests chuckled in response. Some in the audience still remembered that legendary woman and nodded in agreement. She was indeed a formidable presence in the Faldorian business world.

Yennifer sighed. "I spent my childhood under her angry and disdainful gaze. Who could endure that?

"Well, I couldn't. So, at 18, on a rainy night, I packed my bags, took everything I owned, and ran away.

"I went to Capebatt City in Cedonia, enrolled in a university there, made friends at my level, and experienced a normal learning environment. That's when I realized that studying wasn't so scary. I woke up happy every day, and I even had the time and energy to fall in love. With a poor guy."

When she mentioned that man, Yennifer's eyes sparkled, outshining the crystal chandeliers above.

"His name was Xander Pierce," she said.

In the crowd, Emelie's eyes trembled. After 28 years, that name was finally spoken aloud again.

The media, all part of the Filo Group, had been briefed in advance. Their cameras flashed continuously, capturing every moment.

Yennifer glanced at Emelie and then looked toward another corner of the banquet hall.

Wesley hadn't appeared in public all day, but he hadn't left the Denning Residence either. He was there, listening as his mother slowly unveiled the old story.

She continued, "Most of you here probably have never heard of Xander, and that's understandable. He wasn't famous back then either.

"But I loved him so much that I was willing to marry him, have his children, and defy my mother's wishes. I was even willing to leave the Filo family to be with him.

"My mother was furious. In her plans, someone as useless as me could never support the Filo family, so she intended to arrange for me a capable and talented husband.

"This man had to be a nobleman, or at the very least, someone from a powerful family—definitely not a poor guy who couldn't even afford a car.

"She even believed that my relationship with a poor man was shameful and disgraceful for her... Perhaps she'd already seen me as her disgrace from the moment I couldn't memorize that book at age 12."

After that, there would be a falling action. If one made it through, they would have a happy ending celebrated with flowers. If they didn't, it would be a tragic one that separated them.

Yennifer's eyes glistened as if tears were gathering. "Out of nowhere, things took a turn. One of Xander Group's construction projects collapsed, killing dozens of workers."

Most of the guests had never heard of Xander, but a few knew the name. When they heard Yennifer mention him, they realized that things were about to take a turn for the worse tonight.

However, what could they do? This was the Filo family's domain, and everyone here was a guest of the Filo family. Could they rush to the stage and grab the microphone from Yennifer? Could they cover her mouth to stop her from speaking?

None of that was possible. So they could only watch helplessly as she brought up that old case in front of a room full of elites, the cameras, and the general public watching from home.

Yennifer continued her story, "It was an accident, truly just an accident. Xander Group compensated the workers' families as much as they could.

"However, like a lion wounded in the jungle, the moment he showed weakness, the hyenas lurking in the shadows swarmed in all at once. They plotted and schemed together to take him down.

"They tore him apart, feasted on his body, divided up his territory, and went after his family to wipe them out."

Yennifer gritted her teeth and said slowly, "Xander's secretary, his subordinates, his business partners—they all conspired with his competitors, setting him up step by step, sending him to prison, and eventually to the execution ground.

"Just like that, he died, and the Pierce family was gone."