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During lunch, the mood improved, and people relaxed.

To most of them, it was not the first time to see that someone got punished like this and they actually appreciated that Steve didn\'t make a big spectacle out of it. No one likes unpleasant situations, and Steve dealt with everything swiftly and decisively, the guilty ones left, and the others could enjoy their time.

Several elders approached Steve and praised him for handling the situation well. Steve knew that they are gloating because they will get some of Travis\' ports, and that means more money, but Steve still accepted their words with a smile.

In his mind, Steve was planning how to divide ports so that the balance in power is maintained, and for him to keep the biggest piece without making them suspicious. Of course, he has no intention of returning those ports to Travis in twelve months. Steve will talk to Jeff about this later. Since Steve took over the Long family, Jeff\'s role in his life morphed from an employer to mentor and Steve is grateful for all the support Jeff is giving him.

No one wanted to bring up the topic of Samantha and several youngsters attempted to make friends with Corey and Merve when people moved to the lounge and the access to the garden was available.

Merve saw Allen and Julius standing with stern faces while observing the crowd. They looked unapproachable with a hint of danger, and Merve wished to be one of them. It\'s much better than standing in a delicate peach-colored dress and smiling at the people whose practiced smiles are making her uneasy.

At some point, Corey led Merve further down the garden in search of privacy.

"How are you doing?" Corey asked.

"If not for you by my side, I would scream for help." Merve admitted.

Mischief danced in Corey\'s eyes as he pulled her closer to him.

"I love your screams… Especially when they sound like my name…" He whispered close to her ear.

Merve felt heat assaulting her cheeks. Since when is Corey so naughty? She had to remind him: "There are people nearby and they can see us."

Corey chuckled and hugged her tightly. "I can\'t wait for this to be over, and we find privacy. I still owe you morning cuddles. Do you want to go back to my place after this?"

Merve closed her eyes and took a deep breath while allowing his scent to fill up her lungs. She hummed in agreement as a response because cuddles sound wonderful. The morning was hectic with Hande and the guys barging in and Merve didn\'t have any time to process the fact that she spent the night together with Corey, in his embrace.

They heard footsteps as someone was approaching, and Merve squirmed out of Corey\'s hold.

"Corey…" Cassie called. "Did I do good?"

Corey saw that Merve stiffened and he didn\'t want to give her any reason to doubt him.

He put his arm around Merve and pulled her closer to him before responding to Cassie: "You didn\'t do anything."

"Aww… you can be such a meanie." Cassie said in a whiny voice.

Merve could not stand Cassie. How dares she flirt with Corey? "Watch it, or the next lunch will be held at your place. We can start the process by me slapping you right here."

Cassie pressed her lips into a line, and she didn\'t dare say anything else as Corey and Merve walked away.

"Why are you pushing your luck?" Anabella asked Cassie with disapproval obvious in her voice.

Cassie turned to the side and blinked while wondering, from where did Anabella show up? When she approached Corey and Merve, she didn\'t see anyone else nearby.

"Is there a better timing than now?" Cassie asked innocently. "Corey is high on this victory, everyone is supporting him, and it\'s obvious that he is in a good mood."

Anabella scrutinized Cassie. "How did you survive so far? THEY are high on victory, everyone is supporting THEM, and you are risking to spoil Merve\'s mood, which means that Corey will not be happy either. And you just saw how someone who messed with them ended up. Is it possible that your intelligence is so low and you couldn\'t understand that Merve threatened you with slapping and that your family will lose assets if you keep on acting coy with Corey?"

Cassie pouted. "Why are you mean?"

"I\'m not mean. I\'m telling you what it is. You either smarten up or stay away from me. Samantha tolerated you because she needed a lackey, but I don\'t need someone to run my errands so if you are a liability, I have no problems distancing myself from you." Anabella gave Cassie a knowing look. "Maybe puppy eyes and a pitiful act work on your parents, but we are not kids anymore. Keep doing that shit and you will bring your whole family down…"

Cassie frowned. "What\'s in it for you? Are you some ambassador of goodwill and getting along?"

Anabella burst into a laugh. "My motivation is to survive. Only a fool would think that staying on their good side will not be beneficial. Read the mood, Cassie… Corey and Merve are on their way up, supported by some of the biggest families in the region and they will need people they can rely on."

"So… you are doing this for your own benefit?"

Anabella looked at Cassie like she said something silly. "Aren\'t we all doing things for our benefit? You can see that they take care of their own; even threir bodyguards got a seat at the table. If I manage to get inside that circle, my future will be bright."

Cassie was not sure what to think about this. Is Anabella calculative, or smart? Probably both.

…

Sarah approached Gabriel and handed him a USB stick.

"These are all the assets under Travis\', Rachel\'s and Samantha\'s names as well as their aliases. You can compare it with what he gives you tomorrow."

Gabriel put the stick in his pocket. "Thanks."

Victoria watched the exchange and she waited for Sarah to move out of the earshot before asking: ��What do you think about her?"

Gabriel didn\'t understand. "Her?"

Victoria clarified: "Sarah. And Aiden."

"Uhm… I\'m not sure what you mean. I knew them before they started dating in college and I can tell you that they are not to be underestimated."

"Why do you say so?"

"Look at them. What do you see?"

Victoria didn\'t see the point of that question. She observed Aiden and Sarah, standing next to each other as Corey and Merve approached them. Aiden\'s hand rested on Sarah\'s waist and they looked… natural. "I see a couple. They seem to be getting along well. Nothing special."

"Do you remember my graduation? Aiden gave a speech."

Victoria took a few seconds to respond. She forgot about it. "It was a ridiculous speech."

Gabriel chuckled. "Yeah. Instead of giving a regular Valedictorian speech, he decided to use that stage to convey to Sarah how much he loves her. Aiden is not afraid to break the rules in order to make Sarah happy. Do you remember that they came to visit me in the hospital, after my car accident?"

Victoria cleared her throat. How can she forget that? "There was another girl with them."

Gabriel ignored the comment about Vivian, because she is not important. "No one other than my closest family and you knew where I was, and they walked in to visit me like I\'m in a regular room of the General Hospital. And even now, Sarah gave me information on all the assets Travis and his family own. Do you remember how they dance?"

Victoria shrugged while her irritation swelled due to Gabriel\'s questions. "They are good dancers, so what?"

Gabriel shook his head, indicating to Victoria that she missed the point. "They move as one and are able to tune out everyone else while enjoying each other\'s proximity."

"Will you get to the point?"

"My point is that Sarah and Aiden are reckless, resourceful, surrounded by loyal people, and the two of them share unconditional trust. And I honestly hope that you didn\'t ask me what I think about them because you are planning to do anything that might provoke them." Gabriel paused and observed Victoria\'s expression keenly. "Vicky, don\'t do something we will regret."

Victoria gritted her teeth. He is warning her not to do something THEY will regret? How come he gave his position and support to Steve without asking her? How Victoria sees it, Gabriel already did several things that she is regretting, and he never asked her for permission. But she knows not to bicker in front of all the people present so she forced a smile. "Of course, not. I was only curious about your opinion…"

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