At the Heavenly Haven Hotel (Triple H), both the interior and surroundings were brightly illuminated. Security was tight and heavily enforced. Luxury cars filled the premises—hardly any vehicle was worth less than a million dollars.
Soon, the presidential convoy drove through the President's private driveway to his official parking lot. Over a hundred presidential and ex-presidential motorcades were parked, and more than two helicopters hovered in the sky, keeping watch.
Triple H was the finest hotel in the country and ranked among the top ten best hotels in the world. It was a personal property of the Rutherford family.
For over twenty generations, it had retained its glow and prestige, constantly renovated with every new modern system that emerged. No other hotel could rival it—not because of its ownership, but because it truly met the highest standards. It offered warmth and comfort to its guests, with world-class chefs capable of preparing dishes to suit tastes from all over the world. Yes, it was truly a haven.
Sebastian Rutherford wasted no time. As soon as the door to his car opened, he stepped out and walked briskly. Ashton Lincoln watched his lonely figure disappear into the President's private elevator and sneered disdainfully. She picked up her phone, dialed a number, and spoke just two words as soon as the call connected: "In my suite." Then she ended the call, stepped out of her car elegantly, and followed the same direction as Sebastian.
Inside the President's private suite, Sebastian sat with a majestic aura. The air was suffocating as his subordinates reported in detail.
"Yes, we've been watching the two suspicious men and the lady closely. They haven't made any moves, so we didn't take action."
Sebastian nodded in understanding and quietly waved the subordinate away. The man bowed slightly and exited. Sebastian sneered, visibly disappointed, and murmured to himself:
"Ashton Lincoln, you've disappointed me time and again. I thought you would change if I treated you well. But I was wrong. Now that your conspiracy has failed, will you come at me directly?"
He let out a bitter laugh and shook his head, allowing the hurtful tears to fall freely, uncaring of his image. He thought to himself:
"In my entire life, I've never failed—except in love. And that hurts more than all the joy I've found in my achievements."
"Why, Logan Howard? You didn't just take my mother—you stole my woman too."
Unable to hold back, he buried his face in his palms and wept bitterly. Then he walked to the washroom, washed his face, and stared at himself in the mirror.
"I'm sorry, Ashton. I can't do this anymore. I know the only reason you've endured my presence is because I always meet your demands. But I'm certain—after tonight, our story ends."
He closed his eyes tightly, fists cracking with tension. He took a deep breath and uttered the most painful and sorrowful words:
"So be it."
He wiped his face with a towel and walked out.
---
In Ashton's private suite, she paced nervously, calculating her next move. Nolan Rutherford, her son, sat quietly on the couch, deep in thought, his face dark and dangerous.
"Mom…"
"Son…"
They spoke at the same time and paused, exchanging glances. Ashton sighed and asked:
"Do you have any more ideas? Because with this level of security, all our plans have obviously failed."
Nolan sighed heavily and nodded. "I have another idea, but I'm not sure it will…"
"Don't dawdle. Just say it," Ashton urged impatiently.
Nolan curled his lips mischievously. "Unless Seb changes his mind and decides to go against his father. But even then, the chances of that working in our favor are slim. We couldn't capture the boy or his sweetheart to use as leverage against Sebastian and the old man. But we can tarnish his image and make him disliked by the people."
He leaned forward. "After all, do you think that boy will be happy being the heir and future president of the Republic of Beguisra without his beautiful woman?"
Ashton squinted her eyes and looked at him curiously. She sat beside him and asked:
"How do you plan to do that? Because even if you or I offer him anything, he won't accept it."
Nolan waved dismissively. "I'm not planning to offer him anything. He'll have to toast the officials and presidential cabinet members."
Ashton's eyes lit up. She nodded and pointed at him.
"You have a point, son." Then she declared with fury, "That boy's misfortune and pain will forever be my joy and comfort!"
Nolan nodded in agreement. "Yes—the entire Rutherford family's pain."
She nodded again, stood up, and looked down at him.
"Let's go toast the guests. You must control your emotions and behave properly to leave a good impression on everyone out there. That way, they'll support you and want you to take over the office after his scandal. Leave everything to me."
Nolan nodded, stood up, and walked out ahead of her.
But no one knew Nolan had his own plans. He went straight to orchestrate them before elegantly stepping into the hall—only to freeze in place as he heard the whispers of the audience.
"What's going on with the President's household?"
"Isn't Nolan the eldest and the First Lady's favorite—the President's rare gem?"
The hurtful remarks stung his ears. Then someone suddenly exclaimed excitedly:
"Wow! Look!"
"Isn't Diamond Rutherford so manly and sexy? Who on earth is the lucky girl who won the heart of this god of beauty?"
All attention shifted to the direction the woman was pointing. Gasps of admiration, jealousy, hatred, and excitement erupted in the hall.
Diamond Rutherford stood elegantly with a microphone in his left hand and a bouquet of roses in his right. A smile never left his lips as he watched Claire Wyatt walking toward him, step by step, until she stopped just an arm's length in front of him.
Still in shock, she looked at him and smiled shyly. Diamond chuckled lightly at her adorable expression and handed her the bouquet of red roses. As soon as she accepted them, he looked at her slim, tall figure—perfectly poised—and the most beautiful and attractive face he had ever seen.
Suddenly, his expression turned serious.
"Claire Wyatt, many women out there are beautiful, but you surpass them all. You're not only beautiful—you have a heart of gold. You were there for me when I felt alone. When darkness surrounded me, you showed up and became my light."
"Thank you for being there for me. Thank you that I met you. Thank you for being part of my life. Yes, I'm selfish—because I want more. I want you to be completely part of me for as long as I live. Not only in this world, but also in the one to come."
Then, he suddenly went down on one knee and brought out a small, elegant red box from the inner chest pocket of his custom-made white suit. He opened it in front of her, looked up at her expectantly, and said:
"Claire Wyatt, please… marry me."
Claire nodded happily and excitedly as tears of joy flowed freely. She cried and laughed at the same time. Diamond helped her wear the ring, then scooped her off the ground as he stood up, spun her around joyfully, and kissed her.
A loud applause followed.