Chapter 1903: Not Qualified To Participate

In the Baxrich detention center at Horington, Elektra calmly calculated the passing days. Roxanne's wedding day approached.

"Roxanne," she mused, "now that I'm here, I harbor no grudges. Thank you for helping me understand true love at the eleventh hour." Love, she reflected, was humanity's most precious luxury; physical attractiveness or power offered no guarantee of experiencing it. Elektra finally recognized Lucian wasn't right for her. Even choosing wrongly wasn't a failure; one simply continued searching. "Roxanne," she whispered, "I wish you a happy marriage from the bottom of my heart. I hope to make amends in the future. Lucian and I would have remained best friends if not for my obsession."

Suddenly, a prison warden yelled, "Elektra, step out! The lawyer wants to see you!" Her family had paid handsomely for legal counsel to secure a suspended sentence. Elektra, however, was unconcerned. She preferred remaining in detention, allowing the filth in her heart to slowly dissipate.

Meanwhile, aboard a battered fishing boat in Horington harbor, Christina glared at her bodyguard. "When will Mr. Goldstein return for me? I refuse to remain in hiding! How are my parents?"

The bodyguard, accustomed to her arrogance, calmly replied, "Please be patient. Mr. Goldstein is arranging things. He will collect you if his arrival is unhindered. Your parents are fine; Mr. Farwell isn't troubling them."

Anger bubbled within Christina. "This wretched failure! Lucian has so much to attend to, yet fixates on such a trifle! I hear Elektra turned herself in. How did Roxanne bewitch her? Is she attempting a fresh start? A joke! A failure like her wouldn't dare. Yet, perhaps it was a shrewd move, a strategic retreat protecting the Lane family. Otherwise, she would've ended up like me."

Her expression darkened. Soon, she complained about the cramped, humid conditions. "It's like living in a sewer!"

"Did you contact the person I mentioned?" Christina abruptly asked.

The bodyguard hesitated, then nodded. "We did, but they rejected the proposal."

"Rejected it?" Christina refused to surrender. If Elektra failed, she'd find another to help destroy Roxanne. Only one could win, and she was determined to be that one. She'd chosen Shawn Crawford, Lucian's northern competitor, but he'd refused to cooperate.

"Mr. Crawford's assistant conveyed a message. He said you shouldn't bother; he'll never collaborate. He even mentioned..." The bodyguard faltered.

"What?" Christina's brow furrowed. She hadn't expected such ingratitude. If Mr. Goldstein had revealed his identity, Shawn would've readily agreed, given Goldstein's business opportunities in Hawen.

"Mr. Crawford said that if you continued to bother him, he'd have you arrested and sent to Lucian. He said you are not qualified to participate in his competition with Lucian."

Christina's eyes widened, her face contorting in fury. "Who do the Crawfords think they are? They're nothing compared to Mr. Goldstein! Only he can rival Lucian. Damn it…"