Chapter 10

Her willingness to marry Maxim wasn't driven by love; rather, it was because of his status.

Marrying him would help conceal her own identity and make her life easier.

Stefan gently patted her head, taking her hand and placing it in Maxim's palm.

His expression turned serious and authoritative as he looked at Maxim and said, "Right now, the power and prestige of the Gold family can't compare to that of the Konstantine family. By all accounts, this marriage is a stretch for us. But Tatiana is my precious girl. If you marry her and don't treat her well, I will make sure you pay the price, no matter what it takes!"

Both Tatiana and Maxim were taken abackby his gesture.

As their hands touched, their bodies instinctively stiffened, and the smiles on their faces turned awkward.

Maxim quickly regained his composure, gripping Tatiana's hand firmly.

He looked back at Stefan with a serious expression, his voice deep and magnetic. “Grandfather, you can rest assured. I will take good care of your granddaughter."

I won't let her out of my sight, and I will uncover her secrets.

Stefan smiled with satisfaction at her words, but Tatiana understood the unspoken message behind his silence.

She narrowed her almond-shaped eyes and flashed a radiant smile, saying, "Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’ll make sure to keep him in line and won’t let him do anything to hurt me."

The two of them exchanged a knowing glance, both corners of their mouths lifting in a shared understanding.

To outsiders, their exchange appeared to be filled with deep affection and intimacy.

Anna watched the scene unfold with growing anger.

She pulled a USB drive from her bag, a sinister gleam of triumph flickering in her eyes as she slowly made her way toward the control room at the back of the banquet hall.

"Tatiana, let’s see what you do this time!”

Seeing the closeness between the two, Stefan nodded in satisfaction.

Tatiana wore a smile on her face but was struggling hard to break free from Maxim's grip.

Maxim, however, seemed oblivious to her discomfort, continuing to hold her hand as if it were a soft ball of cotton, delicate and fragile.

He glanced back at his bodyguard and ordered, "Bring in the gifts I've prepared."

As soon as he finished speaking, the bodyguard stepped out.

When he returned, he was followed by dozens of similarly dressed guards, each carrying various sizes of wooden boxes.

Before long, the entire banquet hall was filled to the brim with gifts, leaving barely enough space for people to stand against the walls.

The numerous glittering items sparkled under the lights, dazzling everyone to the point of almost blinding them.

As the guests watched the treasures being brought in, gasps and murmurs filled the air—

"Isn't that the Queen of Magim? It just topped the world's most luxurious diamond list, valued at five hundred million! I can't believe Julian bought it! To see such a precious gem just casually displayed like this is infuriating!"

"What about that? Look at the crown at the bottom left! That's the one worn by one of the Queens at her wedding a hundred years ago! Its artistic and historical value can't even be measured in money, yet it's just lying there like trash."

"That box... I could see it from afar, filled with luxury car keys..."

“Look at that….. That's the necklace Master Green created before he went into seclusion. How can it be here?”.

And all of this was merely a betrothal gift from Maxim to Tatiana.

Not only were the guests stunned, but even Tatiana, who was used to the finer things in life, was taken aback by Maxim's extravagant gesture.

Her lips twitched slightly as she asked softly, "What does this mean? Are you trying to buy me off with money?"

Maxim glanced at her but didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Stefan and said, "These items are just my token of affection. I hope you can accept them, Grandfather."

Stefab smiled at him and tossed the question back, "This is for Tatiana. You should ask her if she’s willing to accept it."

Maxim looked at Tatiana, but before he could even ask, she nodded eagerly. Of course, she had no reason to refuse; who would turn down a good deal?

Both Stefan and Maxim couldn't help but smile at her greedy demeanor.

Just as everyone was enjoying the moment, the large screen in front of them suddenly lit up.

As the guests exchanged puzzled glances, the sound system in the banquet hall crackled to life, and Anna's voice echoed through the room—

“Maxim, since you insist on marrying Tatiana, then take a good look at what kind of person she really is! You’re going to regret not choosing me!”

The crowd gasped, turning their attention to Tatiana and Maxim.

Everyone expected Tatiana to be shocked, but to their surprise, she remained composed, a smile playing on her lips as if she had just heard the funniest joke.

Beside her, Maxim wore a cold expression, seemingly unaffected by the commotion.

Only Anna had a smug look in her eyes. She was eager to see if Julian would still want to marry Tatiana after discovering the truth about her.

At that point, all the dowry and everything else would belong to her.

Suddenly, the screen flickered to life, but before the video began, an unbearable and disgusting sound of moaning filled the room—

Suddenly, the screen in the banquet hall lit up with a shocking scene: a man and a woman tangled together on a bed without blankets, their bare bodies and suggestive sounds revealing exactly what they were doing.

The crowd stared at the screen in stunned silence, the room filled only with the awkward gasps of disbelief.

Connecting this to what Anna had said earlier, could this woman be Tatiana?

As everyone turned their astonished gazes toward Tatiana, the eldest daughter of the Phoenix family suddenly exclaimed—

"Isn't that Anna?!”