Chapter 5: The Scurr family was doomed!

Words : 2346 Updated : Dec 11th, 2025

Zerton International Hotel. Men and women in their finery laughed and chatted as they streamed inside. Right then, a convoy of a dozen black luxury cars glided up to the entrance. The Rolls-Royce in front stopped, and the driver hurried over to open the door. Murphy Scurr stepped out first, instantly drawing every eye. A heartbeat later, Maria Scurr and Asher Jauncy came down side by side. Maria wore a champagne mermaid gown whose clean lines traced her figure to perfection. Her makeup was exquisite yet restrained, and the calm sweep of her gaze carried the commanding aura of a CEO who ran the whole boardroom. Even with Asher dressed plainly beside her, she looked utterly at ease. She slipped her arm through his, composed as if she were standing in her own home. "Mr. Zorn, that guy is Asher Jauncy!" Juliana Yale cooed, tugging at Harris Zorn's hand when she spotted them not far away. She had already spilled her grievances with Asher in the car. Harris turned a disdainful look toward Asher. "Wearing rags and still daring to stand with Zerton's number-one beauty. This kid doesn't know his place." He had planned to move against the Scurr family tonight, but even Harris struggled against Maria's allure. If she hadn't been a dead woman walking-tsk-a hundred Julianas wouldn't match a single finger of Maria Scurr. Juliana saw the way his eyes lingered and went rabid with jealousy. She deliberately tugged her neckline lower and purred, syrupy sweet, "Compared to you, Mr. Zorn, Asher Jauncy is just a pile of mud." Only then did Harris slide an arm around her waist and let out a cold chuckle. "What's the rush? They'll be crying soon enough. Let's go in." Juliana bit down on her lip and nodded, already savoring the thought of Maria Scurr making a fool of herself. Crystal chandeliers blazed in the ballroom. Servers carrying trays wove through the guests. Murphy led Asher and Maria inside. The rowdy hum fell off by a shade. People with wineglasses drifted up to greet them, though their eyes kept circling back to Asher. "Mr. Scurr, you're looking well tonight!" "Ms. Scurr is stunning. And this is…?" Maria did not answer. She merely dipped her chin in polite acknowledgment. Asher looked unconcerned. His gaze slid, casual, through the room. At that moment, the heads of the other Three Major Families approached together. "Mr. Scurr." "Mr. Scurr." Their tone was superficially polite. Murphy exchanged a few pleasantries with them, then cut straight to the point. "There's a serious matter I need to discuss with you tonight. My granddaughter Maria's Frostbane has never been fully eradicated. Lately, thanks to Mr. Asher Jauncy's treatment, it finally improved. But to remove it completely, we still need Warmthborne Jade as an aid." He paused, looking at the three with clear expectation. "Warmthborne Jade is the common property of the Chamber of Commerce. Per the rules, the heads of the four families must sign together to take it out. I'd like to ask the three of you if we could borrow the jade for the Scurr family's use. The Scurrs are willing to inject $100 million into the Chamber's fund." At the mention of Warmthborne Jade, Andrew Zorn, Cody Looske, and Kevin Warth shared a glance, tacit understanding flashing in their eyes. They had come planning to pick a fight with the Scurrs; they hadn't expected Murphy to serve up the perfect pretext himself. Warmthborne Jade would do nicely to crush the Scurrs tonight. Before the others could speak, Andrew Zorn stood, swirling the wine in his glass with open mockery. "Mr. Scurr, that's out of line. Warmthborne Jade is the Chamber's treasure, not the Scurrs' private asset. Plenty of families tried to borrow it over the years and were refused. Why should you be an exception?" Cody Looske chimed in at once, even harder. "Mr. Zorn's right. Ms. Scurr's illness is the Scurrs' private matter. How can you plug that hole with a communal treasure? Besides, our elders said only cultivators can use the jade. That kid doesn't look like any legendary cultivator to me. If Warmthborne Jade suffers a mishap in his hands, how do we answer to the Chamber's forebears?" "Exactly. What kind of cultivator is that young, and dressed like a beggar?" Kevin Warth sneered, then steered the talk straight into a power grab. "Mr. Scurr, you've gone senile. You can't tell public from private. How are you fit to be Chamber of Commerce President? Step down and let someone we nominate take the position. At least they won't treat the Chamber's treasure like personal favors!" The Three Major Families sang in chorus, using Warmthborne Jade as a cudgel to force Murphy to cede power. They cared nothing for whether Maria lived or died. They wanted to pull the Scurrs off the president's seat and carve up the Scurr holdings while they were at it. Murphy's face went dark, his hands trembling. The four families had long been united in name only. He had expected trouble from the Three Major Families, but he hadn't expected them to go straight for his title without leaving a shred of room. Just then, Maria took one step forward. "Gentlemen, my grandfather offered fair compensation for borrowing Warmthborne Jade. How is that 'plugging a hole'? As for the Chamber of Commerce President's seat, my grandfather is doing just fine. Since when did it become yours to fill with a nominee?" Her words landed like iron. Her gaze swept across them, pressure rolling off her in waves. Even the heads of the Three Major Families felt their momentum falter under Maria's presence. Luckily for them, this woman was in poor health and wouldn't live long. Andrew Zorn's smile turned icy. "Maria, don't talk so big. Frostbane has hounded you for over a decade. Not even Doctor Sun, the famed miracle healer, could help. You think this nobody can cure you?" "Whether I can be cured isn't for Chairman Zorn to decide," Maria said calmly, refusing to bicker with them any further. But the Three Major Families clearly had no intention of stopping. Seeing Murphy refuse to yield, Andrew Zorn shot a look into the crowd. A young man in a gray suit hurried out, voice anxious. "Grand-Uncle, please don't force this!" Murphy's pupils tightened as he stared at the newcomer. Surprise flickered across his face. "Ramon? Why are you here? And why are you standing with them?" The young man was Ramon Scurr, the grandson of Murphy's younger brother. Murphy's brother had died early. Murphy had raised Ramon like his own grandson. He sent him abroad to study business and, upon his return, made him a vice president in a Scurr company. He had never thought Ramon would be mixing with the Three Major Families-and picking this moment to stand up against him. "Why can't I be here?" Ramon's voice carried accusation. He even jabbed a finger toward Asher, shouting, "You only ever care about Maria! I've done so much at the company, and you never gave me a word of praise! Maria is on her last legs, yet you want to borrow Warmthborne Jade and waste resources, dragging the Scurrs down with you!" "You brought in some pauper to put on a show and think he can save Maria? Stop dreaming!" He grew more agitated with every word. "Mr. Zorn and the others said that if I stand up, the Scurr family will be under my control from now on. They'll back me! You should retire early and enjoy your remaining years!" "You ungrateful little wretch!" Murphy shook all over, slamming his cane onto the floor. "I wasted all these years raising you!" He truly hadn't imagined that the nephew's grandson he had brought up himself would stab him in the back at such a critical moment. Ramon dropped the act completely and gave a cold laugh. "Old geezer, you think I don't know I'm just your spare? If Maria were healthy, there'd be no place for me in the Scurrs. I'm taking what belongs to me." Members of the Three Major Families grinned, pleased. Andrew Zorn clapped, posture steeped in triumph. "Mr. Scurr, see? Even your own family says so. What more do you have to say? Tell you what-so we won't be accused of being merciless-if you're willing to give up the Chamber of Commerce President's seat and hand the Scurr family over to Ramon, we'll lend you Warmthborne Jade." "That's right. We agree," the other two heads chimed in. Warmthborne Jade was priceless, but it was a dead thing. Trading it for Murphy's fall would be worth it. Juliana watched from the side, her heart blooming with delight. Harris Zorn tightened his arm around her waist, smug. "See? I told you-the Scurrs won't escape tonight. Once Murphy gives in, I'll have Asher kneel and apologize. He'll learn what happens when he offends you." Just when the room thought Murphy would compromise, Asher stepped forward, placing himself between Murphy and Maria. His eyes swept over the three family heads with a hint of amusement. "The Scurrs do need Warmthborne Jade," he said. "But handing it over is also an opportunity for your three great houses." Murmurs exploded through the crowd.

Chapter 5: The Scurr family was doomed!

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