NOVEL NEXT Chapter 832 Race
"Do you ever wonder why no one ever noticed that we married Ross Oakley, of all people?" Heaven asked one evening, a curious lilt in her voice.
They were out on what they liked to call a wives' date—just the five of them who had shared the same fate back in the House of Fortune before Ross swept them away.
By now, Ross's marriage list had grown to the dozens, a number so absurd that anyone else would have collapsed under the weight of that many relationships.
Naturally, smaller circles formed within the larger family, and this group had always been the tightest-knit.
It wasn't that they disliked the others—far from it.
Over the months, bonds had slowly been forming between all of Ross's wives.
But still, nothing could erase the unique connection forged between those who had endured the same walls, the same nights, and the same uncertainty before being taken into a life they never imagined.
The five of them sat on the terrace of a luxurious rooftop restaurant in the heart of the city, warm lantern light flickering across their faces.
Below, the streets glowed with color, laughter, and the distant hum of night markets.
Tianna leaned back in her chair, swirling the deep red wine in her glass before taking a slow sip.
"I don't know," she said at last, brushing a loose strand of hair from her cheek.
"Maybe Ross did something. He's super rich, after all. Guys like him… they have resources no one else in the world could even dream of, let alone compete with."
Lily gave a sly smirk. "Resources? Please. I think you mean connections. Ross probably has half the media under his thumb, and the other half too scared—or too well paid—to talk."
A ripple of knowing laughter passed through the table.
"He could," Cara admitted, her eyes drifting over the skyline as if searching for an answer there. "Sometimes I think people do notice… they just don't remember afterward."
That earned a collective pause.
For a moment, the sound of clinking glasses from other tables and the faint strains of music from the street below filled the silence.
Joan tilted her head, her tone more serious. "If that's true, then Ross isn't just rich. He's… something else."
The others didn't argue. They didn't need to.
All of them had seen Ross do things that no ordinary man—no matter how wealthy—should have been able to do.
And yet, sitting here under the golden lantern light, with the scent of roasted spices drifting up from the streets and the comfort of familiar company around them, none of them felt afraid.
If anything, the thought only deepened the strange sense of security they had come to feel in his shadow.
Heaven and the others were only just beginning to realize the extent of Ross's power.
The man they called their husband seemed to move through life effortlessly, solving problems that should have been impossible, and acquiring things that most could only dream of.
Every so often, they would catch glimpses of it—a casual word to someone that made them pale, a flick of his hand that turned a hopeless situation into a victory, a smile that carried the weight of absolute confidence.
What they didn't know, however, was that some of Ross's other wives had long been aware of his many remarkable abilities.
These women had seen firsthand the impossible feats he could accomplish, the enemies he could crush without lifting a finger, and the influence he wielded like a hidden blade.
To them, Ross was not just a husband—he was a force of nature, a man whose existence defied logic.
In time, Heaven and the rest would learn as well.
They would see with their own eyes the things he could do, the lengths he would go to protect them, and the terrifying scope of his strength.
They would adapt to the reality of living beside a man who was not bound by the same limits as others.
And when that day came, they would understand something they had never fully grasped before—how incredibly fortunate they were.
For they had not just married a man of wealth, charm, and mystery… they had married the most powerful man on the planet.
A man whose name alone could shake nations.
***
After finishing their meal, the five women strolled out of the restaurant and into the lively streets of Parkland City.
The afternoon sun bathed the cobblestone roads in a warm golden light, and the air buzzed with the sounds of merchants calling out their wares, the clatter of wagon wheels, and the aroma of roasted meats mixed with sweet pastries.
They wandered from stall to stall, admiring silks so smooth they slipped like water through their fingers, glittering hairpins that caught the sunlight, and exotic perfumes that lingered like whispered promises.
Their laughter flowed freely, drawing a few appreciative glances from passersby—after all, five beautiful women walking together was enough to turn heads anywhere.
It was during this leisurely shopping that Lily slowed her pace, glancing at the others with a hint of nervous excitement.
She tugged on a soft white scarf she had been holding, then spoke.
"Girls," she began, her voice just loud enough to be heard over the street noise, "I think I'm ready."
They turned to her almost in unison.
"Ready for what?" Joan asked, tilting her head curiously.
Lily hesitated only a moment before confessing, "I'm ready to have Ross's child."
Her cheeks flushed slightly, but there was a proud sparkle in her eyes.
"I've watched the others… and honestly, I'm jealous. We've been together for a whole year now, and I don't just want to be his wife—I want to give him something precious… something that's ours."
The words hung in the air for a heartbeat before one of the women grinned.
"I guess I'm ready too."
"Me too," another agreed, her smile turning mischievous.
"Same here," the last added with a playful shrug. "I don't think it will be that bad."