Chapter 19: Don’t Regret This

"Ha! If not me, then who? You? Do you even grasp what these tickets symbolize? They stand for stature and prestige!" Gavin Smith scoffed, his face dripping with derision. Henry was momentarily tongue-tied, regretting his silence to Sophie which let this insufferable opportunist exploit the situation. Faced with Henry's doubts, a hint of apprehension crept into Gavin Smith's heart. Yet, he was certain that a humble guy like Henry, who couldn't even afford a basic ticket, couldn't possibly be behind these exclusive passes. As Henry braced to retort, Sophie stepped in, "Mr. Smith, please take back your concert tickets. I'm swamped lately and won’t be attending." She swiftly grabbed her purse and headed out, pausing momentarily, “Henry, are you coming or not?” At the exit, she glanced back, her gaze icy, beckoning him. Hurrying, Henry grabbed a ticket and trailed after her. "I know you're fond of Ava Evans. So, go enjoy the concert," he murmured, handing her the ticket once they were in the car. Sophie stared at him, irritation evident. "You’re fine with me accepting gifts from other men?" It was obvious that Sophie had rebuffed Gavin Smith primarily because of Henry. Yet here he was, seemingly contradicting himself by accepting the tickets. "Erm..." Henry scratched his head, chuckling awkwardly, "It just seemed like a rare opportunity. And, are you sure those tickets are from Gavin Smith?" "What are you insinuating? Do you know who sent them?" Sophie's face was a mix of confusion and annoyance. "Honestly, I don't. But given their exclusivity and Gavin's influence, I doubted he could get them. Regardless, you should attend the concert," Henry hastily justified. Sophie was livid, "Henry, are you even a man? You want me to attend a concert with another guy?" He remained silent, which only infuriated Sophie further. "Fine, I'll go. But remember, you asked for it!" She pressed the gas pedal, and the car sped off. ... Elsewhere, after a severe thrashing, Theo Roberts managed to wring out ten million from his father, handing it over to Joseph Mitchell. The sizable sum seemed to brighten Joseph's mood considerably. Yet for all his financial losses, Theo's animosity towards Henry only intensified. He vowed retribution. "Grandpa, Henry and Sophie Mitchell plotted against Theo and me. You must stand up for us!" Ella Mitchell implored, seizing the momentary goodwill from Joseph. Joseph responded calmly, "I'll address this. Right now, the priority is our collaboration with Royal Entertainment Media Group. However, with the company's recent change in ownership, I'm unsure about our agreement." With self-assured grace, Ella responded, "Don't fret, Grandpa. I'm headed there now to negotiate. You're aware of what I bring to the table, right?" Joseph nodded approvingly, "If you seal the deal with Royal Entertainment Media Group, I'll consider your entry into the Mitchell Corporation board." Ella's eyes sparkled. Membership to the board was an immense step up in their corporate world. Amongst their generation, only she had made it to such a prestigious rank, intensifying her rivalry with Sophie. Motivated by this potential elevation and armed with the contract, Ella confidently approached the Royal Entertainment Media Group. But her enthusiasm was met with icy detachment. Betty Wilson, without so much as a glance at the contract, declared, "Our collaboration with the Mitchells is over." Flustered, Ella quickly responded, "Ms. Wilson, we, The Mitchells, approach this with sincere intentions. Can you not be so hasty in your judgment?" "Can't you understand? I said the contract is off!" Betty Wilson retorted without sparing Ella a glance. "Ms. Wilson, didn’t we have a verbal agreement with Royal Entertainment Media Group? Now you're just backing out?" Ella, who had been daydreaming about her upcoming board seat moments ago, now felt like she had plunged into an icy abyss. The sharp contrast was too much for her to handle emotionally. Without acknowledging Ella's distress, Betty signaled for security. Before Ella could grasp the situation, two guards escorted her out of Royal Entertainment Media Group’s premises. Back home, Joseph Mitchell, along with family members, had been waiting to celebrate the anticipated contract signing. The unexpected turn of events cast a gloom over the gathering. "What happened? I thought this was a sure thing," Joseph inquired coldly. Ella replied, her voice filled with grievance, "Grandpa, I truly did my best. But their new vice-chairman wouldn’t even look at me. In the end, they had security escort me out." Seeing the opportunity, Theo Roberts interjected, "Grandpa, should I give it a shot?" Joseph nodded, "You mentioned knowing some top executives at Royal Entertainment Media Group. We need this contract, Theo. Nail it, and The Mitchell will be indebted to you." "Leave it to me, Grandpa. You just wait for the good news," Theo replied confidently, leaving The Mitchell residence and heading straight for Royal Entertainment Media Group. To Theo's dismay, he found that his contacts had been ousted from the company, making him uneasy about his chances. "The Mitchell? Some low-tier clan thinking they can collaborate with us at Royal Entertainment Media Group? Do you really think any Tom, Dick, or Harry can approach us for business?" After Theo introduced himself, Betty Wilson responded dismissively, not even bothering to look his way. Challenging her stance, Theo retorted, "Ms. Wilson, I concede that compared to Royal Entertainment, The Mitchell might not match up. But combined with The Robert's influence, you might want to reconsider." Betty didn't waver. "Threatening me? You're out of your league. Tell The Mitchell, if they want to negotiate, they should send Sophie Mitchell to talk." Mention of Sophie's name darkened Theo's face instantly. "Sophie Mitchell? She conspired with her good-for-nothing husband against our family. She's been cast out!" Without waiting for Theo's explanation, Betty's demeanor changed abruptly. "Security, escort him out!" Before Theo could complete his sentence, he found himself forcibly removed from the premises, humiliated and angered. The news of Theo's eviction from Royal Entertainment reached The Mitchell, and it was like a cold bucket of water to their faces. The Robert family had substantial clout in King City, and if Theo couldn’t get it done, they felt they had no other options. In a fit of frustration, Daniel Mitchell, looking at his crestfallen daughter and future son-in-law, declared, "Humph, we don't need that contract. The Mitchell will flourish regardless!" "Shut up! What do you know?" Joseph snapped at Daniel and turned to Theo, "Did Royal Entertainment say why they won't cooperate with The Mitchell? Did they mention any conditions?"