Transmigrated into Eroge as the Simp, but I Refuse This Fate-Chapter 42: What did you do!

Celia's grip on her phone tightened, the dim glow of the screen still illuminating the last message from NeroV. But her focus had already snapped to the man standing before her.

Victor Everwyn.

Chairman of Everwyn Research Lab. The man whose name carried weight across industries, whose mere presence could make men twice her strength hesitate.

Yet—

For all the power he held, for all the commanding presence he exuded—Celia felt no fear.

Because despite his influence, his achievements, his status—he was not a combat-type Awakened.

He couldn't make her body tremble in fear with raw strength.

He couldn't make her breath hitch from a violent aura pressing down on her.

No.

What he could do—what he had always done—was suffocate people mentally.

The sheer weight of his presence. The precision of his words. The way his cold, calculating gaze could pierce through a person, reducing them to nothing but a variable in his grand equation.

It was a psychological pressure.

And tonight, it was crushing down on her like never before.

Celia's emerald eyes flashed with irritation, her fingers still gripping her phone.

"What happened?" Her voice was cold, clipped. "And why, exactly, are you barging into my room like this, Father?"

Victor's eyes narrowed. His lips pressed into a thin, sharp line, his expression unreadable.

Then, he spoke.

"What did you do, Celia?"

Celia scoffed, shifting slightly in her chair. "That depends. What exactly do you think I've done?"

Victor exhaled sharply, as if barely containing his frustration.

"I just got a call from Dominic Elford."

The moment those words left his mouth—

Celia's entire body went still.

Her fingers froze mid-motion. Her breath slowed.

And then—

Her emerald eyes narrowed.

Dominic Elford.

The head of the Elford Family. The man who controlled more wealth than most nations. The true source of the power that her father had been so desperate to secure.

And the father of that disgusting waste of a man.

'What?'

A call from Dominic Elford? Now, of all times?

What could possibly have made her father react like this?

Victor's next words answered that question.

"Dominic informed me that the engagement is nullified."

Silence.

For a moment, Celia simply stared at him.

Her brain processed the words—understood them perfectly—and yet, there was a fraction of a second where they simply did not register.

And then—

A sharp, unsettling realization crept into her mind.

Something had happened.

Something big.

And Damien—that pathetic bastard—

He must have done something utterly insane for Dominic Elford to personally make such a declaration.

Celia's thoughts swirled in rapid succession, each possibility crashing against the next, none of them making sense.

Nullified?

Her engagement to Damien was over? Just like that? Without any warning?

Her mind raced through every scenario, trying to piece together what could have possibly led to this. Had Damien himself been the one to call it off? That seemed unlikely—he was too much of a spineless idiot to take action on his own. But Dominic Elford? What reason could he have to sever the engagement so abruptly, with no explanation?

Her father's sharp gaze bore into her, his expression unreadable yet expectant. He was waiting for her to explain. To take responsibility.

"What happened, Celia?" His voice was firm, but there was something laced beneath it—concern. No, not concern for her. Concern for what this could mean for him.

She straightened, refusing to let any uncertainty show in her posture. "I don't know what you're expecting me to say," she said coolly. "I didn't do anything. Did Dominic Elford say why?"

Victor exhaled, pressing his fingers against the bridge of his nose before shaking his head. "No. He only said the engagement was nullified. No explanation, no negotiation. Just a statement."

Celia's nails lightly tapped against the armrest of her chair as she considered this. That wasn't like Dominic Elford. He was a businessman before anything else, the kind of man who rarely made hasty decisions without securing something in return. Cutting off an engagement like this, so cleanly, so suddenly—there had to be a reason.

Her father let out a slow breath, the tension in his shoulders visible as he stepped away, running a hand through his graying hair. "Damn it…" he muttered under his breath, his usual composed demeanor slipping for a fraction of a second.

Celia tilted her head slightly, watching him. "This troubles you," she remarked, her voice smooth but probing. "Why?"

Victor shot her a sharp look, but after a moment, he sighed. "Because this isn't just about you and Damien," he admitted, his voice quieter now, as if speaking the words aloud made them all the more damning. "Our company—Everwyn Research Center—has been working with the Elfords for years. But the truth is, our business with them is almost entirely one-sided. We provide research, yes, but compared to their other investments, we're nothing."*

Celia already knew this. Everwyn Research wasn't a giant in the field—it was stable, but hardly a powerhouse. The only reason they had expanded, the only reason they had secured certain projects, was because of Elford money.

Victor continued, his tone laced with irritation, "It's thanks to Dominic Elford's funds that we've managed to grow to this stage. We've been riding on that support, and up until now, it was fine because he was willing to meet our demands. Even when I pushed a little further than I should have, I knew I had the engagement as security."

Celia's fingers curled slightly at that. She had always known that her engagement to Damien wasn't about love. But hearing it laid out so plainly, so transactionally, left an unpleasant taste in her mouth.

"And now…" Victor's voice trailed off, the weight of the situation settling over him.

Now, there was nothing holding Dominic Elford back.

If he wanted, he could pull every last investment.

He could crush Everwyn Research without breaking a sweat.

And they would be powerless to stop him.

Victor Everwyn stood rigid, his fingers already moving to dial the number. His expression was taut, his jaw locked in barely concealed frustration, but Celia could see the underlying desperation in his movements. He wasn't just frustrated—he was cornered.

Celia remained seated, arms crossed, her gaze cool and unreadable as she watched her father bring the phone to his ear. She had no intention of speaking first, but she would listen. There had to be an answer to this, and she intended to hear it directly from Dominic Elford's mouth.

The line rang once.

Visit freёnovelkiss.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience.

Twice.

Then, with a sharp click, the call connected.

Dominic Elford's voice came through—calm, measured, but carrying the kind of cold authority that made it clear he was not a man to be questioned.

"Victor."

That was all. No greeting, no wasted pleasantries. Just a single name, spoken with the weight of someone who had already decided the conversation was beneath him.

Victor cleared his throat, his grip on the phone tightening. "Dominic, this is sudden. Too sudden." He kept his voice level, but there was an edge of urgency beneath it. "We need to talk. You can't just announce something like this and expect us to simply accept it."

Celia watched, her fingers lightly drumming against her armrest. Her father was a skilled negotiator, but even she could hear the difference in his tone—there was a plea there, barely restrained beneath his carefully chosen words.

Dominic's voice remained unmoved. "You seek answers, and those answers will come soon."*

His words were clipped, absolute. He wasn't explaining—he was stating.

Victor exhaled sharply, his patience thinning. "Then tell us now." His tone dipped into frustration. "Surely you don't expect us to simply stand by while you cut off an arrangement that has been in place for years. What is the reason for this?"

Celia's emerald eyes narrowed slightly. Yes. The reason.

That was what mattered.

What could have possibly happened for Dominic Elford to make such a move without negotiation? What could have forced his hand so decisively?

The line was silent for a beat.

Then, Dominic spoke.

"It was Damien's own decision."