I Became The Novel's Biggest Antagonist

Chapter 35 How To Win Over Cattleya Starlight?

"I've never seen Travis this angry before," Aaron muttered under his breath, though a faint smile tugged at his lips.

He had known Travis for years—always the calm one, never losing his temper. But even Travis, with his unshakeable composure, seemed powerless against Ivan.

"Doesn't matter," Ivan said dismissively, his focus locked on the freshly signed contract in his hand. The agreement, drafted meticulously by Karna in a few minutes out of fear, now bore his signature, sealing a deal that handed over all rights to Karna's weapons.

Karna had a pained expression all the time, his head lowered.

It was as though he had just sold away not only his dreams, but those of his father, straight into Ivan's hands.

It was over.

"From now on, you'll make weapons for me, and only me," Ivan declared, thrusting the contract towards Aaron as if the matter were already long settled. "In return, I'll give you whatever you desire."

Karna stood in hollow silence, his eyes vacant.

Ivan's speech had turned strangely cold and he wasn't even speaking about the Cromwell family anymore.

But Karna no longer cared.

Sensing the lack of resistance, Ivan's eyes narrowed. "But on the slim chance, the foolish chance, that you ever think of betraying me, remember this—I won't lay a hand on you. No." His voice dropped to a chilling whisper, eyes black. "Your mother will be the one to suffer the consequences."

Karna's body trembled violently, his eyes widening in shock and fear as he stared at Ivan.

It was like looking at the devil himself.

There wasn't even a flicker of empathy in Ivan's gaze—just cold cruelty.

"And trust me," Ivan added, his tone dripping with menace, "Ritavac will be the least of your worries."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned his back on Karna, already dismissing him as an afterthought. "Shut down your stall," Ivan ordered. "It's worthless now."

With that, he strode away, Aaron following close behind.

...

...

"I deeply apologize for having failed you..." Aaron mumbled, trailing behind Ivan.

"Think before you speak next time, especially if you can't answer with composure," Ivan replied.

"I'll remember that," Aaron replied, humbled.

Despite the mishap, Ivan harbored no real anger towards Aaron. The encounter had drawn unwanted attention from Mordred and Theresa, but why should he be troubled by something so trivial?

After all, they were destined to be killed by his hand sooner or later.

"What will you choose, Lucas?"

Ivan's gaze shifted as he caught sight of Cattleya standing beside none other than Lucas Whiteford.

The two stood in front of the renowned weaponry company—[Griffin Industries].

Aaron scowled, already feeling that Jaxon's words were an insult to Ivan. "And why is that?" He asked, clearly annoyed.

Jaxon nearly burst out laughing at the question. "Why? Man, do you even know who Cattleya Starlight is? Even if your cousin's a Cromwell, she's out of his league."

Aaron scoffed, his protective instincts for Ivan flaring up even more. At this point, his devotion to Ivan was almost as intense as Ludomir's—though Ludomir would likely have ripped out Jaxon's tongue by now.

"Look, it's not just about family names," Jaxon continued, oblivious to Aaron's rising annoyance. "Your cousin doesn't have the looks, strength, status, charisma, or charm to match up to Lucas. The list goes on, y'know?"

Aaron clenched his fists, visibly fuming. He wanted to lash out and say that Ivan had all of those things—billions fold compared to Lucas—but he bit his tongue, holding back.

"You... bastard," Aaron muttered under his breath.

Before things could escalate further, Ivan stepped in. "Leave it, Aaron."

Ivan approached Jaxon.

"Then tell me," Ivan said bluntly. "What works for Cattleya Starlight?"

Jaxon blinked, momentarily stunned. Ivan's gaze had locked onto him with an intensity that made his casual bravado falter. For a brief moment, Jaxon felt something unsettling—an overwhelming presence that he called Charisma radiating from Ivan that even Lucas, with all his charm and status, could never hope to match in millions of lifetime. He had never felt this unsettled by someone's mere stare.

After a silence, Jaxon stammered, "A-Are you serious, man? You might be risking your life, you know? Her family doesn't mess around."

Ivan frowned slightly, not quite following where Jaxon's concern was coming from. He wasn't interested in Cattleya's family or their power—he only wanted to figure out how to get close enough to Cattleya to gain leverage. If this outgoing fool could offer some useful advice, it might make his plans easier. He wasn't here for romance; he was here for access.

But it seemed, Jaxon was misunderstanding him but Ivan had no intention to resolve it. Rather, he will let his misunderstandings as it will avoid suspicions concerning his objectives.

"I am serious."

Jaxon hesitated, scratching his head in confusion. "Even if you want to know... I don't know, man?" He shrugged helplessly. "I mean, she's got the perfect guy right beside her—what could anyone else possibly do? Lucas ticks all her boxes."

Ivan's eyes narrowed, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face as he turned away. "What a waste of time."

Jaxon, feeling an unexpected pang of guilt, bit his lip. He wasn't obligated to help, yet something about Ivan's reaction made him want to try. Ivan's disappointment had touched him more than he thought, and it pushed Jaxon to say something—anything.

"M-Maybe there's a way," he blurted out, not even sure where the words were coming from.

Ivan paused, glancing over his shoulder. "What?"

Jaxon swallowed, feeling the weight of Ivan's attention on him again. "I mean, maybe if you could show her something Lucas can't. Something that'd make you stand out. You know, not by competing with him, but by being... different?" He fumbled through the idea, unsure if it made any sense.

"..." Ivan remained silent, waiting for Jaxon to continue ùmaking only more nervous.

'Why the hell am I nervous?!'

"Look, man, Cattleya's surrounded by guys trying to impress her the same way—status, looks, power. Maybe if you come at it from another angle, she'll notice. Lucas can't offer her everything." Jaxon shrugged. "I don't know. Just a thought."

Ivan considered the words carefully, his expression unreadable. He wasn't aiming to win her affection, but he had to admit—coming at it from an unexpected angle might just be the key to getting her attention.

Or better yet, her trust but not the usual trust...

Soon enough Ivan found something that might work.

'Maybe I can just switch to him...'