Seeing that I remained silent, Rowan smirked and pressed on. "Don’t be too down just because you lost Lilith. Sure, you’ll never get the chance to drive Thorne’s Bugatti, but I own a Bentley worth over two million. I wouldn’t mind letting you take it for a spin, at least then you could say you’ve driven a luxury car before."

I let out a faint smile. "With my job, I doubt I’ll ever get the chance to drive a luxury car in this lifetime."

What a joke.

If I drove a luxury car today, by tomorrow, headlines would be plastered all over the internet: City Official Overseeing Belmond District 4 and Old Town Development Spotted Driving a Luxury Car.

"You’re surprisingly self-aware," Rowan sneered.

I met his gaze with a calm smile. "I only dropped by to check in on everyone. Now that I have, I won’t take up any more of your time. I’ll be leaving now."

With that, I turned to go.

But before I could take a step, Rowan, following Thorne’s silent cue, stepped in front of me, blocking my way. He shoved my shoulder roughly, a sneer curling at his lips.

"Where the hell do you think you’re going? If Thorne hasn’t told you to leave, you stay put."

At 1.85 meters tall and with a strict fitness routine, I barely moved, but the sheer audacity grated on my nerves.

Thorne smirked, his tone laced with amusement. "Don’t go just yet, Cassius. Lilith will be here later. Don’t you want to see her?"

"She never mentioned she was coming," I said instinctively.

Rowan let out a mocking laugh. "Like she’d tell you. Lilith is now a big name in Lawson's opera. I can’t even add her on WhatsApp. Only someone like Thorne has the connections to stay in touch. What makes you think you mean anything to her?"

"Actually, Lilith is my wife. We already have kids, twins, a boy and a girl."

"And I work for the city government," I continued. "I oversee the development of Belmond District 4 and the renovation of the old district."

I laid my cards on the table. Not to flaunt, not to fight back, but simply because I was tired of being ridiculed.

The moment the words left my mouth, silence fell.

Then, laughter erupted.

They laughed so hard they had to wipe the tears from their eyes as if I had just delivered the punchline of the century.

"You’ve got some nerve spouting that kind of nonsense!" Rowan sneered. "Now, I really can’t let you leave!"