Page 8 of Addicted To His Favorite
Lucas, who had just re-entered the hall, froze in his tracks the moment he heard the announcement.
He’d been drifting along the edge of the crowd, drink in hand, still half-drunk. But now his grip tightened on the glass. His entire body went rigid.
His eyes locked on the stage.
The Eternal Grace Project?
Shock washed over him.
He had no idea the Empire Group would reveal it tonight.
The project had dominated industry whispers for months—rumors swirling about its grandeur, its cost, its secrecy. Everyone had been waiting to see who would take the lead. No one expected the project to be unveiled now.
Not tonight.
Especially not just an hour after Lucas had announced his own new line—Stars—on the very same stage.
And now Sebastian Graves? Leading it personally?
This was going to be a brutal fight.
And with the Empire Group being one of the largest and most dominant forces in the country, it wouldn’t just be tough competition—
It would be a death sentence if Stars failed.
The room fell into silence as Sebastian stepped onto the stage.
The announcer handed him the mic. “Mr. Graves, can you share the estimated budget of this project?”
Sebastian lifted the microphone with effortless confidence, his gaze cutting across the crowd like a blade, quiet arrogance radiating from every inch of him.
“It will be worth one billion dollars,” he said as his eyes swept over the audience. “And the very first piece from this collection—a $500 million exclusive—will be custom-designed for someone very special. Someone who will soon become an integral part of our Empire Group.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd like a wave. A man in a sharp tuxedo blinked twice, then leaned toward the woman beside him. She took a slow sip of her champagne, eyes narrowing.
“Did he just say $500 million for one piece?” the man whispered, shaking his head.
The woman set her glass down, lips pursed. “That can’t be right… can it?”
Across from them, a younger man with a cocky smile shrugged. “He’s serious. The Graves family doesn’t joke about money.”
Never in the history of the Empire Group had they made anything personally for any important figure in the world. Their brand was cold, luxury-focused, and meticulously distant from emotional ties.
More whispers followed, growing louder and more curious around their small cluster.
“I’ve never seen the Graves dedicate a piece to someone personally before,” a first man murmured, leaning closer to the woman beside him.
She glanced at him. “I thought they never designed for anyone specific?” The woman bit her lip, her fingers tightening around her glass. “Could it be for a woman?”
The man shrugged. “I’ve never even heard of the Graves brothers dating anyone.”
The younger man chimed in. “There are three brothers, right? Each one handles different businesses?”
“Yeah,” the first man said, nodding. “Haven’t you heard? The Empire Group owns practically everything—jewellery, real estate, tech, retail… each brother runs multiple businesses. Sebastian alone manages a chunk of Empire Group’s major holdings. Including the jewellery division.”
“I’ve never heard of any of the Graves brothers dating anyone in our circle. Have you? Are any of them married?” the woman asked, eyes flicking toward the stage.
“No, I guess? Sebastian is the oldest. He’s single. So must be the other two? They are very low-key. I don’t know for sure,” the man answered quietly.
