In the grand hall of the McKinney family Mansion, all branches of the family had gathered, their faces reflecting the gravity of the situation. As Erica's uncle, the patriarch, stepped forward, an uneasy hush fell over the room."I am sure everyone gathered here knows the reason behind this meeting. The Rossi family has agreed to come to our aid, and they are willing to give enough resources that our financial troubles can be dealt with. But they do have an unusual bargain…"The gathering was waiting for him to explain further, and give his opinion on who the most suitable candidate was. But right then, Nancy, one of Erica's cousins, broke the silence;"Thank God! I know that at least I won't be the one to marry that ugly old man. You know, because I am already engaged to Victor! He is not only handsome, kind and intelligent, but he is quite well to do. And once we get married, his family can also help us out."She declared with an air of confidence, and her statement found favor amo

Standing at the center of this trial, Erica's doe- shaped eyes welled up with tears. In the middle of the collective mockery and disdain, she had hoped for a hero to step forward and rescue her from this living nightmare. Instead, all she had was Nate, who had also embarrassed her even more by making such an absurd proposal. Why did he have to come here, when she was already trying to make the best of the situation by negotiating with her relatives? Forget being her knight in shining armor, he had proven that he was nothing more than a clown?! Her hands tightened into fists as she tried to control her raging emotions, but her frustration and disappointment were carved on her face. These taunts and words were hurting her deeper than any physical wound. Meanwhile, the family members continued to mock Nate; "Have you finally lost whatever little brain you were unfortunately born with?" "I think you need to be reminded of who you are and which dirty hole you crawled out of! Is i

As Nate watched his wife and mother-in-law walk away, he felt a sense of urgency and anxiety. With every step, they were moving farther away from him, and he wanted nothing more than to run up to them and clarify the situation, so that the misunderstanding could be stopped right there. But at the same time, he knew there was no point in going after them, if they had already made up their minds about him. Most importantly, even if he narrated the whole situation regarding his grandfather and the dark stain of blame on his reputation, that had just been cleared up… what were the chances that they would believe him? What if they declared him as a crazy liar, just like their relatives had just dismissed his offer for help just some moments ago? Going to them and making such claims without having any proof in his hands was a recipe for disaster, as it would negatively impact his reputation and their trust in him. It was at this moment that a sudden idea sparked in his mind. He saw a

The smug smile on Justin's face was causing Nate's temper to rise. It was clearly his unlucky day today, because this leech named Justin had stuck to him today without any reason, and refused to leave him alone now. But he still managed to keep his cool. Instead of wiping that grin off of his face like he really wanted to, Nate cocked one eyebrow at the receptionist.With a sneer, he spoke up in a challenging tone;"Well, I could leave right now, if you really insist. But remember: you absolutely shouldn't beg me to come back later, under any circumstances."As soon as he said this, Justin burst out into laughter, dismissing Nate's statement with a condescending tone."What did you just say! Beg you? What a silly man you are! Hahaha, do you really think we will get scared on hearing this?" The receptionist, who was the primary audience for their exchange, shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She turned her gaze towards the ground, feeling a sense of second-hand embarrassment for Nate.

"No! Pleaseeee...please...." Justin squealed loudly as Nate was about to walk away from him and quickly pulled his hand away. He was crying hysterically from the fear of losing the only job he had. And at all costs, he would try to keep it even if he had to kneel pleadingly before Nate."It's useless. I can't help you not get fired," Nate said, rolling his eyes lazily. He looked at poor Justin who was crying nonstop. Clutching his arms with both trembling hands. It was obvious he was frustrated and terrified of losing his job."What do you want? I'll do it! Kneel at your feet and beg? I'll do it! But please, don't let me get fired. This is the only job I have. If I get fired, what will happen to me," Justin sobbed. He continued to hold onto Nate's arm despite his attempts to break free."That's enough-"Before Nate could finish his sentence, he was shocked with wide eyes when he saw Justin kneeling in front of him. With cries so loud they could be heard throughout the room. Heard by a