2025-03-02 11:39:49“What’s so funny?” Damian snarled, his jaw tightening.
Ethan ignored him, the smirk still playing on his lips as he swirled the wine in his glass that a waiter had handed to him begrudgingly. Vanessa turned to Damian, lifting her chin to meet his gaze. In a low whisper meant to calm him, she said, “Don’t waste your breath on someone like him, babe. Today is for winners, not losers.” She glanced at Ethan before adding, “Besides, it’s good he’s here. At least he’ll get to watch you seal the deal right in front of him.” Damian chuckled, nodding in agreement before leaning in to kiss her. When she pulled away, she turned her attention back to Ethan, closing the space between them as she locked eyes with him. “Trash like you should know your place,” she spat, her voice dripping with disdain. “Just because you managed to sneak in with some cheap trick doesn’t mean you’re on the same level as Damian." She tossed her hair over her shoulder and let out a fake laugh. "Dream all you want. You can never be like him. You'll always be the insignificant worm you’ve always been.” Damian laughed, pulling Vanessa closer by the waist. "Once I get the chairman’s signature, you might as well kill yourself to escape my wrath—though I hope you won’t," he chuckled. Ethan’s expression remained calm, but the lingering smirk on his lips rattled Vanessa. "Quite the fantasy, Damian. But I wouldn’t sign it for you." Damian and Vanessa exchanged a look before laughing in disbelief. Turning to the guests with a grin, Damian said, "Did you all hear that?" He snickered. "He said he wouldn't sign the document for me." The hall erupted into laughter instantly after they had exchanged amused glances. “What a joke!” someone snickered. "He’s pretending to be the chairman of Aurelius Group? Does he think we are stupid?” “Someone throw this clown out!” Another voice jeered. "Yes!" Another affirmed. "This is impersonation at its peak. He needs to be punished severely for it!" Vanessa’s laughter rang louder. “Oh, Ethan, you never fail to embarrass yourself. This is beyond delusion.” Ethan met her gaze steadily. "And you always did underestimate me, Vanessa. But that’s nothing new." Before Damian could add another insult, the doors swung open again, and a tall man strode in. It was Mr. Lorenzo. He walked into the room with pride, making everyone to notice him right away. His gaze swept the room before he spoke. "I am pleased to confirm that the identity of Aurelius Group's new chairman will be officially announced today, adding a significant highlight to our agenda," he announced, his voice carrying across the hall. Whispers about it spread across the room immediately. Ethan smirked. Mr. Lorenzo had never met Ethan and did not recognize him. Damian quickly went to greet him. "Mr. Lorenzo, I'm glad you're here," Damian said in a very respectful voice. "I thought you weren't going to make it here very soon." "I had more important things to do," Mr. Lorenzo replied, barely looking at Damian. He looked around the room carefully. "Now, where is this troublemaker you told me about?" Damian, wanting to please Mr. Lorenzo, quickly pointed at Ethan. "Over there, sir. And he's been causing problems, even saying he's the chairman of Aurelius Group." Mr. Lorenzo looked surprised. "Really?" "What should we do with him?" Damian asked, hoping to do a favor for Mr. Lorenzo. "My family would be happy to take care of this problem for you, after all you've done to help us work with Aurelius Group." Mr. Lorenzo's face twisted with contempt as he approached Ethan, circling him like a predator toying with its prey. The crowd parted, creating a spectacle for all to witness. "So this is the nobody who dares impersonate the chairman?" Mr. Lorenzo's voice dripped with mockery. He reached out and flicked Ethan's suit lapel, deliberately leaving a smudge from his fingers. "Wearing a cheap knockoff suit to a prestigious event. Pathetic." He turned to address the onlookers, raising his voice for maximum humiliation. "Ladies and gentlemen, observe closely! This is what happens when the rats from the gutters try to dance among eagles." Mr. Lorenzo grabbed Ethan's wine glass and deliberately poured its contents onto the floor at Ethan's feet. "Did you honestly believe you could fool anyone of importance?" he sneered, his face inches from Ethan's. "People like you were born to serve, not lead. I can only imagine how ashamed your parents must be to have raised such a pathetic, delusional failure." The crowd erupted in laughter. Mr. Lorenzo soaked it in, his confidence swelling with every sneer and snicker. Vanessa let out a chuckle. "Ashamed? Please. That would require them to be alive. Their wretched souls are long dead and rotting in the dirt." Mr. Lorenzo snickered. "Really? Perhaps you're desperate to join them over there." He snapped his fingers in Ethan's face. "But first, you need a lesson you'll never forget." His eyes narrowed dangerously as he stepped back. "Break his leg," Mr. Lorenzo commanded, signaling to two burly guards who immediately stepped forward. "Break it slowly. I want to hear it snap." He adjusted his cufflinks with casual cruelty. "Let it serve as a warning to anyone else who dares to step above their rank. In this world, you either know your place—" he glanced around the room with a threatening smile, "—or we teach it to you." Vanessa crossed her arms, nodding in agreement. “Yes. Someone like him shouldn’t even be breathing the same air as us.” Damien grinned as the guards stepped forward, ready to carry out the command. Vanessa’s lips curled in excitement, savoring Ethan’s impending humiliation. But just as the guards reached Ethan, a sharp voice cut through the tension. "Touch him, and you'll regret it." The room immediately fell to deadly silence as Lara walked forward.
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She looked powerful and important. Her eyes were angry as she stared at Mr. Lorenzo. "Who do you think you are to try to hurt him?" she said angrily. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Mr. Lorenzo's face turned pale as he recognized her. His hand stopped in mid-air, and the guards quickly stepped away from Ethan. "Ms. Lara," he said nervously, no longer acting proud. "I didn't know you would be here tonight." People in the crowd started whispering to each other, looking confused. Lara was the famous General Manager of Aurelius Imperium Conglomerate. Why was she protecting someone like Ethan? "Tell your guards to back off, Lorenzo," Laura ordered in a voice that no one would dare argue with. "Now." Mr. Lorenzo quickly nodded and waved for the guards to move away. "There's been a mistake," he said, trying to save face. Damian and Vanessa looked at each other with worry. They weren't smiling anymore. "A mistake?" Lara laughed in a cold way. "I think the only mistake is tha
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The question sent a ripple through the crowd. "Wrong?" Damian sneered. "I know exactly who holds power in this company. And in a few hours, I’ll be sitting among the top tiers. You’re nothing but a nuisance trying to play a game you can’t win." Ethan chuckled softly, tilting his head with an amused glint in his eyes. "Are you sure about that?" For a brief moment, Damian’s confidence wavered, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. Vanessa let out a mocking laugh. "I told you, babe—it’s pointless wasting words on this nothing." With that, she turned her attention to the two guards standing nearby, her tone icy and commanding as if she held some authority. "Throw this dirty pig out. Right now!" The audacity. The guards hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances before their eyes flicked to Lara, silently seeking her permission. When they saw her expression—still unreadable—they shifted their gaze to Mr. Lorenzo, who gave a nod, greenlighting the order. As the guards took their
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The hall was deathly silent after Ethan announced that he was a VIP guest as confusion spread like wildfire among the attendees before whispers filled the air."A VIP?! Him? No way!""That has to be a mistake!""Wait… If he’s really a VIP, does that mean he holds more power than us?"Ethan couldn't help but smirk as he overheard their whispers.They all seemed reluctant to accept that he was no longer the person he used to be.Mr. Richard chuckled, trying not to offend Lara, and asked her if Ethan's claims were true.When she confirmed, "It's exactly as he said," the whispers intensified.Enjoying the moment, Ethan reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek black pen that his father had given him, its Aurelius Group insignia shining under the chandelier lights.The gasps of realization that followed were almost overwhelming."Wait… that insignia," a female director from another subsidiary of Aurelius Group exclaimed, pointing at the pen, her shock evident in her voice."Doesn't th
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"Mr. Ethan," Mr. Chen said, extending a hand with a confident smile.Ethan’s sharp eyes met his, and he took the offered handshake, his grip firm."I don't think you mentioned your name earlier," Ethan replied, smiling.Mr. Chen chuckled. "Chen... Chen Wei. A name you might start hearing more often. I believe we’ll be seeing each other very soon."Ethan studied him, noting the confidence in his tone. There was no arrogance, just certainty—like he already knew their paths were bound to cross."Hmm. Why are you so certain we will?" Ethan kept his brows furrowed, feigning confusion."Let's just say I recognize potential when I see it," Mr. Chen replied, taking a sip of his champagne."Besides, I think you and I could have some mutually beneficial conversations about the future."Ethan chuckled, tilting his head with a smirk. “I think you’ve got me confused with someone else, or maybe you just have a really skewed view of who I am.”“Have you forgotten that I’m just a broke nobody? I have
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Damian’s rage-filled eyes locked onto Vanessa’s, suddenly attentive. "This might be a test by the chairman," she clarified with a smile. "Think about it—this humiliation, this public spectacle. It's exactly how the old guard weeds out the weak. They push to see who breaks and who pushes back harder." "And maybe..." She tilted her head. "He wants to see how you'll manage the situation before deciding whether to sign the deal or not. From what I heard, the chairman has unconventional ways of approaching things." She traced a finger down his tie. "And we both know you’ve never been one to back down from a challenge, have you?" Her words penetrated the fog of his anger, and a slow smirk crept onto his lips. "That’s the only explanation for this. Because why else would Mr. Chandler, the manager from earlier, and that woman humiliate us all because of Ethan?" She added.He scoffed coldly, disgust creeping into his expression. "Ethan being the reason I was humiliated? How pathe
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Thinking Damian had turned the situation in his favor, Mr. Lorenzo hurried over with a desperate, almost servile smile. "Your name... it will echo across every corner of the world," he said, grinning eagerly."It's just a matter of time." He added.“Shut up.” Vanessa's voice was razor-sharp with disdain, her expression curled into a sneer."You are nothing but a useless leech, groveling wherever the wind blows.”Slowly lowering his arms, Damian shot Mr. Lorenzo a withering glare. "Look at you—now groveling for my help like a starving dog."Damian scoffed. "Have you already forgotten what you called me just minutes ago? A dead brain."Mr. Lorenzo's forced smile wavered as reality sank in. He had just blown his only chance of getting his job back—that was what being thrown out of the hall meant. His own shortsightedness had cost him again.Still, unlike Damian, who was being tested, he knew Magnus would only forgive him with Damian’s help.Forcing his smile back in place, he let out a
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As soon as Magnus stepped in with the guards, a heavy silence blanketed the room as conversations died mid-sentence.People instinctively lowered their gazes, as if the very air had grown too thick to breathe.Some clutched their hands together tightly, shoulders hunched, avoiding even a glimpse of his face—as if looking at him directly might bring punishment.He didn’t just enter the hall—he took control of it. The very air seemed to shift around him, expanding and contracting with his every step, as if the space itself recognized his presence.Damian and Vanessa exchanged smug glances as they watched Ethan and Lara bow to Magnus.Vanessa leaned toward Damian and whispered, "Let’s see how he handles this. Though, honestly, I hope he tears them apart."She smirked, casually flipping her hair over her shoulder before locking eyes with Ethan."You’re done, loser," she thought, her smile widening as she held his gaze.As Magnus approached Ethan and Lara, Damian grinned in anticipation.M
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The bag was ripped from Damian's head, and he blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. His heart hammered against his ribs like it wanted to escape."What the hell is happening? Where am I?" He shouted, struggling against the ropes that bound him to the chair.The room was dark, with only a single lamp casting long shadows across what looked like an abandoned warehouse. Concrete walls. High ceilings. The smell of dust and forgotten things.“Can someone just answer me?” His voice wavered, panic creeping in as he glanced over his shoulders—seeing two figures standing there.A deep voice cut through the darkness. "That's enough."Damian squinted, trying to make out the figure sitting across from him. It was the mysterious man.He was leaning back in a leather chair, his face hidden in shadow. All Damian could see was the outline of broad shoulders and the occasional glint of light reflecting off a watch."What's going on? Where am I?" He whispered.The mysterious man tap
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Damian felt a brief flicker of hope, realizing someone was about to stand up for him.“I hope you all know that’s an offense,” the man said coldly, the words like an icy slap.Damian’s eyes flickered around the room, trying to gauge the reaction.The crowd was still, frozen in uncertainty, before murmurs began to spread again. Some seemed to hesitate, the weight of the legal consequences sinking in, but others were not so easily deterred.Then, he stood up and approached the bartender. "How much does he owe?"The bartender looked surprised. "Thirty-seven dollars and fifty cents."The man pulled out his wallet and slapped sixty dollars on the counter."That covers his tab—and mine too,” he said calmly.The whole bar went silent. Everyone just stared, completely caught off guard.Relief washed over Damian's face. "Thanks, man. I really appreciate it."He hesitated, then added in a whisper, "Could you spare a little more? Just to get me through the night?"With his car now impounded by
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Damian's head swam as he leaned against the sticky bar counter.Three empty glasses sat in front of him, and he was working on a fourth.The cheap whiskey burned his throat, but he didn't care. It numbed everything else."Another," he slurred, pushing his empty glass forward.The bartender, a burly man with a thick beard and tired eyes, shook his head. "You've had enough.""I said, another." Damian's voice rose, drawing a few glances from nearby patrons.With a sigh, the bartender poured one last drink. "This is it, then we're settling up."Time blurred as Damian drained the glass.When the bartender returned with the bill, Damian fumbled for his wallet, pulling out what little cash he had left. He counted it twice, his fingers trembling.“What’s up?” the bartender asked, raising a brow when he noticed Damian’s face turn red after counting it a second time."I'm... I'm short," he slurred."That's funny because I didn't even realize it.""How short?" The bartender's voice hardened.“A
Chapter Seventy-nine
In a dining room on the other side of the city, the mysterious man sat by himself at a long table, eating his dinner. His phone vibrated against the table. He wiped his mouth with a napkin before answering. "Speak," he commanded. "Sir," came a nervous voice from the other end. "We've been trying to contact the assassins, but there's no response. None of them are replying to their emails." The man's hand tightened around his fork. "And?" His voice was dangerously calm. "And... we think... well, it appears Ethan's power has already been activated. It seems we were wrong about it." "So, the assassination failed," the man said under his breath. There was a momentary silence, then a crash as the man slammed his fist against the table, sending wine glasses toppling and plates clattering. "You're telling me," he said, his voice shaking with rage, "that not only did they fail to kill him, but his power is already active?" "Y-yes, sir. It seems so." "Find out exactly what happened,
Chapter Seventy-eight
Ethan stood in the center of the chamber, feeling the power surge through his veins.The ring pulsed with golden light, sending waves of energy up his arm and throughout his body. It felt different now—stronger, more intense—since he had accepted his destiny.Magnus watched him from a few feet away, his eyes filled with a mixture of pride and something else Ethan couldn't quite identify."So," Ethan said, breaking the silence, "what's the next step? Now that I've decided to embrace all this."Magnus walked over to a stone pedestal in the corner of the chamber and ran his fingers along the ancient carvings."First, we need to formally announce your return as the King of the World to the Order," he said."There will be a ceremony—a ritual as old as the organization itself. But some members will have to be present to witness your official acceptance. That's the problem at the moment."He turned to face Ethan, his expression serious. "Then, your training begins. You need to learn how to c
Chapter Seventy-seven
The apartment door burst open with a bang.Magnus rushed in, his face pale with worry. Lara was right behind him, accompanied by several of his soldiers who had their hands on their weapons."Ethan!" Magnus shouted, freezing at the sight of the bodies scattered across the floor.Blood was everywhere. On the walls. The furniture. Pooling on the floor.Magnus rushed to Ethan, grabbing his shoulders and looking him over frantically.“Are you okay? What happened?” His eyes quickly landed on the blood staining Ethan’s clothes, then shifted around, checking him for any injuries.Ethan smiled calmly, lifting his hand to show the ring on his finger."I'm fine, Dad. Thanks to this ring." He wiggled his finger.Magnus’s jaw tightened. He wasn't comforted.Lara pushed past the soldiers, her face ghostly white as she took in the scene.Her hand flew to her mouth."Oh my god," she whispered, her voice shaking.Then, she crossed the room, stepping carefully around a body.She reached out, touching
Chapter Seventy-six
Then, like a dam breaking, power surged through Ethan.The ring on his finger grew warm, then hot—pulsing with golden light that traveled up his arm in glowing veins. The pain in his side faded as strength filled every muscle in his body."What the—" one of the men started to say.Ethan moved so fast he surprised himself. His fist connected with the leader's jaw with a sickening crack. The man flew backward, smashing into the wall with enough force to dent the plaster, then slumped to the floor in a daze.The other three attacked at once.Ethan ducked under a knife swing and caught the man's wrist, twisting until bones snapped with a wet crunch. The attacker screamed, his weapon clattering to the floor. But Ethan didn't stop there. In one fluid motion, he pivoted behind the man, placed one hand on his chin and the other on the back of his skull, and wrenched with supernatural strength. The crack echoed through the apartment as the man's cervical vertebrae shattered. The attacke
Chapter Seventy-five
Ethan drove through the quiet city streets, the buildings blurring past like ghosts. His fingers drummed the steering wheel as he replayed the evening in his mind. “She’s either brilliant,” he muttered, “or trained to be." "And him..." He believed Mr. Chen was too grateful. "He is not just some grateful old man throwing a thank-you dinner. No." Ethan shook his head. He was convinced there was a hidden agenda behind it. "It would be smart to keep them all at arm's length," he muttered. "Especially her." Yet he couldn't deny she intrigued him and that he wanted to see her again. The thought followed him all the way home, along with the memory of her smile when she talked about her research. Real or fake? He couldn't tell for sure, and that bothered him more than he wanted to admit. When he finally reached his apartment building, he was tired, and his head was beginning to pound again—that same dull ache that had been plaguing him for weeks. As he unlocked his door and steppe
Chapter Seventy-four
The garden was beautiful under the soft lights that lined the stone paths.Flowers bloomed everywhere, their scents mixing in the cool night air."I'm actually glad for the chance to talk with you properly," Sophia said as they walked."My father said you spotted financial irregularities that no one else caught. That requires an incredible eye for detail."Ethan glanced at Mr. Chen. "You give me too much credit, Mr. Chen.""I doubt that," she replied before her father could."Speaking from experience?" Ethan asked."My research involves finding patterns in protein folding that might lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases," she explained."It's about seeing what others miss."Then, she gave a slight shrug. "So, yeah.“I might be speaking from experience.” Her smile turned soft—just enough to make his heart skip a beat.“That’s… actually kind of fascinating,” he said, genuinely intrigued.He got what she was saying, even though he was pretty sure he wasn’t supposed to—jus
