A few moments before Marcus Xu appeared in front of Jesse’s hotel room, she was fuming in front of her nanny and servants for losing her children inside the hotel.“What do you mean you don't know?” she yelled.“The hotel security is looking for them now. They are also checking the CCTV, so they will find them soon,” the servant said, trying to avoid Jesse's menacing gaze."Soon? I will burn this hotel down if anything happens to my daughters!” she yelled, frustration mounting.Her chest felt heavy, and her mind was consumed with anxiety.Her children were the one good thing in her life. Her money, status, and useless husband felt like a curse, suffocating her daily. Her daughters were the only ones who gave her a breather.“We will do our best to find them quickly.”“You better!”Jesse was about to throw everything around her in frustration when she heard the doorbell ring.She immediately went to the doorbell monitor, and relief washed over her as she saw her three daughters being c
Waking up feeling completely rested is the best feeling. Marcus Xu smiled as he opened his eyes and stretched his arms. He felt refreshed and alive."Rise and shine!" he exclaimed, jumping out of bed.He couldn't stop smiling, thinking about his progress."I'm almost there, but there's still more to do," he said with determination.He placed a mask on his face and unlocked his bedroom door."Good morning, sir. Did the vacuum wake you?" the cleaner asked. It was the day when the cleaner and maid visited Margarette’s penthouse to clean, restock supplies, and check on Gregory William.Marcus usually finds it inconvenient to keep his mask on even at home, but his good mood made him respond more warmly today."No, it didn't. Good luck with the cleaning," he said.He headed straight to Margarette’s study room to eat breakfast without being disturbed."Oh damn, she's that grateful?" Marcus commented, almost choking on the bread he was eating.He turned up the volume as he listened to the mor
In the evening, Jesse worked hard to make herself look young and pretty before heading to a fancy restaurant in the trendiest dress she owned.“Is this too much?” she wondered, worried she might be overdressed while she anticipated her date's arrival.“He better be good to me. I made his reputation flawlessly clean,” she muttered to herself, looking at Marcus’s picture on her phone.Jesse Harp had formed a team dedicated to Marcus Xu, handling his PR, marketing, and improving his reputation.Once she started to support someone, she couldn’t help but be excessive and obsessive.“I’m sorry for being late,” Marcus said as he rushed into the VIP room of the restaurant. He had hurried upon hearing that Jesse had arrived before him. “Did I get the time wrong?”“No. It’s me who came early,” Jesse said with a stoic expression, though inwardly, her heart and mind were jumping with excitement at seeing such an extremely good-looking man in person.“You must be very busy. Thank you for taking th
At the CEO office of Magic Entertainment, Joe Sabal watched the busy city from his large glass window, but his mind was elsewhere."The Harp Media is helping clear his reputation too. This is a huge sign that he's on top of the line in succession, but why does he want to become an actor first?" he wondered.Recently, no one else occupied his thoughts but Marcus Xu. The recent events and the unending, unexpected things Marcus could do had only deepened Joe's intrigue about Marcus' real identity and goals."Am I really that far from understanding a multi-billionaire’s mind?" he concluded.Joe continued to idle, thinking of Marcus and how he could join the dramatic war of conglomerate succession. However, his thoughts were interrupted when his secretary knocked on the door."Come in.""Sir, there's a woman insisting on meeting Marcus Xu," the secretary said.Joe frowned. This wasn't the first time someone had tried to meet Marcus or him."Why are you telling me this? Shoo her away," he s
CEO Joe’s jaw dropped."Did she just mention Gregory William? The Gregory William I know?" Joe asked, while his mind raced with different assumptions about what kind of drama Elissa, Marcus, and Gregory might be involved in."You know what, Joe, I think we really need to talk. Can you leave us alone?" Marcus said awkwardly. He pushed Joe and the security personnel out of the office and locked the door before facing Elissa."Hey, don’t randomly make up stories like that. Are you really here to ruin my career? How dare you speak maliciously about Gregory William? This is Magic Entertainment, a subsidiary of William Group!" he yelled angrily at Elissa, though the true reason for his fury was more complex than his words revealed.He menacingly glared at Elissa, perplexed that she would come to him after he had threatened her as Gregory."I know. But I have no one else to run to. I accidentally stepped into a landmine. If you won't help me, I will seriously die!" Elissa said desperately."
In a messy, dark room, Reyster Sebastian continued to chug whiskey without pausing for breath.As soon as he emptied the bottle, he threw it, making a loud, terrifying noise that startled the maid standing outside his room.“Why is he like this again?” the maid whispered to her colleague.“He probably failed to impress Boss Jeyster again,” her colleague replied.They both flinched when another loud crash came from inside the closed room.“Get me more!” Reyster shouted. The four maids standing outside his room sighed, some avoiding each other's gazes, as none of them wanted to face their violent boss.“Did nobody hear me?” he yelled again, growing increasingly irritated.“Go, hurry!” one maid said, shoving a bottle of whiskey into another's hands.“Why me?”The youngest of the four had no choice but to enter the room. She glared at them first, signaling that the next time it wouldn’t be her turn, to which the others just nodded.She straightened her back and entered the room with an em
Reyster Sebastian and his friend continued their serious conversation, ignoring the messy state and the strong smell of alcohol in the room.Reyster stared at Pablo doubtfully. He crossed his arms and said, “What nonsense are you talking about?”“Listen to me first. Your father wants his reputation to be flawless and admirable, especially to those in the lower class.” Pablo began.“Yes, he’s wasting his time pleasing people below us.” Reyster said, rolling his eyes.“But it's what he needs to do to win. Try to at least be interested in the basics of politics. Jeyster Sebastian walks around as if he’s approachable and reliable, someone anyone could ask for help. But we know he’s not really like that. He just has to act to please them and get their votes.”“I get it, I get it. Don’t preach about politics. Just tell me what you’re pointing out,” Reyster said reluctantly. “How the hell can that scum help fix my problem?”“Propose to your father for Marcus to endorse you to the public.” he
At the William Cosmetics launch event, Marcus reluctantly attended despite his mind being consumed with thoughts of how to ruin Reyster Sebastian.He donned his usual mask and walked through the sea of people. The people have their own invincible masks of their own, masking their true intentions with an invisible veneer of greed and ambition."Woah, you’re going to leave after bringing me here?" Marcus said to Philip Cheng, seeing him trying to slip away from the event."Are you a little child for me to babysit?" Philip retorted."Are you not needed here?""No. There’s nothing to be scared of if you don’t ignore the documents I gave you.""Even here, you’re nagging," Marcus grumbled."Just don’t slack around.""Whatever. Go. I’ll just pester Jaucian," he said, his eyes glinting mischievously as he spotted Jaucian in the distance."That’s fine with me. I shouldn’t be the only one suffering," Philip said before turning his back on Marcus.Left on his own, Marcus mulled over how to bothe
All the members of the William family glared at Marcus with disapproval. Their silent protests were as loud as thunder, but only Fermina openly expressed her disdain, shouting at him.“What did you do?” she exclaimed.“What? Don’t worry, I’m not interested in taking everything away from you all,” he shrugged. “Is it just as bad for me? A new workload I never asked for?”“Tell me honestly, what are Gudofredo and you planning to do?” Fermina asked, her gaze menacing.This was not part of her plan at all. None of this was what she expected. No one expected this.“Nothing. I’m as shocked as you all, but as a good son-in-law, I’ll do the job well.” Marcus winked and then stepped closer to Fermina and Michael, looking at them contemptuously. “Now, I think your ears are ready to listen to what I have to say.”“We won’t just follow your orders,” Michael said. “I am still the eldest son of this family. You should watch what you say,” he added, though there was a hint of caution in his tone.“L
No one noticed Marcus harshly grabbing Gregory’s wife by the face, as everyone’s attention was on the doctor’s statement.He instantly silenced Margarette with a menacing glare.“Do you know what happens when you treat people like filth? They might end up like Miguel Xu—driven to the point of suicide."“Isn’t dying easier than suffering in poverty?” Margarette innocently replied, failing to empathize with people like the Xu brothers.“Why do I even bother trying to make you understand?” he groaned, releasing her but unable to calm his rage. He badly wanted these people to pay and taste what poverty feels like.“I don’t get what you’re trying to say. Aren’t you a William too?” Margarette said.“Ha! That’s right, I am a William now,” Marcus dryly laughed. He then tried to confirm if everything Margarette said was reliable. “How do you know all of this?”“Mom would usually express her concerns when she thought I was asleep. She talks to herself a lot.”“That’s funny to hear. Fermina is r
Marcus Xu’s face contorted under his bandages as he walked through the hospital hallway, a throng of media and reporters clashing with his security detail, desperate for a statement."Why now? This old man is really a piece of sh*t." Marcus voiced his frustration as soon as he entered the restricted area where the reporters couldn’t follow.“The family is gathered in the lobby,” Butler Morgan reported, trying to ignore Marcus’s grumbling and focus on his duties.“So you called me just to idle?” Marcus asked irritably. “I’ve got a lot of other things to do, you know.”“But Madam Margarette was looking for you.”“So, is Margarette your boss now?”“No, that’s not it,” Morgan stuttered. “It’s just that everyone is here, so I thought you should be here too.”“As if I’m part of this family,” Marcus said, glaring at Morgan.His time was precious, especially with so much to do with catching Reyster Sebastian.Even though he knew the competent Carlos Roki was on the move, he wanted to make sur
While Marcus Xu was determined and focused on catching Reyster Sebastian and uncovering the truth behind his brother’s death, chaos continued between the brothers Michael and Gerald William in Aurora.The grand doors of the William mansion swung open, and in marched the imposing figure of Chairman Gudofredo, his eyes blazing with fury. His once sharp features, now softened by age, contorted in rage as he took in the scene before him.Michael and Gerald, the two heirs to the William empire, were grappling like schoolboys, fists flying and shouts echoing through the ornate hall."Enough!" The chairman's voice thundered, freezing everyone in place.Michael and Gerald, their suits disheveled and their faces flushed, sprang apart, panting."What in god's name do you think you're doing?" the chairman bellowed, his voice reverberating off the marble walls. "You are the CEOs of the William Group, not children in a playground!"Both men stood silent, eyes cast down, avoiding their father's fur
Marcus Xu arrived at the William Securities headquarters. Despite it being Michael William’s territory, the staff treated him with care, aware that Gregory William had equal power in appointing the next chairman of the conglomerate.“Please wait in CEO Michael’s office. We’ll bring all the files you need there,” an associate said.“No. I don’t want to wait,” Marcus bluntly replied as he barged into the headquarters' security control room, startling the staff.“Leave me alone. I’ll call you once I’m done,” he commanded, ignoring the startled looks from everyone around him.“What are you looking for, sir? It will be faster if we navigate it for you,” a security personnel suggested.“No. Everyone leave,” he said sternly, his commanding tone leaving no room for argument.Once alone, Marcus operated the computers with ease, his past experience as a part-time security personnel coming in handy. He quickly navigated through the controls, searching for footage of Miguel Xu meeting Michael Wil
Marcus's heart pounded with intense rage and confusion. He froze in place, struggling to digest the events that led to his brother’s death."Miguel wasn't just devastated because we were poor and I was murdered? He met these bastards? What did they do that pushed Miguel to kill himself?" he mused.He felt like snapping Michael and Gerald's necks as they remained nonchalant, talking casually about the person they killed and the consequences that led to his brother’s suicide.His veins popped out, and his brows knitted in disgust at the vile people in front of him.However, none of his expressions or intense rage would be noticed by the two because of the bandages wrapped around his face. Michael and Gerald were oblivious to the growing hatred within Marcus as they continued to speak casually."Why do you care about that actor and crippled brother? They don't matter. What matters is that you helped me get away from this jackass's scheme. Thanks to you, I was saved from being framed," Mi
At Aurora, the grand estate of the William family, the members gathered in the opulent study room, the tension palpable as they awaited the arrival of Chairman Gudofredo. The ornate room, filled with dark wood and rich leather, seemed to suffocate them under the weight of the scandal that had befallen the William Group.Ruben, the chairman's brother, lounged in a leather armchair, swirling a glass of brandy. His eyes darted around the room, assessing the anxiety etched on everyone’s faces."Well, isn't this a charming family gathering," he remarked with a sardonic grin. "I wonder which one of us will be the sacrificial lamb today."Lucretia, Ruben’s wife, sat primly beside him, her lips pursed in disapproval. "Ruben, this is serious. The company's reputation is at stake, and all you can do is make jokes."Emily, the wife of the eldest son, Michael, stood near the fireplace, her arms crossed defensively. "Perhaps if certain people had been more discreet, we wouldn't be in this mess," s
Jeyster Sebastian stood in his office, glaring at the mirror as his team bustled around him, preparing for the press conference. The weight of the latest scandal pressed heavily on him. His hands shook slightly as he adjusted his tie, trying to mask his anger and anxiety. The media had already crowded the hall outside, with cameras flashing and reporters shouting questions."Mr. Sebastian," his secretary, Killiman, approached cautiously, his face pale. "There's another problem."Jeyster's heart sank. He turned to him, his eyes narrowing. "What now?""Reyster caused a scene at the William Group conference," Killiman said, his voice trembling. "He barged in, accusing Gerald William of framing him. It’s all over the news already."Jeyster felt a surge of rage. "That idiot! He's making everything worse!" He slammed his fist on the table, making everyone in the room jump. "We need to fix this. Now."He barked orders to his employees. "Double-check the statements, make sure the press kit is
The grand ballroom of the Sunrise Hotel was filled with investors, executives, and media personnel, all buzzing with anticipation.Marcus Xu, disguised as Gregory William, stood confidently on the stage, his bandaged face hiding a sinister smile.The moment he'd been waiting for had arrived.“Let me in!”The crowd gasped, and security immediately moved to intercept Reyster Sebastian the moment he barged into the conference hall. He pushed through them with frenzied strength."Gerald William! Where are you?" Reyster shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. No longer intimidated by Gregory William, he furiously searched for Gerald. His disheveled appearance drew whispers and curious glances from the attendees. Wearing only a robe and slippers, he stood in stark contrast to the polished, high-powered crowd."Gerald William!" Reyster shouted again, his voice echoing through the ballroom. "Show yourself, you coward!"Marcus Xu stepped forward, gripping the microphone tightly. "Ladies and