Path to Glory

Chapter 1

Brandon Lee hurried through the corridors of the company building, several security officers tried to stop him, but Brandon paid no attention to them.

BAM!

Brandon opened the meeting room door quite hard, his unexpected presence drew hateful glares from everyone.

"Brandon, what are you doing?!" Ellie Turner, Brandon's future mother-in-law, shouted.

Brandon just glanced at Ellie briefly before shifting his gaze to a young girl next to Ellie, that was Ariana Turner, Brandon's fiancée.

Brandon approached Ariana with a sheet of paper in his hand, he showed the paper to Ariana. "What does this letter of termination of engagement mean?"

Brandon's question immediately shocked everyone there, most of them were Turner Group executives that Ariana led, the news of the termination of engagement of their CEO would certainly become an extraordinary gossip.

"All of you, get out. For now, this meeting will be postponed." Ariana gave the order, not wanting her private life to become a gossip that spread everywhere.

"Yes, Miss Ariana." They all said in unison, leaving the meeting room afterwards.

After there were only Brandon and Ellie there, Ariana could finally deal with Brandon who came to cause a commotion in her company.

"Are you not satisfied with the compensation?" Ariana asked, her index finger tapping the table waiting for Brandon's answer.

Brandon looked at Ariana with mixed feelings, this was not the Ariana he knew.

"Ariana, do you think compensation is the reason I came here?"

Ariana raised her eyebrows, "If it's not compensation, then what? Don't tell me you really hoped we would get married?"

Brandon remained silent, not understanding why Ariana was still asking when that was exactly what should have been.

Seeing Brandon's reaction, Ariana sighed heavily, "Brandon, I was willing to get engaged to you only because it was the last request of my grandfather before he died. I was willing to accept that absurd engagement only because I didn't want to disappoint my grandfather in the last moments of his life. Now, my grandfather is gone, so there is no reason for us to stay together, let alone get married."

Brandon clenched his fist tightly, he was angry, he felt deceived by Ariana who had been acting sweetly in front of him just a while ago.

"Tch," Ellie felt unhappy because Brandon refused to accept her daughter's decision, "Brandon, it's better if you just sign the papers. Isn't one unit of a house and $5 million enough to satisfy your greed so that you'll stay away from my daughter?"

"I've said it before, that's not the issue."

"Then what, you bastard? Do you really hope to become my precious daughter's husband? You don't have the qualifications to do it!" Ellie shouted in a high tone.

Brandon remained silent without words, everything was clear now, Brandon understood that he was only being used.

"You agreed to the engagement only because you wanted the inheritance from Mr. Turner, right? Wanting to be filial? That's just nonsense that came out to cover your greed."

"Insolent!" Ellie exclaimed as she slapped Brandon's cheek hard, stopping Brandon from speaking further about her daughter.

Brandon smiled bitterly as he held the cheek that Ellie had just slapped, his anger was truly filling him but he tried to hold it all back.

"Say a few more things, and the other cheek will be slapped in a similar way!" Ellie Turner issued her threat.

"Mother, calm down. Let me talk to him." Ariana calmed Ellie, aware that letting Ellie act further would only open up opportunities for Brandon to sue them.

"My daughter, don't be too soft on him. This ungrateful bastard will only become more and more ungrateful if you do that."

"I understand, Mother." Ariana nodded as she stood up from her chair.

Brandon remained silent when Ariana approached him, the beautiful face with the girl's snow-white skin would truly captivate anyone, according to Brandon.

"If the compensation is not enough for you, tell me how much you want so that you are willing to sign the cancellation letter." Ariana snatched the letter Brandon was carrying, intending to change the compensation value stated in the letter according to Brandon's request.

Brandon looked at Ariana with disappointment, thinking that Ariana still didn't understand the reason he rejected the cancellation of their engagement.

The engagement between Brandon and Ariana had been arranged since they were young, and this was an agreement between the two families, in which each of their grandfathers had approved it. Suddenly canceling the engagement after the two people who had arranged the engagement had passed away, somehow made Brandon feel that he had lied to them, and this was something Brandon could not accept because he greatly respected his late grandfather.

"I refuse to sign this paper because I don't want to disappoint my late grandfather, if you really want to break off the engagement with me, then please come to my grandfather's grave and say all of that there. If you are willing to do that, then I am willing to break off the engagement without receiving a single penny from you." Brandon Lee expressed his condition.

Ariana Turner widened her eyes, not believing that the condition Brandon gave would be so easy. "Is it really true that just by doing that, you will automatically agree?"

Brandon nodded, if it was like this, then there was nothing he could do but agree to the termination of the engagement.

"Unlike you who agreed to the engagement just to receive the inheritance from your grandfather, I am truly serious about our engagement. However, since you have decided to part ways with me, this is the only thing I can propose so that my late grandfather will not be too angry at the end of our engagement."

Ariana Turner was speechless, she felt ashamed because what Brandon had just said was a reality that she could not deny. At the same time, Ariana somehow felt guilty.

"Nonsense! My daughter, don't believe his words! Serious about the engagement? Of course he will do it because it is the only way for him if he wants to experience a luxurious life. Besides, the Lee family has been ruined for a long time!" Ellie exclaimed after realizing Ariana's guilt.

Ariana was awakened, what her mother said really made sense.

Although in the past the Turner and Lee families had a good relationship and even had almost equal wealth and influence, now everything was really different. The Lee family was ruined and their wealth was completely gone, unlike the Turner family which continued to grow and whose influence almost covered the entire Allureville area.

"Mother, you're right. I can't believe he almost influenced me in such a sneaky way."

"I'm glad you're aware, my daughter. Now, the only thing we need to do is completely cut ties with this ruined Lee family heir." Ellie said with a wide smile on her face.

Ariana nodded in understanding, then pointed to the exit and dismissed Brandon according to the original plan, "Leave, we no longer have a relationship now. I will soon visit your grandfather's grave. Since you refuse the compensation, I hope you won't regret it in the future."

Brandon did as Ariana said without remorse, he left there while continuing to hold back the surging anger because Ellie and Ariana had dared to underestimate him and also belittle his family, "The Lee family ruined? Never as long as I'm still alive."