Henry’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. “You should be. Our family is already making plans with Lord Cloud. In fact, we already have Liam, who works closely with him, and very soon we will rise to the top. And then, where will you be?""Beside this nobody, in the gutter where he belongs?”Before Vanessa could respond, Nathan stepped forward, his voice calm but carrying an unmistakable edge. “You’ve said enough, Henry."Vanessa doesn’t need your threats or your control. She’s stronger and bigger than you and your family combined. "And I can assure you, your family will never rise to the top because Lord Cloud would not want anything to do with your family."Henry’s eyes narrowed as he turned to face Nathan fully for the first time. “And who do you think you are to decide that? "Some powerful man in disguise?""You’re crossing a line, Nathan. You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”Nathan’s gaze didn’t waver. “It does'nt matter, do you think you can always bully and intimidste peop
The tension in the room thickened as the Wilson and Smith families continued to report Nathan to the Global Triad, but Nathan had an awkwardly calm expression.Henry was more than eager to paint Nathan as nothing more than a nuisance, so that they would deal with Nathan, and he could finally have Vanessa."Mr. Thorne, Presidents," Henry began again, his voice dripping with false humility, "this man, Nathan, has done nothing but cause problems.Not only did he claim to be Lord Cloud, but he’s using Vanessa for his own gain. A lowlife like him does not deserve to be at this event, he is an insult to you and to all of us!"Richard Smith, sensing an opportunity to drive the nail further into Nathan's coffin, chimed in. "Nathan has not only interfered with our family’s business but has also caused a rift between families!""When Lord Cloud arrives, he would not want someone like this to be in his presence.""Please Mr. Presidents let's throw him out now!"Claire, who had been seething with
As the echo of Isabella Reynes' sharp command lingered in the room, silence fell once again.The air was heavy with tension from the ongoing drama. The once confident expressions on the faces of the Smith and Wilson families had vanished, replaced by fear and disbelief.Nathan, now revealed as Lord Cloud, stood in quiet composure, his presence commanding absolute respect.Alexander Thorne stepped forward, his eyes filled with a mixture of disdain and disappointment as he gazed upon the two families. "You fools," he said, his voice reverberating through the hall, "Do you realize the gravity of your offense? You dared to slander and humiliate the Almighty Lord Cloud?"President Rajesh added, his voice cold and unrelenting, "We will not tolerate disrespect toward Lord Cloud. Your ignorance will cost you your life!"Claire, trembling with regret, tried to speak, her voice weak and quivering. "We... we didn’t know. We thought—""Don't you dare speak!" Isabella Reynes cut her off again, thi
The Wilson family, hearing Nathan's cold voice, immediately knelt down with the Smith family, disgracefully in front of Nathan and the whole world. With Grandfather Albert taking the lead, the rest of them followed, including Claire.They continued to cry out and beg, but seeing that Nathan was not budging, they intensified their begging by prostrating flat on the floor.As the Smith family and the Wilson family lay prostrate on the floor, their bodies trembling with fear, the weight of their despair pressed down on them, threatening to crush them.Each one of them, once so proud and confident, now groveled before Natha, before Lord Cloud.The veryman they had underestimated and betrayed.Ivan, who used to enjoy taunting Nathan, was the first to break the silence, his voice choked with desperation as he clasped his hands together, pressing his forehead to the ground."Lord Cloud, please," he pleaded, his voice cracking under the strain of his fear. "We were wrong. We were foolish. P
The sound of Nathan's voice was so condemning, made the families tremble even more. They knew there was no escape from this. They had sealed their fates the moment they chose to cross Nathan. The once grand names of Wilson and Smith were now tarnished beyond repair, their legacies tainted by their own hands. Richard did not even know if his son survived the beating those hefty security men inflicted on him, whether his son was dead or alive. Even if he survived, he was dead to him! It was because of him his family was about to lose everything. No one as disgusting as he deserves to bear his family name! From now on, Liam had nothing to do with the Smith family. Nathan let out a slow breath, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at the quivering bodies before him. "It's too late to beg now; I warned you," he said, his voice carrying the weight of a thunderstorm. "Now you will all pay the price." Claire let out a strangled sob, her heart aching with regret. "Please, Lord
"You chose this path, Claire," Nathan continued, his voice now a low, dangerous growl. "I could have revealed my identity to you a thousand times, and it wouldn't have made a difference.""You never would have believed me. You were so blinded by your greed, by your ambition to climb higher, that you couldn't see the truth right in front of you.""You chose to betray me, to side with a man who fed you nothing but lies, and now you’re paying the price for your own ignorance."Claire’s breath hitched in her throat, her anger now mingled with a creeping sense of guilt and despair. "But… but I loved you," she whispered, her voice breaking as if clinging to some last shred of hope.Nathan laughed, a bitter, mirthless sound that sent a chill down the spine of everyone present. "Loved me? Is that what you call love? You didn’t love me, Claire. You loved what you thought I could give you—status, power, influence. "You loved the idea of being married to a man who could elevate you, but when yo
Nathan nodded slowly, satisfied with their submission. "Good," he said, his voice firm. "You have until the end of the day to complete the transfer.""If there is any delay, any hesitation, I will not hesitate to revoke my offer. Do I make myself clear?"Richard nodded frantically, his face a mask of desperation. "Yes, Lord Cloud. It will be done immediately. You have our word."The rest of the Smith family murmured their agreement, their fear palpable as they clung to the hope that they might walk out of this alive, even if it meant losing everything they had ever known.Vanessa stepped forward, her icy gaze sweeping over the Smiths as she took in their pitiful state.As the guards moved in to escort the Smith family out of the hall, Richard turned back to Nathan one last time, his eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and sorrow. "Thank you, Lord Cloud," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "We will not forget this mercy."Nathan’s expression remained blank as he watched th
Nathan settled into the back seat of his sleek, black car as he drove to the Cloud mansion. He had not been home for the past three years.The events of the day played over in his mind—the applause, the admiration—everything turned out as he had planned.It was no longer a secret that he was Lord Cloud, the most powerful man in Prescott, and he now had an alliance with Vanessa's Royal Corporation.The car glided smoothly through the city streets, the headlights cutting through the darkness. Nathan stared out the window, his thoughts distant when something suddenly caught his eye. A figure, faint and almost ghostly in the dim light, stood in the middle of the road ahead."Stop the car!" Nathan barked at the driver, and the driver reacted instantly, slamming on the brakes just as the car came to a halt a few feet from the figure. Nathan leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make out who it was.The figure was a woman, her clothes disheveled, her hair falling messily around