"Young Master Alexander, do you really intend to reject the invitation of the patriarch?"
"I'm not Alexander, my last name is Jake."
"But you still carry the bloodline of the Alexander family."
"The moment they cast my mother out of the Alexander house, I ceased to have any connection with that family."
Late afternoon in Elysian Echo City, on X-A13 Street, a luxurious black Bentley stood out amidst the bustling cityscape like a swan among ducks, drawing the eyes of passersby.
At a street food stand, a handsome young man was cleaning up his barbecue tools and cart.
An elderly man in black stepped out of the Bentley and bent over the food stand, seemingly pleading with the young man.
"Young Master, you know, what happened that year was out of necessity. Although it caused distress to the lady, you were never cast out... Over a year ago, when the old master was gravely ill, we spent a year searching for you, spending vast sums and utilizing numerous contacts. It was a tremendous effort to find you. Would you rather endure oppression in a minor family like the Millers, rather than returning to the Alexander house? You are now the sole heir of this generation's Alexander family..."
Theophilus replied indifferently: "The affairs of the Alexander family are none of my concern, and I wish not to hear of them. I hope you won't disturb my life in the future."
After cleaning up, he turned and walked away from X-A13 Street.
The old man in the suit watched Theophilus's departing figure but did not follow, only sighing deeply.
"The Alexander family, oh..."
As Theophilus left X-A13 Street, a cold smile crossed his face, and a sudden spark of realization appeared, as if recalling a long-forgotten memory.
The Alexander family was a renowned and powerful clan in Empyria, currently based in Radiant Harbor City. Many sought even the slightest connection with them, hoping to bask in their reflected glory.
But for Theophilus, the Alexander family was a thorn in his heart that he couldn't remove.
Theophilus was born into the Alexander family, the direct grandson of the old patriarch, a noble birthright. However, at the age of eight, his father Gideon Alexander, infatuated with another woman and embroiled in a battle for inheritance, divorced his mother Violet Jake to marry a lady from another prestigious family.
Although Violet Jake came from an ordinary family, she was a proud woman who refused any compensation from the Alexanders, leaving with nothing. Theophilus, unwilling to leave his mother and indifferent to the Alexanders' objections, left Radiant Harbor with her, disappearing from the Alexanders' sight. Since then, he and his mother had relied on each other for years.
Thus, he changed his last name to Jake after his mother.
A decade passed, and his mother died three years ago due to illness. He thought he would never have to recall these painful memories, but unexpectedly, the Alexanders had found him again?
Standing at the street corner and finishing his cigarette, Theophilus stopped pondering and hailed a taxi, heading towards the Miller family mansion.
Today was Jena Miller's wedding day. She was the daughter of the Miller family's patriarch, Victor Miller. Jena was marrying Dante Charlie, the prominent Young Master from the leading family in Elysian Echo City. The ceremony was grand, with all the business elites of Elysian Echo City invited, along with everyone from the Miller family.
Without his status as the Miller family's son-in-law, Theophilus would never have been able to set foot in the Miller family mansion.
Thirty minutes later, the taxi stopped outside the Miller family mansion.
In front of the mansion's opulent main gate, a girl in a light blue long dress, petite yet elegant and beautiful, blinked her eyes, looking at Theophilus indifferently.
This beauty was Theophilus's wife, Dulcie Miller.
Two years earlier, at the request of Mervyn Miller, the founder of the Miller Jewelry Corporation, Theophilus had married into the Miller family.
At that time, the event caused a stir in Elysian Echo City, with many mocking the senior Mr. Miller for his folly in marrying his daughter to a penniless orphan.
Dulcie was known throughout Elysian Echo City for her beauty, and many from prestigious families sought her hand.
Yet, she was married off to an ordinary man, a match deemed unworthy by many.
Only Theophilus and Mervyn knew the true reasons behind it…
A year after Mervyn's death, the secret remained with Theophilus alone.
Even his wife Dulcie had initially disagreed with the marriage and, though they eventually wed, they remained strangers to this day.
With Mervyn's passing, significant shifts occurred in the power dynamics of the Miller Jewelry Corporation. Theophilus's father-in-law was ousted from the company's center of influence, left without a share of the estate, his family's fortunes plummeting, forced to live under others' scrutiny within the Miller household.
Theophilus was seen as the cause of their downfall, lacking in wealth, status, and capability, an unworthy son-in-law for the Miller family.
Treated coldly in the Miller household, Theophilus became an object of disdain.
"Theophilus, lease speak less during the party." Dulcie said earnestly: "Today is crucial, I've brought a significant gift to ask for Jena's favor. Whether the factory managed by my father can survive this crisis depends on whether the Oldest Uncle agrees to help or not."
"I understand." Theophilus nodded.
Entering the Miller family mansion, they saw lavishly decorated villas, exquisite gardens, and water features, all part of the elder Miller's estate.
Rows of luxury cars were parked outside the grand hall, including Maseratis, Porsche 911s, Cayennes, and at the very least, Audis.
"Oh, Dulcie, did you drive here yourself? Why didn't you call me? I would have sent someone to pick you up. Today is such an important day, how can you show up like this? You can't afford to embarrass the Miller family."
A young man wearing sunglasses stepped out of a Porsche 91, removed his glasses, and looked at Dulcie and Theophilus thoughtfully.
Dulcie gently bit her lip, saying nothing.
Theophilus's father-in-law, Anselm Miller, from the previous generation of the Miller family, struggled to the point of poverty. Before he was ousted from the Miller Corporation by his siblings, he was only given a small jewelry manufacturing factory, nearly bankrupt, barely surviving for a year.
Given the family's financial situation, they couldn't afford to buy another car for Dulcie.
"Dulcie, tell me, initially I told you to divorce this useless guy and introduced you to Young Master Charlie. If you had listened to me, would you have ended up in this situation?" The man with sunglasses spoke more cheerfully, a smug look on his face, ignoring Theophilus's presence: "It's not too late now, if you want a luxurious life, just ask me. I can introduce you to another suitable match."
Speaking these words in front of her husband showed complete disregard for her honor!
"Orborne, have you said enough?" Dulcie coldly spoke, her face pale.
"Oh, as your brother, I'm just sympathetic to you, following such a useless man. I kindly advise you, show you a way, but you don’t listen, then you deserve this impoverished life!" Orborne replied casually.
After speaking, Orborne seemed not yet done, his face teasingly looking towards Theophilus.
"Theophilus, someone useless like you even dares to attend Jena's wedding? Orborne mocked: "Oh well, it's expected. I heard your father-in-law's factory finances have been cut off, can't even pay salaries, about to go bankrupt. You two must be here to flatter the Oldest uncle for a loan to get through this crisis?"
Theophilus just looked at Orborne, saying nothing.
Dulcie's father - Anselm was initially ousted from the Miller Corporation by Orborne's father -Eugene Miller, Miller's third uncle. Even the severe difficulties faced by the factory this time were due to Eugene's underhanded tactics.
Dulcie took a deep breath, holding back her anger, and said to Theophilus: "Bear with it, don't mind him. I came here today to deal with some matters."
Theophilus nodded, and the two turned to enter the grand hall of the mansion.
"Ah, let's see how long a useless guy like you can hold back." Orborne said, watching Theophilus's retreating figure, cracking his neck, his mouth curling into a mocking smile.
In the grand hall, which occupied an immense area, decorated in an elegant, ancient Eastern architectural style, a red carpet was laid out. The esteemed guests of the Miller family gradually took their seats. Dulcie, carrying an exquisite gift box, approached the bride, smiling said: "Jena, congratulations on your wedding, wishing you a lifetime of harmony." Jena's face was delicate, with fair skin and a beautiful appearance, her demeanor arrogant, but overall, compared to Dulcie, she still fell a bit short. She looked at Dulcie indifferently and said: "Put the gift over there." "Jena, I'll go with you for a while." Dulcie said with a smile. "No need. You don't have to fuss over me, I know what you're up to, and as for your father's matter, my family won't help." Jena replied coldly, without any consideration. The smile on Dulcie's face froze, replaced by an unmistakable look of dejection. She clenched her fists, her delicate body trembling slightly. Before marrying Theophilus,
Dulcie's home was in the Groundswell apartment complex, a building ten years old, showing its simple and worn appearance. It didn’t quite fit the status of someone from the Miller family of Elysian Echo City. Upon reaching home, Theophilus's in-laws, Anselm and Ariel, were sitting on the sofa with serious expressions. "Hmph!" Ariel scoffed: "Theophilus, you still have the face to come back to this house?" "We already know what happened at the wedding today. Theophilus, you really are unlucky! You ruined everything that was going well!" Ariel stood up and scolded loudly. "Forget it, mom, stop it. It’s not Theophilus's fault. The Oldest uncle had no intention of helping us." Dulcie intervened. Upon hearing this, Ariel grew even more furious, angrily saying: "This foolish girl, you're still defending him? Hasn't he harmed you enough? Without him, wouldn't you be suffering in poverty right now? You should have married into a powerful family!" "Mom, why do you always want to rely on
“What does this person look like?” Magnus inquired. “A young man, about twenty years old." the secretary replied. “Let him in." Magnus said seriously, still puzzled: "A young man in his twenties?” Five minutes later, Theophilus was escorted by the secretary to the chairman's office on the sixtieth floor. Theophilus sat down with ease. The middle-aged man, exuding a commanding presence, observed him closely with a serious expression. “Who are you?” Magnus asked suspiciously, unable to fully gauge the young man before him. “Do you recognize this?” Theophilus presented a strikingly green Jade Amulet. The Jade Amulet Command bore intricate patterns, with the James family name prominently engraved in the center. “What is this?” Magnus was visibly startled as he beheld the Jade Amulet Command, his mind reeling. This was a Jade Amulet Command, symbolizing a status within the James family, of which only a few existed. Even as the family spokesperson, he didn’t possess one... He rec
Meanwhile, at another location. The Miller family’s jewelry corporation was in the X-Peak Building. The building, towering over twenty stories, bustled with activity. Employees hurried back and forth, their faces etched with urgency, as if a significant crisis had unfolded. On the twenty-third floor, in the conference room. The Miller family’s board of directors convened an emergency meeting. Around the large and long conference table sat over twenty people. All the influential and wealthy members of the Miller family in Elysian Echo City were present. “What’s going on? Why is the corporation suddenly in such chaos?” “Big brother, what happened? I was just playing golf, and after several urgent calls, I rushed back for this meeting. All our major clients have canceled their contracts with us.” “With the corporation in such turmoil, did we offend someone? Why else would our assets be frozen so suddenly?” The room buzzed with noisy discussions, the shareholders anxious and worr
Eugene's face turned extremely unsightly, not expecting the newly appointed chairman representative of the James Corporation in Empyria to be so authoritarian. “Mr. Joe, Orborne is ignorant of the rules, could you please consider my face…” Eugene pleaded. "Stop!" Leighton cut him off with a word, indicating Eugene to be silent. “Ten seconds." Leighton said with a smile, then his expression turned stern: "If you can’t do it, Eugene, you can resign. You need not come to the X-Peak Building for work tomorrow.” “All the jewelry stores under your name in shopping centers and all your factories will be thoroughly audited. With the professionalism of our James Corporation team, it will only take twenty-four hours to settle this.” As the primary secretary and trusted butler of the James Corporation in Empyria, Leighton's experience in business negotiations was exceptionally rich. There was hardly a major incident he hadn't faced. His sudden involvement had already overwhelmed the Miller
"Big brother and third brother have clearly had major issues managing the corporation for years. The James Corporation, with its financial clout, joining the corporation isn't necessarily bad, but it's a pity that the family legacy my father left behind has turned from a family enterprise into a public corporation." Anselm said slowly, his expression complex. He was holding a newspaper, which reported that the Miller Corporation's jewelry division was undergoing major restructuring, with Chairman Joe announcing a new direction for the corporation. "Ariel, you worry too much about things that don't concern you. Have you ever seen your father give you a second glance or hand over management of the corporation?" Ariel showed no sympathy for Anselm, slowly saying: "From now on, just focus on following the newly appointed Chairman Joe. The corporation is now treating all the smaller workshops fairly. You're still a nominal shareholder, and after so many years, you'll finally be able to at
The next morning. At Dulcie's request, Theophilus accompanied her to the company. They hailed a taxi and headed straight to the X-Peak building. Dulcie was extremely excited, as it was the first time her jewelry design was acknowledged. Moreover, it was personally responded to by the chairman of a major corporation! "I'm so nervous, this is the first time I'm talking to an important figure like the chairman." Dulcie said anxiously in the back seat: "I don't know what he will ask, I'm worried I'll say something wrong and they won't accept my design..." "Don't be too anxious, just express your ideas and thoughts to him." Theophilus advised. "If one day my own jewelry design is released and receives praise from the public at an exhibition, that would be so fulfilling!" Dulcie said, her eyes full of aspiration, dreaming of that achievement. Theophilus reassured her: "Don't worry, your design ideas will definitely be showcased." "Really? That's wonderful!" Dulcie's face brightened w
In the chairman's office. Leighton personally prepared two cups of coffee for Dulcie and Theophilus. This special attention made Dulcie feel both elated and nervous, secretly thinking that her jewelry design ideas had caught Chairman Joe's attention. "No need to be formal, please sit down." Leighton said, returning to his seat with a gentle expression: "The ‘King World’ design you created, I am very pleased with it. I see it as very high-class and skillful." “Thank you, Chairman Joe." Dulcie replied, then proactively introduced Theophilus: "The 'King World' piece was a joint design effort by Theophilus and me, this gentleman beside me." "Oh?" Leighton casually remarked: "This person is your husband, isn't he?" "Yes." Dulcie hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Leighton smiled and said: "The reason I invited you here is to let you know that your idea has been accepted by the board. The company will proceed to manufacture the final product, and I hope you will personally oversee t