Chapter 5: After A While, It's Time for me to feel arrogant

"Granny, accept this 79-year-old ginseng which I bought from an auction worth 11.3 million dollars as a gift to you from me." A chubby man walked forward proudly and said with a loud voice as he dropped a gift wrapped with some designer clothes.

"Granny, accept this ancient Dante sword. It is said to hold over 3 thousand years of history. I purchased it for the sum of 20 million dollars only" another one said, adding the word 'only' just to belittle the first one which successfully worked, the first one's cheek turned red from shame.

"Granny, accept my…"

"Granny, this gift is for…"

"It's only 56 million dollars…"

As time went by more and more bigshots came forward with their gifts and each gift was greater than the previous one. Making Granny grin ear to ear from happiness.

She couldn't help but give an emotional talk.

"Thank you all. I never knew I was special, you people even though we don't know each other or rather we are just business partners but you made my birthday worth it. So for that, I will love to once ag…"

Bang!

The door was pushed open with such momentum that it slammed against the wall, releasing a sound which distracted everyone and made all eyes on him.

Rex stood at the door, an innocent-looking smile on his face that seemed strangely out of place. He met everyone's eyes and gave a small nod before running his hand through his hair.

"I'm not too late, am I?" he asked, a lightness to his voice that did not match the sudden shift in atmosphere. "I'm starving, so I'd love to dig in."

The tension in the room was palpable, everyone wondering what he was up to. But he seemed completely oblivious, simply standing there with a casual air.

******

"Rex, what are you doing here?" Granny's voice was filled with fury. The audacity of this man, barging in unannounced and uninvited! This was her special day, and he was ruining it! Not only would this be a huge embarrassment for her, but it would also make the Walker family look bad.

She could already imagine the gossip that would follow in the weeks to come. She had to do something to save face, to make sure that this didn't turn into a disaster. 

"I'm starving!" Rex exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. "Is that beef, rice, and all kinds of food? I'm gonna go grab a plate, don't worry, Granny, I won't eat it all!" He flashed a cheeky grin at the group, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room.

But Granny wasn't having it. The anger she had tried to keep in check was bubbling to the surface, and she could feel her fists clenching at her sides. She had wanted to keep this evening peaceful, but this fool was pushing her to the breaking point. 

"Guards, take him away!" Granny shouted, the frustration and anger finally boiling over. "We have a tradition for dealing with fools like him!"

Three guards stepped forward, each one a hulking figure of muscle and strength. But just as they were about to act, another guard rushed to Granny's side, whispering something in her ear.

A look of disbelief crossed her face, and then she shouted, "What? Do you mean the Great Grand Archibald's family cars are at the gate? Open it!" Her voice was filled with excitement and anticipation.

Granny was sure that the Archibalds had come to wish her a happy birthday. She couldn't believe it, but her heart was filled with joy. She eagerly awaited the opening of the gate, unaware of the dark thoughts brewing in Rex's mind.

_They are finally here._ He thought with a cold smile inwardly.

As he moved towards the table of food, ignoring the guards who were at loss on what to do again, Rex couldn't help but admire the array of dishes on display. But his eyes soon landed on the bottle of champagne, and a sly smile formed on his lips. He reached out, grabbed the bottle and took a swig, savoring the sweet taste.

"Too bad I hate pork meats," Rex said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He looked at the honey-glazed pork on the table, and couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. But he quickly shook it off, making his way towards a table occupied by two couples.

As he approached, the two people sitting there scrambled to their feet, abandoning their food and heading off in the other direction. They must be scared of what everyone would do to them if they were caught with him.

Rex couldn't help but smirk as he sat down.

Rex paid no attention to the gazes being cast his way, completely absorbed in the taste of the food in front of him. It had been so long since he'd had such delicious, fresh food, and he savored every bite.

As he ate, he heard footsteps rapidly approaching him. He turned to see Silvia, her eyes filled with anger, her cheeks flushed red.

"Rex! Are you nuts?! Even if you want to display your idiocy and insanity wait till Archibald's family leaves. Why do you want to humiliate us before our esteemed guests?!" She yelled at him

"But I haven't eaten all day," Rex protested, feigning innocence. "Besides, why should I care if your family is humiliated? It's not like I have anything to lose, right?" He gave her a smug grin as if daring her to argue.

"Get out of here, you insufferable jerk!" Silvia snapped.

"Enough, Silvia!" Granny snapped, her voice full of authority. "Now is not the time to lose your composure. We will deal with this insufferable fool later. I cannot believe I let you marry someone so uncouth and ungrateful!" She glared at Rex, who was completely unfazed, continuing to eat as if he hadn't heard a word she said.

"Granny, is everything alright?" a concerned voice spoke up. Sir McDonald, the head of the local council, had emerged from the crowd, his brow furrowed with worry.

"It's nothing, Sir McDonald," Granny replied, trying to brush off the incident. "It's just this insolent wretch here causing trouble, as usual." She glared at Rex, her eyes blazing with fury.

Rex, still munching away on his food, didn't seem to notice the storm brewing around him. Or perhaps he just didn't care.

"Hmph, let me deal with him ma'am," the guy said as he was about to walk towards Rex but Granny stopped him.

"Wait till Archibald's family members have already leave. There's enough time for us to teach him a lesson but not now"

"Okay then, he deserves to be beaten to the pup for not recognizing a lion…".

Just then, the door swung open and a group of 21 well-dressed men marched in, dressed in black suits and wearing dark sunglasses. An insignia was sewn onto the left side of each of their chests, the same insignia that adorned the Archibald family's coat of arms.

Granny who was super happy immediately stepped forward and said.

"Greetings gentlemen, welcome to my humble abode."