All Chapters of Cheated & Despised, now the Billionaire Heir: Chapter 171
- Chapter 180
302 chapters
Chapter 171
A cold wave of disbelief washed over Ethan. His chest felt tight, like someone had wrapped steel bands around his ribs and was slowly tightening them. His hands trembled slightly before he clenched them into fists, his knuckles turning white.“Everyone out,” he said to the medical staff, his voice barely controlled. "Now!"The doctors and nurses quickly filed out, leaving only Magnus lying unconscious on the bed, Ethan sitting rigidly in the chair beside him, and Lara standing across the room, watching his every expression.Ethan stared at Magnus’ pale face, his mind reeling. He couldn’t believe that all this time, his own father had been dying, and he had no clue. Not even the smallest hint.The doctor’s words kept playing over and over in Ethan’s head—Magnus had less than six months left to live. It was breaking his heart.He finally looked up at Lara, meeting her eyes for the first time since they’d been left alone in the room.“I just don’t get it,” he said, his voice hollow.
Chapter 172
Ethan’s brows lifted, suspicion and curiosity mixing in his voice. “What is it?”But Lara just stood there, frozen, staring at the screen like she was looking at a ghost.“Lara,” he said again, his voice sharper now. "What’s on the phone?”She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her hands were shaking, and she looked between Ethan and Marcel like she was drowning.Marcel shifted nervously. “Sir, maybe you should just—”“What is it?” Ethan’s patience was wearing thin after everything that had happened tonight.Her fingers trembled slightly as she held the phone.“I… I don’t know how to—”She shook her head. “Just… you need to see this yourself.”“What do you mean you don’t know how to explain it?” Ethan’s voice carried an edge now, impatience mixing with growing unease."Lara, what the hell is going on?!" He snapped, his voice cutting through the room, making Marcel flinch from his position.She finally looked up at him, her eyes wide with shock and fear.Without a word, she exten
Chapter 173
Lara's mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. “I… Ethan, I have no idea about any of this. I’m as confused and… and horrified as you are." But suddenly, something clicked in Ethan’s mind. His instinct, the one that had been gnawing at him to never fully trust her, flared to life. How could she know nothing about this? According to Magnus, she knew the ins and outs of Aurelius Conglomerate better than he did. His brows narrowed dangerously. "You really expect me to believe that?" he snarled. He scoffed. "You knew absolutely nothing about any of this?” Something in Lara flared at his accusation. “Are you really suspecting me right now?” She snapped back. "When will you finally stop doubting me?" she asked, her voice breaking. She was overwhelmed by everything—the way he’d hurt her at that restaurant, how he was always suspicious of her, and how he still didn’t trust her despite all the sacrifices she’d made. "What exactly did I do to you to deserve this... endles
Chapter 174
All through the night, the single word ‘why’ gnawed at Ethan’s mind like a parasite, refusing to let him rest. He sat in that chair beside Magnus’ bed, watching the steady rise and fall of his father’s chest, while his own thoughts spiraled into chaos.The questions kept spinning in his mind, growing and spreading like a disease: Why would Magnus commit these horrible acts? Why would he collapse if he wasn’t guilty? How had Ethan been so blind to it all?The night dragged on forever. Every hour felt like it would never end as he struggled with doubts that made him question everything—his father, his life’s purpose, even who he really was.He paced back and forth across the floors of the chamber like a caged animal.He had come here looking for answers. He’d spent hours going through documents, hoping to find proof of Magnus’s involvement in these terrible crimes, but he found nothing that could help him.Two conflicting voices battled in his head, leaving him more confused than ever.
Chapter 175
Magnus wiped the blood from his lips as the silence stretched between them.His eyes searched Ethan’s face, as if looking for any trace of the son who once trusted him completely.“The truth…” Magnus began, his voice hoarse and barely audible. "You really don't trust me?"“No,” Ethan interrupted sharply. "Don’t give me that. Give me yes or no. Did you know about these atrocities? Were you involved?”"I don't want to be kept in the dark while people suffer and die because of this family name I carry.”Magnus tried to sit up straighter, wincing with the effort.“The companies… the subsidiaries…” he started, then stopped, looking directly into Ethan’s eyes. “Some of what they’re saying is—”The door burst open.Both Magnus and Ethan’s gazes snapped to the doorway where Lara stood, her face flushed with panic. However, the moment she saw the blood on Magnus’ lips, she rushed forward.“What happened?” she asked, her voice tight with worry.“Didn’t he tell you to excuse us?" Ethan snappe
Chapter 176
The mansion had been turned completely upside down. The police had left with boxes of financial records, computer hard drives, confidential documents, signed contracts, and anything else they deemed potentially useful to unravel the web of atrocities that had surfaced, leaving papers scattered like autumn leaves across the floor, furniture overturned, and drawers yanked open.The revelation had escalated beyond anything Ethan could have imagined. His phone had been buzzing non-stop with calls from Mr. Chen and John, both demanding to know what was happening—if it were true or not. And the stock prices for the entire company and all its subsidiaries were crashing badly.The media was absolutely feasting on the story, devouring every detail like vultures on fresh carrion.They’d been waiting years—decades even—for something, anything, that could bring down Magnus. Now they had a buffet of accusations, and they weren’t leaving a single crumb behind.But Ethan was drowning
Chapter 177
It had been two days. Two days of absolute hell for Magnus as everything he had built over decades came crashing down like a house of cards in a hurricane. The untouchable titan who had once commanded respect and fear from government officials and business moguls alike was now watching his empire burn from the inside of a holding cell.The government had seized control of the entire Aurelius Conglomerate and all its subsidiaries temporarily pending trial. Every bank account bearing the Aurelius name had been frozen—Magnus’ personal accounts, corporate accounts, investment portfolios, even the discretionary funds used for household expenses. Properties across the country that belonged to Magnus were placed under government control, with only the family mansion remaining untouched for now, though legal experts speculated it too would be seized after the trial.The media had painted Magnus as already guilty, and public opinion had solidified around the belief that he would be convicted
Chapter 178
The afternoon sun blazed down on the private Willowbrook Golf Course, casting long shadows across the manicured greens. Damian adjusted his expensive golf gloves, his jaw tight with frustration because the ball had rolled three feet past the hole again.“Damn it!” he snapped, throwing his putter to the ground.His five security guards stood at distances around the green, all dressed in identical black suits and dark sunglasses. They’d learned long ago not to react to their boss’s tantrums.Damian’s eyes swept across the course staff who were quietly maintaining the nearby sand traps. His face twisted into a sneer.“You there!” he barked at a groundskeeper who was raking sand near the seventh hole. “What kind of amateur setup is this? I’m paying premium rates for this exclusive session, and your greens are playing like a public course!”The young groundskeeper looked up nervously. “I’m sorry, sir. Is there something specific—”“Something specific?” Damian’s voice rose, dripping with
Chapter 179
Four wooden chairs surrounded a simple table under a white umbrella that provided shade from the blazing sun. The spot was designed for players to rest between rounds.That was where Damian, Viktor and the two Shadow members were now seated.Damian’s guards formed a loose circle around the area.Damian leaned forward in his chair.“What do you want, Viktor?” His voice matched the hardness in his eyes.Viktor smiled, unbothered by the hostile atmosphere. “First, let me say I’m impressed.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “Though I’m confused about how you managed to turn everything around for yourself and your whole family so quickly.”He tilted his head a bit. “You know, after that whole thing came out about the dangerous chemical which got you disowned and left you living such a miserable life... everyone completely wrote you off."His smile widened. “But look at you now. Power, wealth, position—all in such a short span. And after realizing that you were behind the damning evid
Chapter 180
Today was the day the entire country, even other countries, had been waiting for—Magnus Aurelius’ trial.The courthouse stood like a fortress of justice, its tall stone columns reaching toward the gray sky.News vans lined the street like metal soldiers, while reporters stood in clusters, their cameras and microphones ready.Mixed in with the press were ordinary citizens who had come to witness history. Some held signs demanding justice, others chanted slogans. The energy was electric, like a storm about to break.“There! That’s Ms. Blackwood's car!” A reporter’s voice cut through the noise as Lara’s sedan pulled up to the courthouse steps. With that, the crowd surged forward like a tide, pressing against the police barriers.Immediately after the car stopped, Marcel stepped out of the passenger seat.The crowd’s noise hit him like a wall—shouting voices, clicking cameras, the shuffle of hundreds of feet on pavement.He pushed through the tight space between bodies and reached for t