All Chapters of Dark Fate: The Useless Son-in-Law’s Vengeance: Chapter 31
- Chapter 40
55 chapters
The Rejection
Vincent stood outside the sleek glass doors of Maison Lumière…one of Madame Duchamp’s flagship restaurants…checking his watch for the fifth time in ten minutes.He’d been waiting for two hours.Two. Fucking. Hours.The receptionist had told him Manager Idris was “in meetings” and would be available “shortly.” That had been at eleven in the morning. It was now past one, and Vincent was still standing in the lobby like some desperate salesman trying to pitch a product nobody wanted.His feet ached. His back hurt from standing. And the humiliation of watching other people…actual important people…walk past him with barely a glance was beginning to fray his already thin patience.A young couple entered the restaurant, laughing about something. The hostess greeted them immediately with warm smiles and led them inside without hesitation.Vincent’s jaw clenched.He’d dressed carefully for this meeting. He wore his best suit…his hair was styled perfectly. He looked successful. But the staff tre
Rejection 2
Manager Idris leaned forward, his cordial mask completely gone. “Let me be very clear with you, Mr. Lu. Three years ago, you helped expedite a permit for one of our satellite locations. A minor bureaucratic favor that took you perhaps an afternoon of phone calls. I thanked you then with a complimentary dinner. We are now even. That debt, such as it was, has been paid.”Vincent’s hands gripped the armrests harder.“What you’re asking for now,” Idris continued, “is not the same as the favour. You’re asking me to risk my position, my reputation, and my relationship with Madame Duchamp herself…a woman I’ve worked for twenty-three years…so that your fiancée can attend a party. Do you understand how insulting that is?”“I’m not trying to insult you…”“Then what are you trying to do?” Idris asked coldly. “Because from where I’m sitting, you are attempting to cash in a favor that doesn’t exist for something that’s completely beyond my power to provide.”Vincent’s face burned. “I wouldn’t be h
The Stranger’s Offer
Vincent was thrown out of Maison Lumière’s front doors, the security guards watching him from just inside the glass entrance.His face burned with humiliation. His hands were shaking. Every person who passed on the sidewalk felt like they were staring at him, judging him.He walked blindly down the street, not really seeing where he was going. A rock sat near the curb. Vincent kicked it hard, watching it skitter across the pavement.“Fuck!” The word tore out of him.He’d promised Victoria. Promised her he’d get the invitation. And now he had nothing. Worse than nothing in fact.A hand touched his shoulder.Vincent spun around, ready to lash out at whoever was there.A man in a dark suit stood behind him. He was younger than Vincent expected, maybe early thirties, with a professional bearing that suggested he had money.“Someone wants to see you,” the man said quietly.Vincent pulled back. “I don’t know you.”“No. But he knows you.” The man gestured to a black car parked at the curb a f
The Penthouse
Fifty floors above, Adrian stood with Sophia in the center of the penthouse suite.Sunlight flooded the space, reflecting off polished marble floors. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrapped around the entire apartment, offering an unobstructed view of the city skyline.Sophia turned slowly, taking it all in. “Adrian,” she said softly, “this is… I can’t accept this. This apartment must be worth…”“It’s an investment,” Adrian said simply. “I’ve followed Stellar Dynamics for years. Your innovation was remarkable. I tried to invest multiple times, but I could never get a share.” Although it was a lie as he only heard about it after meeting her, he said it to put her mind at ease.Sophia’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Consider this penthouse part of my investment in your future. When Stellar Dynamics rises again…and it will…I want to be part of that success.”“You really believe that?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.“I’m counting on it.”A tear slipped down her cheek. After the bank
False Victory
Victoria was pacing the living room when Vincent walked through the penthouse door, her phone was pressed to her ear, her voice sharp with irritation.“I don’t care what the supplier says, Jenny. I need those projections by tomorrow morning or…” She looked up and saw Vincent standing in the doorway, and something in his expression made her stop mid-sentence. “I’ll call you back.”She ended the call, her eyes fixed on Vincent’s face. “Well?”Vincent reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the two cream-colored envelopes.Victoria held her breath as her eyes locked on it . She crossed the room in three quick steps, snatching the envelopes from his hands. Her fingers trembled slightly as she opened one, pulling out the formal invitation with its platinum ticket and security hologram.“Oh my god,” she whispered. “Oh my god, you actually got them.”Then she threw her arms around Vincent’s neck, kissing him hard. “You’re amazing. You’re incredible. How did you do it?”Vincent forced a
Broken Men
Alexander sat hunched over the bar, drinking his third cheap beer of the evening.The place smelled like stale cigarettes and desperation. It has sticky floors, dim lighting, it was the kind of bar where nobody asked questions and everyone minded their own business.It was the only place Alexander could afford anymore.He stared at the remaining bills in his wallet. Eighty-seven yuan. That’s all he had left to his name. Eighty-seven yuan and a pile of debts he’d never be able to pay.Three months ago, he’d been a vice president. He’d had an office with a view, an assistant, a salary that let him live comfortably and pretend to be more successful than he really was.Now he had nothing.The bartender..:a middle-aged woman with tired eyes..:refilled his beer without asking. Alexander nodded his thanks and took a long drink.His phone sat on the bar beside him, screen dark. He’d stopped checking it weeks ago. There were no calls anymore. No messages. Just automated notifications from deb
Broken Men
“You must have some idea,” Derek pressed.Alexander hesitated, then said, “Adrian Cole.”“Adrian?” Derek blinked. “Victoria’s ex-husband? That nobody?”“That’s what I thought too. But somehow…” Alexander shook his head.Derek’s expression changed. Something dark flickered across his face.“What?” Alexander asked.Derek stood and walked to the window, staring out at the city lights. “It’s not Adrian.”“What do you mean?”“It’s Sophia.” Derek’s voice was tight with barely contained rage. “My bitch cousin got her company back. Stellar Dynamics. Worth billions now.”Alexander stared at him. “Sophia did this?”“I don’t know how she did it. But she did.” Derek turned back to face him, and his expression was twisted with something ugly. “And my father disowned me because of her. Said I destroyed our greatest family money connection.”Derek laughed, but it sounded like he was dying inside. “He kicked me out. Cut me off. All because of her.”They sat in silence for a moment, two broken men sta
The Gala
Vincent stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie for the third time.The tuxedo he’d rented was perfect. It was expensive-looking enough to blend in with the crowd at Madame Duchamp’s gala.Behind him on the bed lay the dress he’d managed to get for Victoria. Maison Delacroix, just like he’d promised. It had cost him everything he had left plus another loan he’d taken out at interest rates that made his stomach turn.But it was worth it. Victoria would never doubt him again after this and they could proceed with the wedding.Vincent’s phone buzzed. A text from the loan shark.Don’t forget our agreement, Lu. One kidney and a pound of flesh if you can’t pay. Signed and notarized.Vincent’s jaw clenched. He’d agreed to it two days ago, desperate and out of options. If he couldn’t come up with the money in time, they’d take a kidney. Literally. The contract was legal enough in the gray areas where these people operated.He deleted the message and pocketed his phone.Tonight wasn’t
Madam Duchamp
The thought came unbidden and she hated herself for it.But it was impossible to deny. Standing there in that perfectly tailored tuxedo, with Sophia on his arm, looking completely at ease in a room full of the city’s elite…He looked powerful. Commanding. Like someone who belonged in a place like this.Nothing like the man she’d divorced.Around her, the whispers started.“Who is that?”“I’ve never seen him before. How did we miss someone so handsome in our circle?”“He must be new money. But look at how people are gravitating toward him.”“And that woman with him…she’s stunning. Is that Sophia Laurent? The one who made that miraculous comeback?”“They look like they stepped out of a magazine.”Victoria’s fingers tightened around her wine glass. The crystal pressed painfully against her palm.Vincent’s jaw clenched beside her. Adrian. That useless househusband who’d done nothing but clean for three years. Now standing there like he owned the place.It made his blood boil.Victoria nodd
Chaos at the Gala
Sophia’s hand tightened around Adrian’s so hard her knuckles went white.“Did you hear that?” she whispered urgently, her eyes wide with excitement and barely contained panic. “A protégé. She’s looking for a protégé. Adrian, that’s… that’s the opportunity of a lifetime.”Around them, the ballroom buzzed with similar reactions. Excited whispers, phones being pulled out, people already strategizing how to approach Madame Duchamp.Sophia turned to Adrian, her expression determined. “I need to go talk to her. Right now. Before everyone else crowds around her and I lose my chance.”She started to move forward, but Adrian’s hand on her arm stopped her gently.“Sophia,” he said quietly. “You’re going to get it.”She looked up at him, hope and doubt warring in her eyes. “How can you possibly know that?”“Because I know you.” Adrian’s voice was calm, certain. “You’re brilliant. You’re innovative. You have exactly the kind of vision Madame Duchamp is looking for.”“But so do half the people in