All Chapters of The Secret Billionaire Son-in-law : Chapter 1
- Chapter 10
22 chapters
CHAPTER 1: THE FOOTSTOOL OF THE COLLINS FAMILY
"Careful, you useless trash! If you scratch a single pearl on that display, you won't be able to pay for it even if you sell your organs!"The harsh, screeching voice of Evelyn Collins echoed through the grand banquet hall of the Golden Leaf Hotel.Ethan Vance quietly adjusted the massive, crystal-embedded floral archway, his knuckles white from the strain. He wore a faded, slightly oversized suit that had clearly been bought from a thrift store. Compared to the glittering luxury of the venue, he looked entirely out of place."I'm keeping an eye on it, Mother," Ethan said softly, keeping his gaze trained on the floor."Don't call me mother! I’ve told you a thousand times, you don't deserve to use that word!" Evelyn sneered, her heavily jeweled hands resting on her hips. "For three years, you’ve done nothing but eat our food, live under our roof, and embarrass my daughter. Look at you! Tonight is the most important night in the history of the Collins family, and you look like a beggar
CHAPTER 2: THE RETURN OF THE KING
The pouring rain did nothing to slow down the sudden, massive commotion on the main avenue outside the Golden Leaf Hotel.The valet drivers and arriving high-society guests stopped in their tracks, completely frozen as the sound of roaring, synchronized engines echoed down the street.Out of the darkness, a fleet of ten identical, pristine black Rolls-Royce Phantoms turned the corner. They moved with military precision, their polished black paint gleaming under the neon lights of the city. Each car bore a license plate consisting of five identical sevens—a registration sequence that money couldn't buy. It belonged exclusively to the absolute apex of the business world: the Vance Group.The fleet pulled up to the curb right by the dark alleyway behind the hotel, completely blocking traffic.The door of the leading vehicle opened, and a dozen tall, burly security details in flawless black suits and wireless earpieces stepped out into the pouring rain. They ignored the water completely,
CHAPTER 3: THE FACE-SLAP AT THE GALA
Back inside the grand penthouse banquet hall, the atmosphere was electric. The scent of expensive champagne, high-end perfumes, and rich food filled the air.The entire Collins family was gathered near the main stage. Evelyn was grinning from ear to ear, holding a copy of the freshly signed divorce papers like a golden trophy. Dexter stood proudly beside her, constantly adjusting his tie and greeting the local businessmen who were trying to curry favor with him.Chloe stood slightly apart from them, looking down at her empty hands. A strange, hollow feeling was blossoming in her chest. She kept looking toward the back exit where the security guards had dragged Ethan out into the freezing downpour. Had she been too harsh? He was penniless and lacked ambition, yes, but he had never looked at her with the piercing, dead coldness he had shown right before he signed the papers."Chloe, stop staring at the door!" Evelyn hissed, stepping over and aggressively grabbing her daughter’s arm. "Lo
CHAPTER 4: THE PRICE OF REGRET
The silence in the penthouse banquet hall was suffocating. Nobody dared to breathe. The heavy, agonizing thud of Ethan’s bespoke leather shoe grinding the multi-million dollar contract into the spilled wine sounded like a death knell to the Collins family.Chloe stared at the crushed paper, her mind spinning completely out of control. The puzzle pieces of the last three years violently slammed together in her head.Ethan’s flawless posture, his refined manners that never quite made sense for a man from the streets, the way he never seemed genuinely broken by her mother's screaming insults—it wasn't because he was a coward. It was because he was a king walking among peasants, simply biding his time."E-Ethan..." Chloe took a shaky step forward, her hand reaching out instinctively, her voice cracking. "You... you're the supreme head of the Vance Group? Why? Why didn't you ever tell me?"Ethan turned his gaze to her. The warmth and devotion that used to fill his eyes whenever he looked a
CHAPTER 5: THE SINKING SHIP
The rain continued to lash against the glass walls of the penthouse suite, but the warmth inside the grand hall had vanished entirely. The elite guests who had come to celebrate with the Collins family were now whispering among themselves, casting looks of absolute disdain at the three broken figures left on the floor. Chloe stood frozen in place, staring at the closed double doors. Her hands were trembling violently. The silence in her chest was louder than the thunder outside. Ten million dollars. To her family, that amount of money was a colossal fortune—a sum that could instantly rescue Collins Logistics from the brink of total ruin. But to Chloe, it felt like an execution order. By handing her that money as "room and board reimbursement," Ethan hadn't just paid a debt; he had severed their history. He had looked at her not as an ex-wife, but as a transaction he wanted to settle and forget. Ding. A sharp, crisp notification rang out from Chloe's purse. Evelyn, who was still
CHAPTER 6: ENTER THE GRAYSONS
While Chloe was weeping on the cold concrete of the VIP parking garage, the scene upstairs in the penthouse banquet hall had turned into a desperate, chaotic frenzy.Evelyn and Dexter were furiously pacing the floor. The remaining catering staff were packing up the untouched luxury food, casting amused, mocking glances at the two fallen elites. The phone in Dexter’s hand was ringing nonstop—each vibration representing another supplier, investor, or bank calling to cancel their contracts with Collins Logistics."What do we do? What do we do?!" Dexter pulled at his hair, his expensive burgundy suit now looking crumpled and pathetic. "Aunt Evelyn, the bank just officially froze our corporate credit lines! They said because of the Vance Group blacklist, we are a high-risk entity. If we can't pay the shipping port fees by tomorrow morning, our entire fleet will be seized!""Use the ten million!" Evelyn shouted, her voice shrill with panic. "I told you, we have Chloe’s money! Just transfer
CHAPTER 7: THE PYTHON'S COILS
The next morning, the storm had cleared, but the morning sun brought no warmth to the headquarters of Collins Logistics.Chloe walked through the glass doors of the office building, her eyes heavy with dark circles. The moment she stepped into the lobby, she froze. The usual front desk receptionists were gone. Instead, two men in midnight-blue suits—the uniform of the Grayson Group—stood guard by the security turnstiles, looking over the staff with sharp, cold eyes.When Chloe tried to swipe her employee badge, a sharp beep rang out. Access Denied."Excuse me, Miss Collins," a cold voice sneered from behind her.Chloe turned around to see Dexter walking out of the executive elevator. He was no longer wearing his proud burgundy suit; instead, he wore a standard gray one, and the bandage on his forehead from the night before made him look incredibly frantic."Dexter, what is going on?" Chloe demanded, gesturing to the security guards. "Why is my badge deactivated? I am the Head of Opera
CHAPTER 8: BUYING THE GOLDEN TICKET
The morning sun brought no warmth to Chloe Collins as she sat in her office, staring blankly at the digital banking application on her phone. The number displayed was staggering: $10,000,000.00. It was a sum that could buy a fresh start anywhere else, but within the borders of this city, it felt like useless digital paper.Bang!The office door was violently kicked open. Garrett Grayson strode into the room, tapping his silver-headed cane against the floor with an irritating, rhythmic click. Behind him, Dexter and Evelyn slunk into the room like disciplined servants, their faces pale and full of anxiety."Still staring at your blood money, Chloe?" Garrett sneered, leaning heavily on his cane as he stopped right in front of her desk. "I told you yesterday. The local Vance Group branch is hosting the grand welcome banquet for Ethan’s official takeover tomorrow night. You need an invitation, and you're going to use that ten million dollars to get it."Chloe slammed her phone face down on
CHAPTER 9: THE PRICE OF PRIDE
The digital confirmation on Chloe’s phone screen seemed to glow with a malicious light. Three million dollars—gone in the blink of an eye.Garrett Grayson let out a sharp, mocking chuckle as he watched her stare at the screen. He leaned on his silver-headed cane, looking down at her like a master who had just successfully broken a stubborn pet. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it, Chloe? You still have seven million left to play with. Assuming, of course, your little stunt tomorrow night actually works.""Get out of my office, Garrett," Chloe whispered, her voice trembling with a mixture of rage and profound exhaustion."Oh, I'm leaving. I have a company to strip down, after all," Garrett sneered, turning on his heel. He paused at the door, glancing back over his shoulder at Evelyn and Dexter, who were still hovering like frightened ghosts. "Make sure she’s ready by tomorrow evening. If she ruins this, I won't just take the shipping docks—I’ll have the eviction notices served on your ma
CHAPTER 10: THE EVE OF THE BANQUET
The countdown to the grand welcome banquet was melting away, and with every passing hour, the invisible noose around the Collins family tightened.It was the night before the event, and the grand living room of the Collins mansion looked more like a war room. The coffee table was cluttered with printouts of the Starlight Convention Center’s layout, legal descriptions of the Vance Group's local shipping routes, and notes on the various peak families expected to attend.Dexter was pacing back and forth, furiously chewing on his thumb, his face pale beneath the bandage on his forehead. "Chloe, you need to memorize the faces of the Vance Group’s executive board. If you can’t get to Ethan directly, you might have to appeal to Chief Steward Thomas first. If Thomas shows even a shred of pity, Garrett might back off!""Thomas won't show pity, Dexter," Chloe said, her voice dropping into a flat, exhausted whisper. She was sitting on the edge of the sofa, staring blankly at the velvet box on he