Dane demanded the moment the call connected, "Director Paige, is there a mistake in the partner list for today's banquet? I instructed the butler to contact you yesterday to remove Nexus Group."Lana laughed loudly from across the hall. "Who is Director Paige? I've never even heard that name. You're up to your fraudulent tricks again, Dane. Pretending to have connections you don't have."Cade felt something was off. Dane was far too confident. He had a nagging feeling that Dane's presence today boded ill for them.Cade whispered to Lana, "Let's drive him away. He used a fake VIP invitation to get in today, relying on some low-level connection. If we expose his true colors, the boss of Mercer Group will surely applaud us."Lana marched over and found Manager Kirk. "They used fake VIP invitations to get in earlier. Both the second male lead and I witnessed it."Kirk believed them without question. He hated Dane for making his nephew look bad. Kirk immediately called the security guards,

The blinding white spotlight hit the center of the main stage. The massive banquet hall was completely silent, everyone holding their breath to see the legendary owner of Mercer Group.But it wasn't a mysterious billionaire who stepped into the light.It was Dane.Wearing his cheap, faded clothes, Dane walked slowly and confidently down the aisle, right past the rows of stunned billionaires.Lana gasped, her eyes practically bulging out of her skull. She lunged forward and hissed, "Dane! What the hell are you doing?! Step back! They called for the boss of the company, not a broke beggar like you!"Cade grabbed Dane’s sleeve, trying to aggressively yank him back. "Are you insane?! How dare you pretend to be the boss of Mercer Group in front of everyone? You are going to get us all killed!"Dane easily brushed Cade’s hand away without even looking at him. He completely ignored their frantic whispers and kept walking.As Dane reached the steps to the stage, Paige, the terrifying CEO of M

"Which reckless fool dares to meddle in my business?!" Vaughn Croft shouted. He whipped his head around, his eyes wide with wild, unchecked rage.When he saw Dane walking out from the shadows, Vaughn’s face twisted in pure, hateful anger.One of Vaughn’s massive bodyguards immediately stepped forward. "Are you blind?!" the bodyguard yelled at Dane, spitting as he spoke. "Our young master is the heir of one of the top ten wealthy families in this city! Who do you think you are, talking to our young master like that?!"A second bodyguard looked Dane up and down, sneering at his cheap clothes with extreme disgust. "Look at those rags. You are not even worthy of polishing our young master's shoes."Dane stood perfectly still. He did not say a single word. His dark eyes were locked onto Vaughn, burning with a cold, deadly anger.Seeing an opportunity, Cade stepped out from the crowd. He pointed a shaking, accusing finger at Dane. "Mr. Croft, that beggar is Mara's boyfriend! He is deliberat

For three long seconds, the living room was dead silent.Then, Julian burst into a fit of loud, uncontrollable laughter.He laughed so hard he had to grab his stomach, pointing a manicured finger at Mara. "A contract? From Mercer Group? Secured by this unemployed beggar?" Julian wiped a dramatic tear from his eye. "Oh, Mara. I heard your family company was struggling, but I didn't realize the stress had made you completely delusional!"The stepmother quickly joined in, her voice dripping with bitter mockery. "Mara, have you lost your mind? You are embarrassing us in front of Mr. Julian! Do you think Mercer Group just hands out contracts on the street corner?"Mara's father scoffed loudly from the kitchen doorway, crossing his arms and glaring at Dane with pure disgust. "This is exactly why her mother's company is falling apart. Instead of accepting help from a successful man, she clings to a pathetic street rat who fills her head with fairy tales. It makes me sick to call her my daugh

The heavy wooden door closed shut, sealing Julian out in the dark hallway. Inside the little living room, the suffocating silence lingered for a few more seconds. Mara stood frozen, her heart still beating against her ribs from the sheer intensity of what had just happened.Then, the atmosphere changed so violently it gave Mara whiplash.A loud, overly joyful gasp broke the quiet. The stepmother’s face, which just moments ago had been twisted in a vicious sneer, suddenly bloomed into a massive, sickeningly sweet smile. It was a transformation so dramatic and fake that it made Mara’s stomach churn."Oh my goodness!" the stepmother practically squealed, rushing forward with her hands clasped together. She completely ignored Mara and zeroed in on Dane, her eyes practically shining with dollar signs. "Dane! You brilliant, humble man! Why on earth didn't you tell us you were keeping such a low profile? I am so incredibly sorry for my poor eyesight earlier. I openly admit I completely misun