“What place is this?”Dick groaned softly, consciousness slowly creeping back into his brain, which felt like it was throbbing with severe pain. Every time he tried to take a breath, the stuffy air, thick dust, and damp odor immediately pierced his nose unpleasantly. His head felt very heavy, as if it had just been struck by a blunt object with full force that nearly shattered his skull.When he tried to move his body to find a more comfortable position, what he felt instead was extraordinary muscle stiffness and a painful ache in every single joint of his body. His hands and feet turned out to be tightly bound with rough rope wound securely around an old, creaky, and fragile wooden chair.His vision was still very blurry, only able to catch dim silhouettes of a pitch-black, silent, and dirty basement. Not a single bright light shone in there, except for a faint beam of light piercing through a small ventilation crack on the upper wall. Extraordinary panic suddenly slammed into his ch

“You should rest, now.” Fae spoke in a soft tone to him, taking over what Jacob had been reading earlier.The atmosphere in the main hall of the West family's grand estate felt so serene, magnificent, yet thick with heavy formal tension. Sitting gracefully on an elegant classic European-style long sofa, Jacob West sipped his specially brewed warm tea, faithfully accompanied by Fae, who stood beside his wheelchair while helping him organize a stack of important document files on the marble table."How is the progress of the final preparations for next week's grand event?" Jacob asked without shifting his gaze even a bit from the corporate report documents he was reading.Fae tidied a few sheets of company-logoed paper in her hands before answering in a calm voice. "All special invitations for high-ranking important business relations and exclusive press media have been sent out, Dad. The internal PR team has also ensured that Derek's official introduction event as the absolute sole hei

"Sir, let's toast." Someone Derek didn't know spontaneously approached him.Derek responded casually, then easily pulled himself away, yet despite that, someone else always approached him again and again.The reception party continued with an atmosphere growing warmer yet still laden with high-society social intrigue. After the official introduction procession concluded, Derek was surrounded by various prominent figures who simply wanted to shake hands, get acquainted, or curry favor with the West family's new heir.Although he tried to attend to them with polite smiles and a professional demeanor, mental exhaustion began to creep into his mind. Amidst the crowd of businessmen in expensive suits, several elite city figures who were curious about Derek's past background began to approach slowly.A group of middle-aged men from the circle of real estate corporate directors stood not far from where Derek was standing, whispering to each other while casting dismissive glances. To them, De

“Derek! Order them to pull me back! Do it quickly!” Leaning out toward the edge of the building, he looked back toward Derek. “I'm begging you please!” His shout sounded desperate.The two sturdy-built guards stood right at the edge of the high villa rooftop railing. Down below, the expanse of rocky ground was clearly visible thanks to the lit garden lamps. The night wind blew fiercely, blowing back Dick's hair which was now damp with cold sweat.But who cared? That place was private land that was difficult to access and had vast distances separating it from others. Even if Dick screamed at the top of his lungs, no one would hear him. The place was almost like a forest.Derek snorted indifferently. "I don't really hear what you say, it's too windy here."“I said I beg you! Please pull me right now!” He shouted again, his breath panting, his chest rising and falling wildly, and his body trembling violently until his knees were nearly too weak to support his own weight.Derek slowly ros

The stout man, his face now a shade of purple that bordered on apoplectic, didn't seem to know whether to charge at Derek or sink into the floor. He stammered, his fingers pointing accusingly, "You! How dare you little punk! Do you have any idea who you're talking to? My firm holds the contracts for--" his word got cut by Derek."I don't care if your firm holds the contracts for the Moon itself," Derek interrupted, his voice dropping to a dangerous, steady calm that effectively silenced the man.He took a single, slow step forward, forcing the stout man to stumble backward. "You made a scene. You humiliated an employee who has no power to fight back, all because of a suit that, frankly, doesn't look half as expensive as you pretend it is. Now, unless you want the rest of this party to see you acting like a spoiled toddler, I suggest you offer that young lady an apology and walk away."He doesn't understand at all why the so called rich person always make a fuss with something like thi