Cheated & Despised, now the Billionaire Heir

Chapter Nine

One guard stepped forward, placing a meaty hand on Ethan’s shoulder. "Let’s go.”

Before Ethan could shake the hand off, a sharp voice cut through the tense silence. "What in the name of all that’s holy is going on here?”

All eyes turned toward a tall, older gentleman in a distinguished gray suit striding purposefully across the lobby.

His posture radiated authority, and a faint badge on his lapel indicated a high-ranked position within Aurelius Group.

The manager stiffened instantly, turning to face the newcomer. "S-Sir Chandler! I, uh, we have a situation with a trespasser.”

Sir Chandler—clearly the manager’s superior—shot a quick glance at the group of guards, at Damian and Vanessa, then locked his gaze on Ethan. "A trespasser, you say?”

Damian opened his mouth to speak, but Sir Chandler ignored him, directing his attention to the manager’s hands, which still clutched the clipboard. "Give me a proper explanation, or I’ll start demoting people on the spot.”

The manager swallowed hard. "This man, uh, claims he has a black card from Aurelius Group. But it’s clearly not the standard design. We, um, concluded it must be a fake.”

Sir Chandler’s gaze sharpened.

“Not the standard design, hmm? Did you actually read what’s on the card, or did you just assume based on what you’re used to seeing?”

A flicker of doubt crossed the manager’s face.

He nodded stiffly. "I, well… you know, our top executives have black cards with the embossed logo, and his is engraved. It just didn’t match.”

Sir Chandler’s lips thinned. “Let me see it.”

Ethan pulled the card from his pocket, extending it without a word.

Sir Chandler took it gently, flipping it over.

The tension in the lobby was palpable.

Even the guards seemed uncertain now, glancing back and forth between the older gentleman’s face and the manager’s trembling figure.

For a moment, Sir Chandler’s expression was unreadable.

Then, abruptly, his eyes widened.

“You absolute fool,” he muttered under his breath, glaring at the manager.

The manager took a step back, panic swirling in his eyes.

“S-Sir, I—”

SMACK!

Sir Chandler’s palm connected with the manager’s cheek in a sudden, fierce slap.

The sound reverberated across the lobby, turning every whisper into stunned silence.

The manager clutched his face, looking like he’d just been struck by lightning. "Sir Chandler, please, I—”

“You dare to lay hands on someone who holds the highest-level black card in Aurelius Group?” Sir Chandler roared.

“You call security on him? Threaten him with force? Have you lost your mind?”

Damian took an involuntary step backward, eyes darting to the side.

Vanessa’s mouth hung open, no clever quips forthcoming.

The newly arrived guards blinked in confusion, unable to process the sudden shift.

"Highest-level…?” the manager repeated, voice trembling. “But, I—I—”

“Yes!” Sir Chandler hissed, thrusting the card forward.

"This is beyond the executive rank you’re familiar with. It’s only issued under very specific circumstances—and you were about to manhandle the cardholder?”

The manager dropped his clipboard in shock, papers scattering across the marble floor. His mind whirled with the realization: The card he’d just dismissed as a counterfeit was actually a special black card that even top directors rarely saw.

“I’m… so sorry…” he stammered, his face burning with shame.

“I didn’t know…”

Sir Chandler’s demeanor turned icy.

“That’s exactly your problem, isn’t it? You. Didn’t. Know.”

He swept a furious gaze over the trembling manager and then flicked it toward the security guards. "You’re all a disgrace to Aurelius Group’s professional standard.”

Damian attempted to intervene, forcing a nervous chuckle. "Sir Chandler, maybe you’re misunderstanding. This guy—”

Sir Chandler cut him off with a raised hand.

“One more word, Mr. Hayes, and I’ll have you escorted out."

Damian paled, stepping back to Vanessa’s side without protest.

She stared daggers at Ethan, as if blaming him for this entire fiasco, though she no longer had the confidence to run her mouth.

Turning to Ethan, Sir Chandler’s demeanor changed in an instant from anger to respect.

He bowed his head slightly. "I’m terribly sorry for this ordeal, sir. I offer my sincerest apologies on behalf of Aurelius Group. If there’s anything we can do…”