Cheated & Despised, now the Billionaire Heir

Chapter Ten

Vanessa’s and Damien’s mouths fell open in shock at the sight before them—Mr. Chandler, apologizing to Ethan.

Damian ignored Mr. Chandler’s warnings and sneered. “Are you seriously apologizing to this worthless bastard?”

He let out a scoff, his brows drawing together in disbelief. “Or wait… are you two in on this together?”

His lips curled in disgust as he gestured at Ethan. “Did you set this up? Is this your doing?”

Straightening his suit, he gave Mr. Chandler a look of pure disdain. “Don’t worry, once the chairman signs that document, this will be your last day here. Scum like you, who will always be filth no matter where you go, don’t belong in a place like this. I’ll personally make sure you crawl back to the gutter where you came from—”

The manager stepped closer to Damian and whispered in his ear, "You clearly don't know who he is, Mr. Hayes. I'd advise you to keep your mouth shut—"

"Or what?!" Damien snapped at the manager, his face twisted in fury.

Vanessa, emboldened by Damien’s audacity, laughed softly. “What did you expect? They're all cut from the same filthy cloth.”

She folded her arms, smirking. “You all might as well start packing your things because today will be your last day here. A golden opportunity like this shouldn’t be wasted on low lives like you.”

Her smile turned sly. “But don’t worry, we might be generous enough to forgive your little display of stupidity. But only after you’ve suffered enough.”

Then, her gaze snapped to Ethan, eyes burning with contempt.

She scanned him from head to toe, her expression twisted in a mix of disgust and fury. “I don’t know how you managed to escape death last night, but trust me, once we’re done here, you’ll be begging for it. And the best part?”

She leaned in slightly. “It won’t come.”

The manager, caught in the crossfire and intimidated by Vanessa’s snarl, hesitated, unsure of which side to take, before trying to defuse the tension.

Taking a deep breath, he said, “Let’s all take a moment to calm down and settle this peacefully.”

"Guards, take them out this instant!" Mr. Chandler ordered, angered by their behaviors upon his warning.

"The three of them!"

Damian's fist clenched, his face twisting in rage as the guards obeyed Mr. Chandler’s order without hesitation, forming a circle around him and Vanessa, closing in fast.

Pointing furiously at each of them, Damian snarled, “If any of you filthy rats lay hands on me, I swear I’ll have them chopped off and make sure you never use them again!”

The guards hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances, uncertain of their next move, until Mr. Chandler’s firm voice reminded them who was in charge.

Vanessa’s heart pounded as she realized what was about to happen—they were about to be thrown out like trash. Worse, it was happening in front of Ethan.

Her voice wavered slightly as she turned to Damien. “Babe, what the hell is going on?”

Damian snapped again, his voice sharp with fury. “I said, don't you dare touch me with your disgusting hands!”

When he leaned in and whispered to Vanessa, “Let’s just leave… for now,” her eyes widened in disbelief.

Then, turning his blazing gaze to Mr. Chandler, he seethed, “You—mark my words, you’ll regret this. I swear, I’ll make sure you, your family, and every damn generation after you pay for this!”

Ethan, watching the scene unfold with barely concealed amusement, let a smirk creep onto his face.

Then he turned and strode inside, leaving Damian, Vanessa, and the manager to be forcefully escorted out—disrespectfully, just as they deserved.

The grand ballroom of Aurelius Conglomerate's headquarters was a dazzling display of wealth and prestige.

Massive crystal chandeliers bathed the pristine marble floors in golden light, while silk-covered chairs stood in perfect rows.

Every detail screamed extravagance—from the towering floral arrangements of rare orchids, imported from the world’s most exclusive gardens, to the gold-trimmed pillars lining the vast hall.

The attendees—made up of directors, top executives, shareholders from Aurelius Conglomerate and its subsidiaries, plus a few guests—stood around in sleek suits and designer dresses, chatting in low voices about the big Hayes Pharmaceutical upcoming partnership announcement.

It was the highlight of the event, completely overshadowing the anniversary celebration.

Ethan could already tell it would be the city’s hottest topic for days—maybe even weeks—if everything played out the way he had envisioned.

As he stepped inside, his calm and composed demeanor stood in contrast to the predatory stares thrown his way.

It's not surprising, considering his unremarkable appearance—a low-grade suit and the simple fact that, for now, he was a nobody.

Whispers rippled through the crowd as he walked past.

"Who the hell is that?"

"How did he even get in here?"

"A worthless nobody… in here?"

He let out a quiet sigh, disappointed but not surprised. It looked like the entire upper class was infected with the same disease—judging books by their covers.

"Isn't that Vanessa’s ex? What the hell is he doing here?" A man in a blue tux sneered.

He was a guest.

Shock was written on everyone's face after they asked the man if Ethan was truly the one, which the man confirmed.

Then, they chuckled, their eyes filled with disdain as they assessed Ethan like a stray dog that had wandered into a royal feast.

Ethan couldn’t help but wonder how they even knew about it. As far as he was concerned, whatever he had with Vanessa was never public.

"Tsk. He’s probably here to serve drinks and wait on us like the lowlife he is." A director of Aurelius Construction scoffed.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Mrs. Smith said, her voice laced with mockery.

She's a shareholder of Aurelius Pharmaceuticals Group.

She stood with a glass of champagne in one hand, her posture straight despite her age.

Her silver hair was swept into a neat twist, and her pearl earrings glinted under the chandelier light.

She wore a navy blue dress that looked expensive but not flashy—just enough to remind people she had old money and knew how to use it.

"He must be here to beg Vanessa to take him back. How pathetic."

Laughter followed the taunts, but Ethan didn’t flinch.

His sharp eyes swept over the room before he calmly walked over to an empty chair, choosing to sit away from the crowd. Their words were nothing but meaningless noise.

Just then, the grand double doors swung open again, and in waltzed Damian and Vanessa, escorted by two guards.

Damian, now emboldened by his connections, strode in with a smug grin, his arm loosely wrapped around Vanessa’s waist.

“Here comes the man of the hour!” Jayden called out, loud enough to turn a few heads.

He’s a guest, the heir to one of the second-tier families in the city.

His tailored suit hugged his tall frame perfectly, and his dark hair was slicked back.

A flashy watch peeked out from under his sleeve as he rushed forward, just subtle enough to show off.

A wave of fawning attention crashed Damian and Vanessa instantly.

Jayden reached out to shake hands with Damian. "I knew you were destined for greatness the moment your father named you his heir. Congratulations on this achievement. Not everyone gets the chance to pull something like this off."

Leaning in slightly, he lowered his voice. "But don’t forget me and my company, big man."

Apparently, after being thrown out, Damian had wasted no time calling Mr. Lorenzo—the COO of Aurelius Investment Group, one of the top subsidiaries under the Aurelius Conglomerate—who hadn’t even arrived at the event yet.

After hearing Damian's side of the story, Mr. Lorenzo had sent someone to escort Damian and Vanessa back inside.

"Vanessa, you look stunning as always! You two are a powerful couple," someone chimed in.

Vanessa smiled, basking in the compliment.

"Though, it seems like a certain someone who clearly doesn’t belong here is desperately hanging around for you." The woman added.

At that moment, both Vanessa’s and Damien’s eyes landed on Ethan.

"It’s almost pathetic how some people just don’t know when to walk away after being tossed aside," Damian scoffed.

Vanessa chuckled, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "I'm not surprised actually. Guys like him thrive on humiliating themselves."

The attendees burst into laughter.

Ethan, however, looked surprised when he saw Damian and Vanessa walk back into the room.

He hadn't expected them to return so quickly.

But he didn't worry too much. A small smile formed on his face as he watched the fake people gather around them.

Soon, everyone praising Damian and Vanessa would turn against them.

That moment was coming very soon.

His smile grew as he checked his watch. It would happen any minute now.