2025-05-06 06:17:44The murmurs in the crowd grew louder as the man’s voice echoed through the grand entrance of the banquet hall. The security guard stiffened, exchanging a quick glance with his colleague before speaking into his earpiece.
“Copy that. Initiating system reboot.” Sierra’s confident smirk faltered as a second guard approached her and Marcus. “Miss Sierra, Mr. Marcus—we’ll need you to step aside for a moment while we refresh the guest registry.” “What?!” Sierra snapped, clearly affronted. “Are you serious? I already got in! My name was verified!” “I understand, ma’am, but we’ve been instructed to re-check all entries due to a last-minute update from Nova’s director’s office. It’ll only take a minute.” Alice folded her arms calmly, her expression slowly regaining composure as Sierra and Marcus were gently ushered aside like everyone else. Ethan took out his phone and tapped rapidly. Seconds later, the man in the suit, now clearly identified as one of Nova’s executive assistants, stepped toward them briskly, holding a tablet. His eyes scanned the crowd before settling on Alice and Ethan. “There you are,” he said with relief. “Miss Morgan, Mr. Storm—our sincerest apologies. Your names were just added directly by Director Logan herself. The update didn’t sync in time.” Sierra’s jaw dropped. “You’re—what?” The assistant didn’t even glance her way. He addressed the security guard instead. “Register them immediately. VIP status. They even have a VIP badge. Escort them inside personally.” “Yes, sir.” Sierra looked like she’d swallowed a lemon. Her lips parted, but no words came out. Marcus just gawked. Alice turned to Sierra, her voice honeyed with satisfaction. “Looks like my knees are safe tonight.” The crowd, sensing the shift in power, began whispering excitedly. Some even chuckled. Sierra tried to salvage her pride. “T-this doesn’t prove anything! You were just lucky—” Alice held up a finger. “A bet’s a bet, Sierra. You challenged me. You mocked me. And now, well…” She tilted her head toward the ground. “Time to pay up.” Sierra flushed scarlet, her hands clenched into fists. “Forget it,” Marcus hissed. “This is ridiculous.” But the murmurs around them were growing. Several people were filming now. Alice’s tone dropped, low and dangerous. “Walk away if you want, Sierra. But everyone here will know exactly what that means.” Sierra trembled in rage, but she couldn’t move. She stood there, paralyzed—neither kneeling nor retreating. The assistant turned politely to Alice again. “Shall I escort you in now, Miss Morgan?” Alice offered a dazzling smile, slipping her hand into Ethan’s. “Please do.” As they walked past Sierra and Marcus, Alice paused for a second and whispered just loud enough, “You were right about one thing, Sierra. Ethan and I are perfect for each other.” Ethan leaned down, adding in a deadly murmur, “Next time you laugh at her, make sure you’re not the punchline.” With that, they entered the grand Nova banquet hall, leaving Sierra humiliated, her bet lost, and her pride in pieces. And the night had only just begun.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
186
Days passed, and the Logan mansion felt like a tomb. News of Jerry’s disappearance spread fast, along with the truth about the fake contracts. Investors pulled out immediately. Seven million dollars evaporated overnight. Debts piled up, bills stacked higher, and the public humiliation of the Logan family was complete.Mrs. Logan sat on the floor, eyes red and swollen, rocking back and forth. “Everything… gone! How could we… we trusted him!”Aunt Clara slumped into a chair, staring blankly at the TV screen replaying Jerry’s fake promises. “We… we really were fools…”Martin slammed his fists on the table. “Our family name… ruined… because of that brat Jerry. Elsa, and that… that Ethan, they… they were right!”Uncle Ron rubbed his temples. “And we ignored all the warnings. We—”Suddenly, a phone rang. Mr. Logan’s assistant spoke hurriedly. “Mrs. Logan… you need to get to the hospital. It’s… it’s urgent.”Mrs. Logan froze. “What happened?!”The assistant’s voice trembled over the phone.
185
The Logan family still stared at Jerry, hope and doubt mixed in their faces. They wanted to believe him, even though everything said otherwise.Jerry wiped the sweat from his forehead and straightened his suit. He looked at them with mock sadness. “You’ll regret this, boy,” he said coldly. “Defaming me… lying about me… you’ll pay. I’m filing a complaint. And Elsa, mark my words… I am done with your family.”“Jerry! Don’t go!” Mrs. Logan shouted, her voice cracking. “Please… we can fix this!”Mr. Logan tried to call him back. “Jerry, wait! Let’s talk, let’s—”But Jerry ignored them. He stepped toward the door, glanced over his shoulder, and said with a bitter smile, “Don’t bother calling again. You’ve lost your chance. I’m done.”He walked out, leaving a stunned silence behind.Martin, Elsa’s cousin, slammed his fist on the table. “This is all because of Ethan and Elsa! They ruined everything!”Aunt Clara muttered, “How could we let him ruin our gala? Everything we worked for…”“Mark m
184
At that moment, the doors opened again. A young journalist stepped forward, microphone in hand. She looked straight at Jerry, then at the family.“I’m Clara Monroe, from The Daily Herald,” she said, her voice steady. “Mr. Milton, can you confirm your partnership with Natalie White? Some of your supposed contracts seem… questionable. People are asking if the collaboration is real.”Jerry froze for a split second, then forced a calm smile. “Of course it’s real,” he said smoothly. “Everything is perfectly legitimate.”Ethan had been waiting for this. Earlier, he had subtly leaked evidence of Jerry’s scams to the press, making sure the questions would hit hard. Now, the trap was set.Clara leaned forward, her eyes sharp. “Can you show proof that Natalie White actually signed these contracts? And what about the bank transfers for her payment? Some documents show discrepancies.”Jerry’s fingers tightened around his glass. “Discrepancies? I… I don’t know what you mean. Everything is perfectl
183
Jerry’s eyes suddenly landed on Ethan and Elsa as they entered the grand hall. A slow, mocking smile spread across his face.“Well, well… so the liar has come again,” he said, loud enough for a few nearby guests to hear. He laughed lightly, shaking his head. “I never thought I’d see Elsa stooping this low… standing beside a broke man like you.”Elsa’s eyes narrowed, her hand clenching into a fist. “Jerry,” she said firmly, her voice steady, “you might want to show some respect to Ethan. He—”Ethan reached out, placing a gentle hand on her arm before she could continue. “Let’s not start a scene,” he whispered. She hesitated, then nodded reluctantly.They moved down the hall, leaving Jerry smirking in their wake. As they passed him, he called out loudly, his tone dripping with false confidence, “Enjoy watching tonight. Natalie White herself will come, and you’ll see just how rich and powerful I really am.”Ethan and Elsa glanced at each other, shaking their heads, a small laugh escaping
182
After Elsa and Ethan left, the house felt heavy with silence. Mr. Logan immediately grabbed his phone and dialed Jerry’s number.“I need to fix Elsa’s and her trash of friend’s mess!” The phone rang… once… twice… three times… no answer. He tried again, his fingers tapping nervously on the table.Finally, on the fourth call, Jerry picked up, his voice smooth, calm—but with coldness. “Hello?”“Jerry! Finally! I’ve been calling you nonstop. I… I apologize on Elsa’s behalf,” Mr. Logan stammered. “We—well, she—please, I need to speak to you. It’s urgent.”Jerry chuckled softly. “Mr. Logan… you have no idea how angry I am. I trusted you, your family… and look how you treat me. I’m… really disappointed.” He talked as if he’d been wronged all his life.Mr. Logan swallowed hard. “I understand. I… I truly apologize. Anything… anything you want, just—”Jerry’s voice grew smooth and persuasive. “Well… if you really want to make amends, there’s something urgent we could do together. A huge oppor
181
Her hands trembled as she pointed at them. “You keep calling me selfish, ungrateful, a disgrace—but none of you ever listen! You don’t see! Jerry is lying. He’s been lying! And you’re so blind you can’t even tell.” Her father’s jaw dropped. “Elsa—” “No!” she cut him off, tears springing to her eyes. “You care more about reputation than me! About looking good in front of others. You don’t care if Jerry is a liar, as long as you get what you want!” Aunt Clara gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Elsa’s chest heaved. “And you—” she turned to Martin, her voice dripping with anger. “You love seeing me fall. You love watching me suffer because it makes you feel bigger.” Martin’s smirk faltered. Elsa’s voice broke. “I’m not a pawn. I’m not a doll you can marry off to whoever you like. I’m your daughter, your family—why can’t any of you stand with me? Just once?” Silence… No one spoke. Elsa wiped at her tears with shaking hands, her breathing uneven. For the first time,
You may also like
TRILLIONAIRE ON TOP
Sweet savage218.8K viewsThe Return Of The God of War
Esther Writes368.0K viewsThe Rise Of The Unknown Zillionaire Heir
Gem Lynne159.8K viewsReturn of the Powerful Young Master
AFM3187.7K viewsTHE TRAMPH WHO BECAME AN HEIR TO A FORTUNE
Icha Ghozali513 viewsTHE BILLIONAIRE'S HEIR UNCHAINED
I am Rohi 697 viewsAfter The Divorce: The Nobody Became a Billionaire
PaulyP110 viewsFrom Pathetic Loser To A Potent Legend
LIAM MUSE673 views