From Rags to God of War

He's going to die

"Not bad?!" Elsa shrieked, sharp with contempt. She dropped her fork with a loud clang on the plate, drawing everyone's attention at the table. "Good heavens, Nicholas! What were you expecting? Moss soup from the river? Or stale bread from a dumpster?"

Isabella glared at Elsa. "Elsa!"

Richard gave a cynical laugh, enjoying the spectacle. "Maybe he's just surprised, honey. Food of this caliber must be foreign to his palate."

"Of course it's foreign!" Elsa continued, looking at Nicholas with disgust. "He has no taste, Richard! Just look at the way he ate earlier. Like someone who's just seen fancy food for the first time in his life. Fast and gluttonous, with no manners!"

Nicholas just stared blankly at Elsa, his expression completely unchanged. This only fueled Elsa's anger further.

"You really are a true loser, Nicholas!" Elsa sneered, her voice rising an octave. "Isabella bought you expensive clothes, you're being taken to a fancy restaurant, and someone else is even paying! But you still have no self-awareness! Your brain can only manage to fill your stomach, right? What else can one expect from someone like you?"

Isabella clenched her fists under the table. She felt incredibly embarrassed and furious. "Elsa, stop it! You're going too far!"

"Going too far, how?" Elsa pointed at Nicholas. "I'm just speaking the truth! This man, who you call your husband, is nothing but a parasite! He just lives off your family, Isabella! And look at him, Isabella! Is there even a shred of shame on his face?"

Isabella was about to stand up and drag Nicholas out of there immediately, but thankfully Gilbert quickly restrained her.

Nicholas remained calm. He even subtly shifted his plate, as if unbothered by Elsa's ranting. His nonchalant attitude only made Elsa rage harder.

"You think I don't know?!" Elsa screamed. "I know you have nothing! I did my research! You even whined to me to pay for your laundry, in public, because you had no money!"

Gilbert, who had been holding his breath and tense, watching Nicholas consume the poisoned food, now felt the situation spiraling. Nicholas needed to remain relaxed and finish the subsequent courses. His plan couldn't be ruined by Elsa's outburst.

"That's enough, everyone!" Gilbert interjected, his voice firm but not shouting. He forced a smile that was too wide for everyone. "Elsa, Richard, what's wrong with you two? This is a family dinner, not a shouting match! I specifically invited you all to dinner to foster goodwill. Let's not talk about Nicholas anymore; he's our guest." Gilbert even gave Nicholas a small smile. "Let's just enjoy the food that's been prepared. Have you all finished your appetizers? I'll call Andy for the next course."

Elsa and Richard exchanged glances. Elsa's face showed genuine confusion mixed with a hint of suspicion. Richard frowned. Gilbert, the cousin who was usually so anti-Nicholas, was now openly defending him and telling Elsa to be quiet. This was not the Gilbert they knew.

Inwardly, Elsa wondered, 'What's going on? Why is Gilbert defending that loser? This isn't like him. Something fishy is going on. What is he really planning?' Elsa leaned back in her chair, annoyed, but her gaze never left Gilbert. She felt there was a bigger game at play, and Gilbert was the one playing it.

Richard observed Gilbert with a touch of suspicion but chose to remain silent. Isabella let out a sigh of relief. Nicholas just gave a small nod, expressionless.

Everyone started to enjoy their food. Isabella narrowed her eyes, observing Gilbert, who seemed overly enthusiastic.

"So, Stefani," Elsa began, nudging Richard beside her. "You're Gilbert's girlfriend? How come I've never seen you before?"

Stefani offered a faint smile, then slightly raised her glass. "I'm Stefani. Gilbert and I were college friends, then we got closer. We've actually been in a long-distance relationship. I'm really happy to finally meet all of you, Gilbert's family."

Isabella gave a friendly smile. "I'm Isabella. Nicholas's wife." She introduced herself formally, trying to project a professional image amidst the awkward atmosphere.

Elsa quickly interjected, her eyes darting to Richard. "And I'm Elsa. This is Richard Green, my boyfriend. He's the Vice Director at Green Corporation." She emphasized Richard's title, as if to impress everyone.

Richard nodded politely. "Nice to meet all of you. It's actually perfect timing; Elsa and I are exploring new potential collaborations. Perhaps we could discuss it another time?"

Stefani then stared at Nicholas for quite a while, as if trying to get a deeper understanding of Isabella's husband.

Elsa noticed Stefani's gaze on Nicholas. She used this situation to destroy Nicholas's reputation. "You really shouldn't bother talking to him. He has nothing and knows nothing."

Elsa turned to her boyfriend, acting romantically. "Richard, you're too serious. Pity the loser next to us; he must be worried because he has nothing."

Isabella immediately defended her husband. "Elsa, don't talk nonsense. Nicholas might seem to have nothing, but he's helped me a lot. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to secure important projects at the Diamond Group."

Elsa scoffed. "That was just a coincidence, Isabella. A lucky coincidence, but still a coincidence. I looked into it yesterday; Nicholas truly is a loser. He even whined and cried for me to pay for his laundry when I invited him for coffee."

Nicholas remained completely unruffled, calmly sipping his water. He even brushed off some breadcrumbs that had accidentally fallen on the table, as if the conversation had nothing to do with him.

Gilbert knew he couldn't let the atmosphere get too heated and ruin his plan. He needed Nicholas to consume all the specially prepared food.

"Alright, alright," Gilbert cut into the conversation. "This is a family dinner, not a board meeting. Let's talk about pleasant things." Gilbert smiled at Nicholas. "Nicholas, are you done with your appetizer? Finish it up quickly. There's a much more delicious main course coming."

Nicholas nodded, putting down his fork. His plate was spotless.

Gilbert felt an immense wave of relief. He had been so tense. "Waiter!" Gilbert called the young waiter. "Please serve the next course."

All this time, Andy had been standing not far from the table, his face pale. As soon as he got the order, he immediately served the next course. He knew he had done his part.

Dinner continued. Nicholas kept eating; the poison prepared by Lord Gideon went completely undetected by him.

...

After dinner, Gilbert waited for everyone to leave. Once he confirmed the restaurant was completely empty, with only Andy cleaning the tables, Gilbert pulled out his phone. He dialed Lord Gideon's number.

"It's done, Lord," Gilbert reported, his voice filled with controlled triumph. "Nicholas ate all the poisoned appetizers. He finished everything."

On the other end of the line, Lord Gideon's voice was heavy, full of satisfaction. "That means he'll soon be dying by my hand!"