God of Restitution : Zero to Sovereign

Chapter 12: Kneeling for Mercy

Chloe lay on the hard floor, her mind completely blank. The sharp pain on her cheek felt like fire. She looked up at Donald, the powerful bank boss, with tears of confusion in her eyes. Her beautifully styled hair was now a total mess, spreading out in the dirt.

Julian gasped, his mouth opening wide. “Mr. Donald, why did you hit my girlfriend?” Julian yelled, stepping forward to protect her. “She was only telling the truth. That boy over there is just a delivery driver. You slapped the wrong person.”

“You brainless idiot,” Donald roared, his voice shaking the massive crystal chandeliers above them.

Donald did not look like a calm bank boss anymore. He was panting heavily, his face turning a deep, angry purple. He raised his finger and pointed it directly at Julian’s face, his hand trembling with pure rage.

“Do you have any idea who you are talking to?” Donald shouted, making sure every billionaire in the room heard him. “You think your family is rich because you have a few real estate buildings? This man standing before you can destroy my bank with a single word. He can destroy every single financial institution in this entire state before the sun rises.”

The crowd of elite guests gasped loudly. The whispers turned into a wave of pure shock.

Julian’s father, Thomas Vance, rushed through the crowd. He was pushing people out of his way, his forehead covered in thick sweat. When he finally reached the center of the spotlight, he looked at Leo.

Leo did not say a word. He slowly reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small, heavy object. It was a dark gold medal with a roaring dragon carved into the front. The dragon eyes were made of two tiny, glowing red rubies.

It was the Sovereign Token of the Dragon Vanguard.

The moment Thomas Vance saw that golden medal, his legs turned into pure jelly. He felt like a giant mountain was crashing down on his head. The air in his lungs completely vanished. He knew exactly what that token meant. Only one man in the whole country could carry it.

The delivery boy his son had beaten up was the absolute master of the Dragon Vanguard.

Thomas did not hesitate for even a single second. He let out a loud, pathetic cry and dropped straight onto his knees. His heavy body hit the floor so hard that his expensive suit pants ripped at the knees. He slammed his forehead directly onto the carpet, weeping like a child.

“Sovereign, please spare us,” Thomas wailed, his body shaking violently in pure terror. “Please have mercy on my foolish family. We did not know your holy identity. We deserve to die for our sins.”

Julian stared at his father on the floor. He felt like his whole world was spinning out of control. “Father, what are you doing?” Julian stammered, his voice cracking. “Why are you kneeling to this poor driver? Get up. Everyone is watching us.”

Thomas reached up with a wild, angry look in his eyes. He grabbed Julian’s expensive white tuxedo jacket and dragged him down with immense force.

“Kneel down, you stupid boy,” Thomas screamed, slapping Julian across the back of his head. “Kneel down right now and beg the Sovereign for forgiveness. You have brought total destruction to our family.”

Julian was slammed onto his knees right next to his father in the center of the bright spotlight. His white tuxedo was instantly stained by the dirt on the floor.

Chloe, who was still sitting on the carpet clutching her burning face, looked at the scene in absolute horror. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. The powerful Vance family, the billionaires she had traded her soul for, were kneeling in front of Leo like dirty slaves.

The entire banquet hall was dead silent. Hundreds of rich people watched the top real estate family get completely humiliated on the floor.

Leo looked down at Julian and Thomas. His face was completely expressionless, like a stone statue. He looked like a god watching two tiny ants begging for their lives in the dirt. He did not show a single ounce of pity.

“Yesterday, you told me that my hard work was worth nothing,” Leo said. His voice was quiet, but it echoed clearly through the silent room, sending chills down everyone's spine. “You told me that my entire life savings could not buy one tire for your sports car.”

Julian’s body shook. He remembered the dark alley. He remembered stepping on Leo’s fingers in the mud. He remembered telling his bodyguards to break Leo's legs.

“Sovereign, I was blind,” Julian begged, tears and sweat pouring down his pale face. “I was tricked by this wicked woman, Chloe. She told me you were just a loser. It is all her fault. Please do not destroy my family company.”

Leo took a slow step forward. The sound of his leather shoes hitting the floor made Julian flinch in fear.

“You wanted me to lick the floor today, Julian,” Leo said softly, a cold smile forming on his lips. “You said if I refused, your men would break the rest of my bones. Well, I am still standing. What are you going to do about it?”

Julian could not speak. The heavy pressure in the room made it hard for him to breathe. He looked around at the other billionaires, but everyone turned their faces away. Nobody dared to look at a man who had offended the Sovereign.

The security guards who had bowed to Leo earlier stood in a straight line around the VIP section, their hands on their weapons, ready to execute Julian at any moment.

Chloe crawled backward on her hands and knees, trying to escape the bright spotlight. She felt a deep, suffocating regret in her chest. The boy she had mocked, the boy she had called a cockroach, was the master of the entire nation. If she had stayed with him, she would be the queen of this palace tonight. But now, she was nothing but garbage on the floor.

Julian looks up in pure terror, realizing the man he beat in the alley controls his entire future.