Instant Rise of Zion Blade

Chapter 1 — Beneath the Celebration

A black car came to a halt in front of a towering mansion that stood in prestigious splendor beneath the evening sky.

The enormous private residence was the Whitmore estate, and a young man stepped out of the black car—Zion Blade.

He paid the driver, and the taxi drove off.

Zion stood outside the Whitmore estate, his gaze lingering on the magnificent mansion as if taking in its grandeur. From outside, he could tell that a celebration was underway inside the mansion’s grand hall.

There were many luxurious cars parked outside.

He smiled a little, his exhausted face lighting up.

It’s her birthday today. I’m sure she’d be really happy, Zion thought.

It was his wife’s birthday today, Elena Whitmore’s, and as a surprise for her birthday and their three-year anniversary, Zion had worked his ass off for two straight weeks at Elena’s company.

He’d made sure that, as a surprise for his wife, he would not only revive the business but push it to the top of Astoria City’s industry, making her one of the city’s top twenty young CEOs.

And Zion hadn’t only made that happen; he’d made the company worth over a billion dollars altogether.

It had been just a small business worth no more than fifty million dollars three years ago, before he married Elena. But today, with all his efforts, he’d managed to turn it into a successful business.

Soon, Zion stepped inside the building and headed for the grand hall where the celebration was taking place.

As soon as he pushed the door to the hall open, what greeted him were the faces of many guests. They were also top figures in the city and family members of his wife, all gathered to celebrate the young beauty who had just marked the milestone of her twenty-seventh birthday and, at such a young age, had accomplished the remarkable feat of owning a billion-dollar company.

Many guests turned their heads to see who had just walked in.

“Wait, isn’t that the CEO of Zion Enterprise?” one of the guests whispered to someone next to her.

“Yeah, the fallen CEO. Heard he’s now a live-in son-in-law to the Whitmore family,” the man responded with a pitiful laugh.

Victoria Whitmore, his wife’s mother, turned and also saw Zion entering the hall. Her dissatisfaction was clear as day as the warm smile she wore vanished instantly.

She stormed toward Zion and dropped the glass of champagne she held onto a tray that a waiter was carrying.

“And what did you think you’re doing? Coming here like that in those cheap, wrinkled clothes?” Her disdain was visible as she looked at him from head to toe.

Zion himself hadn’t noticed that his clothes were wrinkled. He’d been sleeping at the company day and night for two weeks straight, buried in heavy workloads.

Management that wasn’t effective, loopholes that funds were draining through, and many other things in the company had to be tightened up. He’d done it all with almost no sleep, surviving on coffee to stay awake at night while being glued to the systems and keeping in coordination with clients and staff.

He didn’t even have the time to care about wrinkled clothes at all.

“Mother, I—”

Zion was about to speak when she interrupted him.

Her face flushed with pure anger. “How many times have I told you I’m not your mother? You useless orphan, go find a mother elsewhere,” she sneered.

Zion had long since gotten used to her treatment, even though when he first married Elena, he had a company that was doing better than the Whitmore family’s company at the time.

Zion had sacrificed his own company just to save their name.

And now that he didn’t have a company of his own anymore, his wife’s family treated him like he was a pest, as though they’d forgotten the fact that he was the reason why the Whitmores were even still a thing today.

“Where’s Elena?” he asked as he noticed that he hadn’t found her since he entered.

It was her birthday today and also their wedding anniversary, but he hadn’t received even a response to his messages or calls to Elena. Although he understood she must be busy with the new wave of attention that was going on.

After all, her company was now worth a billion dollars, so she must be lost in the middle of the whole thing.

“And what is it to you? My daughter has the right to live her life without pests like you holding her back,” Victoria said.

Another voice came from behind Zion.

“Elder sister really has to wake up and stop letting some leech keep slowing her down. She’s a billionaire now, yet she’s still pitiful enough to keep a worthless piece of trash who can’t even afford to run a company properly,” a disgusted sigh came from a young man.

His name was Sebastian Whitmore, Elena’s younger brother.

“Look at you, just a worthless man now. You can’t even compare to Mr. Sterling…”

Of course, Zion had long since learned that it was best not to argue with their kind. Talking back would just be like playing tag with little kids.

Zion turned and walked out of the hall, not bothering to listen to what Sebastian had to say.

The music faded into the background.

I built the Whitmores’ company not because of them, but for Elena. She’s my wife and my responsibility. I don’t care what they say about me, Zion murmured to himself as he headed upstairs to Elena’s room.

It was her birthday and their wedding anniversary. Surely, he didn’t believe she’d just leave the house like that.

Soon, though, Zion reached Elena’s room, and he could see that the door was slightly ajar.

And just when he got close enough and was about to push it open, a sound caught his ear.

He hesitated for a brief moment.

Then it echoed again.

As if lightning had struck his core, his heartbeat spiked intensely at that moment as he realized what his ears were hearing.

The subtle sound of flesh hitting flesh could be heard, and his wife, Elena, moaned in response to the pleasure of the moment she was enjoying.

“Oh, damn it, you’re so sweet!” a man’s voice said.

“I really can’t wait for you to divorce that useless husband of yours so we can officially be together,” the masculine voice added.

“Of course, I’ve prepared all the necessary things today already. He’ll get the divorce by tomorrow,” his wife’s voice responded to the man.

“Aha, that fool would never see it coming,” the man laughed sarcastically.

“He should’ve seen it coming anyway. I mean, if not for you, Mr. Sterling, would I have had the Sterling family’s backing?” his wife asked the man.

Zion was at the door. There was doubt in his heart.

No. That can’t be Elena.

Even though it was more like he was trying to convince himself against all odds.

He finally pushed the door open wide.

Immediately, Elena scrambled and quickly drew the bedsheets over her body, her big eyes widening.

“Zion?” she exclaimed in shock.

Disbelief and a sudden gust of shock engulfed him. Just like a fragment of broken glass, his heart was shattered at that moment.

He couldn’t believe that the wife he’d sacrificed everything for was the same person sitting inside the room before a naked man.