2025-12-08 20:57:57Thom's words felt like a hard slap to Madam Lena. Her face turned red with anger, and her voice rose without caring about the guests watching.
"How dare you talk like that!"
"No, you are not part of this family!"
"You are a bastard child! This is not your house. Leave right now!"
Rachel swallowed hard, her body tense.
Madam Yosie covered her mouth, afraid that even a small sound would make things worse.
Edmund lowered his head, trying to distance himself so he would not get dragged into Madam Lena's anger.
But before Madam Lena could continue her outburst, Frank quickly grabbed her arm.
"Mother, stop!" he whispered urgently. "We have to act polite. Do not make a scene."
Madam Lena glared at him. "You are defending him? He even dared to come here without an invitation!"
"We cannot fight right now," Frank whispered even more quietly while glancing at the gate. "General Darlene is here."
Madam Lena froze.
General Darlene?
The third richest person in the entire state?
He had never once agreed to attend any of their family banquets. The Lanster name was not even big enough to attract someone of his level.
But now, in the distance, a strong man in a special military uniform walked toward them. Dozens of elite soldiers surrounded him in a perfectly disciplined formation.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Guests straightened their posture. Phone cameras slowly lifted. Soft murmurs of amazement spread through the crowd.
Madam Lena took a deep breath and quickly put on her best smile. Frank and his relatives stood taller, trying to look elegant and dignified.
When General Darlene reached them, Madam Lena greeted him with a very polite and formal gesture.
"Welcome to our family banquet, General Darlene. Your presence is very unexpected. We are honored."
General Darlene replied with a small but polite nod. "Hm."
For a moment, his eyes moved. He saw Thom standing a few steps behind the Lanster family.
It was only a brief glance, but all the elite soldiers around them held their breath at once.
General Darlene actually wanted to salute him. How could he not? Thom was their King of War. One of the most dangerous and most respected men in the country.
But General Darlene knew very well that Thom did not like to be honored in public.
The King of War was a humble man. He did not like his identity to be exposed. He ordered all his subordinates to act as if he was an ordinary person, as long as they were not in a military operation.
So General Darlene held himself back. He lowered his gaze and looked at Madam Lena again.
"I just came to look around," he said calmly.
Madam Lena smiled proudly, as if General Darlene's arrival was the highest form of respect for her family.
She had no idea that the elite soldiers were still watching Thom...and watching how Thom showed no reaction at all to the presence of a high-ranking general.
As if to Thom, General Darlene was just an ordinary man.
The Lanster family noticed it too, shocked by how disrespectful Thom was for not saluting or showing manners to General Darlene.
They held their breath, certain that Thom would be punished for standing so close to General Darlene without giving even the slightest greeting.
Benny and Frank exchanged a panicked look, then slowly moved closer to Thom.
Frank whispered sharply from the side. "Are you crazy? Give a salute now! That is General Darlene. If he gets offended, your small career will be destroyed. You could even be kicked out of the military!"
Benny added with a mocking tone. "Do not forget your status. You are a low-ranked soldier. One small mistake and you will end up homeless. Stop acting arrogant and salute!"
Behind them, Rachel also tried to help, though her voice was full of frustration.
"Please, Thom," she whispered, her face burning with embarrassment. "At least show some respect. Do not be stubborn like this. You are making us look bad."
Madam Yosie bowed her head in shame. Edmund covered his face with his hand, afraid of attracting the attention of the important guests.
Everyone knew the rumors about General Darlene.
A ruthless general.
A man who hated even the smallest act of disrespect.
A figure who, if offended, would not hesitate to ruin someone's career with a single sentence.
Some guests even held their breath while waiting for his reaction.
But Thom stayed silent. He did not even show the slightest intention to salute. He stood tall, holding Shenina in his arms, looking straight ahead without fear.
General Darlene looked at Thom again.
The air grew even quieter.
Every second felt painfully long.
Rachel bit her lip.
Frank held his breath.
Madam Lena was ready to see Thom humiliated in public.
Many guests whispered, guessing what punishment General Darlene would give.
But what happened shocked everyone.
General Darlene spoke. "It is fine."
Only two words, yet the entire mansion courtyard fell into stunned silence.
He did not punish Thom for not saluting him?
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Chapter 13
In the end, under the growing pressure and nonstop shouting, Frank gave in.In front of all the guests, with his face burning red and his hands trembling, he lowered his body.Frank knelt!The sound of his knee hitting the floor was clear, as if it slammed directly into his pride.Several people started recording without hesitation. Phone screens lit up around the hall, capturing a moment Frank would never be able to erase.Everyone knew who Frank Lanster was.He was one of the major conglomerates. The rightful heir of the Lanster family. For years, he had been known as arrogant, domineering, and untouchable by criticism.There were many rumors about how cruel and inhumane he was toward his employees, yet no one ever dared to report him to the police. No real scandal had ever appeared on social media.Not because the rumors were false, but because Frank always paid the media to bury them.On the internet, there were only stories about his achievements, his wealth, and his charisma. He
Chapter 12
Frank trembled when Thom’s words echoed in his ears.The atmosphere in the hall felt oppressive, as if the air itself had grown heavy and refused to move. His face burned, his chest rose and fell, and for the first time that night, his confidence collapsed in front of dozens of merciless gazes.“What do you mean by talking to me like that?” Frank snapped at Thom, his voice shaking slightly even though he tried to sound fierce.“How dare you say something like that to me? Have you gone crazy because these people are respecting you? Do you want me, your own brother, to kneel in front of everyone and in front of you?” Frank continued.He let out a short laugh, forced and breaking halfway. “How rude of you, Thom! You have crossed the line.”Thom did not answer right away. He simply stared at Frank with a calm, almost cold expression, as if the anger in front of him was nothing more than background noise not worth acknowledging.When Thom finally spoke, his voice was flat but clearly heard
Chapter 11
“Alright, deal,” Thom said.The guests whispered among themselves.“Crazy… he is really sure the card is real.”“He might be richer than the entire Lanster family.”Those praises made the Lanster family turn pale.Benny stepped forward. He raised his hand, trying to calm the growing wave of admiration.“Everyone, please calm down!” he shouted loudly. “Calm down!”The guests stopped talking.Benny took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and spoke with a fake righteous tone, as if he held the moral authority in the room.“We are all Thom’s family,” he said while pointing at himself and his mother. “So we know his personality very well.”“And what my mother said is true. Thom has always lied and imagined things since he was young.”Some guests became unsure again, while others exchanged glances.Madam Lena smiled proudly because her son supported her narrative.Benny continued, “And about this black card… If it is real, we are sure of one thing. It does not belong to Thom.”“He must ha
Chapter 10
Thom stood tall, his face calm even though the entire hall was filled with wild stares and loud whispers.“Unlimited or not, what matters is that I will pay for all the auction items I won. They all belong to me. So hurry and process the transaction,” Thom said.Around the room, guests began whispering louder.“No wonder… he is the son of the late Mr. Lanster’s second wife.”“If that is true, it is not strange that he has an unlimited card.”“Maybe he received part of the inheritance before Mr. Lanster died.”“I thought he was a poor soldier… looks like he is not.”The whispers spread like wind, changing the atmosphere from mockery to curiosity and respect.But on the corner of the stage, someone’s body was growing hot, burning with anger and disbelief.Madam Lena.Her blood hissed like boiling water. Even her two sons, Frank and Benny, did not have an unlimited card.She, the first wife of the Lanster family, did not have that card. How could the stepson she always insulted be the on
Chapter 9
Everyone turned their heads toward Thom. Even the MC froze before accepting the bid.“A new bid from the gentleman over there! Nine thousand dollars!”The MC’s voice echoed, and the room erupted in shock.Madam Yosie almost screamed. “What are you doing, Thom? Do you really have that much money?”Frank stared at Thom with anger and disbelief. “How dare you raise your hand!” he snapped.Benny only laughed softly with his arms crossed. “Let us just wait. He is only raising his hand. In the end, he will not be able to pay. And when that moment comes, he will embarrass himself.”The MC lifted the next item, an antique music box decorated with gold leaf carvings. Its chime used to be Thom’s lullaby when he was a child. The price jumped fast, five thousand… ten thousand… twenty thousand… until it stopped at thirty thousand dollars.And just like before, Thom raised his hand without hesitation.“Forty thousand dollars!” the MC shouted.The room burst into whispers and gasps.Frank slapped
Chapter 8
Hearing that, Frank laughed loudly, then turned to Rachel with a mocking expression.“Rachel, does your husband have money to pay for everything on that table?” he asked loudly. “He cannot even buy you the branded bags you want. I was the one who bought them for you, right?”Rachel gave Frank a sweet smile, a smile that stabbed Thom like a blade in the chest.“Of course he will not have much money,” Rachel said lightly, as if it was something normal. “And yes, you were the one who bought me all those luxury items. So I really thank you, my honey.”Frank nodded proudly, then looked at Thom with an arrogant gaze, as if Thom meant nothing.“See?” he said with a mocking tone. “Your own wife admits you do not have money.”Rachel let out a small snort, then elbowed Thom’s arm hard. “Do not ask for his money to buy all those useless old items!”Thom slowly shook his head.“I will not,” Thom said flatly.Rachel was ready to sigh in relief.Thom continued, “I will use my own money.”Rachel imm
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