Return of the Legendary Cyber King

CH 5

Brandon stared at the tall security guard standing in front of Henry, his face turning red with anger. Seeing Rose look so shaken by Henry’s cold words made Brandon panic inside.

If Rose started feeling guilty about her four-year marriage, his plan to take Humpton Tech’s money would slip right through his fingers.

He had to crush Henry right now in front of everyone. Brandon took an angry step forward, pointing his finger past the guard’s shoulder at Henry’s face. "You ungrateful bum! You think putting on a rented suit makes you a big man? Apologize to Rose right now, or you will leave here in an ambulance!"

The big guard didn't even blink. With a cold face, he raised one heavy hand and firmly pushed Brandon backward by the chest to clear the way. The push was simple and controlled, just to keep Brandon away from Chairman Vance.

A dirty idea popped into Brandon's head. Instead of catching his balance, he threw his whole body backward with all his might, screaming like he had just been hit by a truck.

He threw himself right into the giant tower of champagne glasses set up by the stairs. The thin glass table shook for a second and then came crashing down with a deafening boom. Over a hundred glasses broke into pieces across the hard floor, splashing wine everywhere.

Brandon hit the floor hard, crying out in fake agony. As the guests gasped in shock, Brandon quickly pressed his left hand down against a sharp piece of broken glass. He squeezed his fingers hard, dragging the sharp edge right across his own palm.

Bright red blood rushed out of the cut, mixing with the spilled wine on the floor. Brandon threw his head back, holding his bleeding hand and rolling around as if he were dying. "My hand! My hand! Henry, why did you tell your men to attack me?! I only wanted to help you!"

The whole room fell into total chaos. Rose let out a loud scream, her face turning pale as paper when she saw the blood on the floor. Forgetting her sore feet and her ruined dress, she dropped to her knees right into the broken glass and spilled wine.

"Brandon! Oh God, Brandon!" Rose cried in terror, her hands shaking as she pulled his bleeding hand against her chest. She grabbed a cloth from a nearby table, pressing it against his wound with tears running down her face. "Hold on, please! Somebody call a doctor! Bring a first-aid kit right now!"

Eleanor Humpton ran down the stairs, screaming at the top of her lungs. "Murder! That jealous beggar is trying to kill people! Security, arrest him! Break his legs and throw him in jail! He is trying to kill my future son-in-law!"

Rose slowly looked up from Brandon’s body, her eyes burning with pure hatred. She glared at Henry, her jaw shaking with bitter rage. The doubt she had felt a moment ago was totally gone, replaced by pure anger.

"Are you happy now, Henry?!" Rose screamed, her voice cracking across the room. "You couldn't beat Brandon in business, so you use dirty street violence?! You are an animal! I was totally right to throw you out!"

Henry stood by the railing, looking down at them with cold, calm eyes. He didn't try to explain himself, and he wasn't scared of the angry crowd or Eleanor’s shouting. He saw right through Brandon’s fake tears and spotted the cruel smirk on the man's lips.

Then Henry looked at Rose, watching her ruin her expensive dress just to hold the hand of a lying snake. He remembered how she didn't care at all when Eleanor said Lily's life support would be turned off. Rose had looked at a dying girl with cold eyes, but now she was crying over a tiny cut on Brandon's hand.

A faint, cold smile touched Henry’s lips. He shook his head slowly, feeling the last bit of his feelings for her die. There was no pain left in his heart, only the clear truth that this woman was completely blind.

"Enjoy your savior, Rose," Henry said quietly. His voice wasn't loud, but it cut right through her screaming. "You picked this path yourself. Make sure you don't regret it when it's time to pay the bill."

Rose gritted her teeth in disgust, thinking Henry was only talking tough to impress Chairman Vance. She was sure Henry was just begging for a low-level job so he could get money for his sick sister. To her, Henry was nothing more than a pathetic joke.

Before anyone could do anything else, the speakers chimed loudly, quieting the whole room. The host stepped up to the microphone, announcing the start of the two-hundred-million-dollar city tech contract.

This deal was everything to Rose. She needed it to turn Humpton Tech into a top company, while Brandon needed the government cash to pay off his family's huge debts. Both of them stood proud, sure that their Aegis Core system would win easily.

Chairman Victoria Vance, who was in charge of the city board, walked to the center of the upper floor. Just as she was about to speak, Henry leaned down and whispered a few words into her ear.

Rose and Brandon watched with mocking smiles, waiting for Victoria to push the beggar away. But Victoria didn't push him away at all. Instead, her face turned very serious, and she nodded respectfully to Henry.

Victoria stepped to the microphone, her clear voice ringing through the silent room. "Guests and business leaders, we must run an urgent security check on all systems. The presentations are paused, and the board will hold a private meeting right now. Please wait in your rooms."

Shocked whispers broke out among the crowd. But before anyone could ask questions, Victoria Vance turned to Henry with deep respect, letting him lead the way as the entire government board followed him into a locked private room.

Rose stood completely frozen on the floor, her heart beating wildly in fear. A cold dread hit her stomach as she stared at the closed doors. Why was Henry allowed inside the most important meeting in the city, while rich leaders were left waiting outside?

Brandon gave a dry laugh, nudging Rose to snap her out of it. "Don't worry, Rose. The board probably took that beggar inside to question him for making trouble. Chairman Vance is just taking out the trash so it doesn't ruin our party."

Desperate to believe him, Rose pushed her rising panic deep down. A hotel worker guided them to a private waiting room down the hall, bringing a medical kit so Rose could bandage Brandon's hand while they waited.

Rose sat on the couch, her hair messy, carefully wrapping clean white bandages around Brandon’s left hand. Brandon leaned back on the cushions with his jacket thrown aside, his face ugly with anger as he complained nonstop.

"That filthy stray planned this whole thing!" Brandon yelled, pulling his hand back with an angry jerk. "Tomorrow morning, Humpton Tech must give me five hundred thousand dollars for private guards! I want twenty armed men watching my house, and I want that beggar in jail before morning!"

Rose kept her head down, taping the bandage with tired, shaking hands. Her heel was raw and bloody, rubbed completely red by the hard shoes she wore without Henry's soft pads. Her head pounded with a sharp ache, and her stomach twisted because she hadn't eaten all day.

Yet since they entered the room, Brandon hadn't asked about her once. He didn't ask if her bleeding feet hurt, he didn't offer her water, and he didn't care if she was scared when the glass tower fell. All he cared about was his tiny cut, his pride, and taking half a million dollars from her company.

A sudden memory hit Rose like a slap. Two years ago, when an angry worker threw a heavy mug at her head, Henry had jumped across the room without thinking, taking the hit on his own shoulder.

Henry had bled through his shirt, but he never complained once. He didn't ask for money, he didn't blame her, and he refused to sit down until he was sure Rose wasn't hurt. That night, he had sat by her bed until morning, making warm soup to calm her down.

Rose stared at Brandon’s red, angry face, the roll of tape slipping from her fingers. A scary doubt entered her mind. Was this rich heir really the great man she thought he was, or had she thrown away pure gold for a piece of cheap dirt?

"Rose! Are you deaf?!" Brandon snapped in anger, glaring at her blank face. "I said I want that security money approved tonight! Stop staring like a fool and finish tying this bandage!"

Before Rose could say a word, the heavy wooden doors were kicked open with a loud bang. The door hit the wall hard, making Brandon jump in fear.

David, the head tech officer of Humpton Tech, ran into the room like a crazy man. His white shirt was soaked in cold sweat, his tie was torn loose, and his hands shook so hard that the tablet in his grip almost fell to the floor.

"Miss Rose! Master Brandon! Disaster!" David screamed in total panic, his voice cracking with fear. "The Aegis Core just crashed completely! The system locked us out, and all forty of our bank clients just got critical error alerts!"