“What do you want?” Miss Poison’s voice sliced the silence as she stopped in her tracks.
Ava quickly bowed, her voice polite. “I—I thought I saw someone. Chris. The man near the boss… he looked exactly like him.” Miss Poison’s brow twitched. “You were given a job, not a tour. Who told you to approach the boss?” Her tone was firm, almost motherly in its warning. Ava bowed lower, swallowing hard. “I apologize, ma. It won’t happen again. I was just… confused.” Miss Poison didn’t bother replying. She turned around and headed for the waiting car, heels clicking like gunshots against the concrete. Ava watched her leave, the smile creeping back onto her lips. Ava couldn’t believe it—she’d just secured a $3 billion contract with the Dragon Group. That deal would fast-track her promotion at Asstas Group. She could already picture the headlines: Ava Nile, youngest executive to seal billion-dollar deal. Her heart danced in her chest. Still, something pulled at her. That face. He looked too much like Chris. But Chris was in jail... or… has he been bailed? She shook her head. “No matter what,” she murmured to herself, “the Prestons are going to flip when they hear about this deal.” While Ava floated on the high of her breakthrough, Chris sat inside the Dragon Group’s surveillance chamber, watching everything. His arms were crossed, but his eyes were locked on the screen. “How have they been surviving these past five years?” he muttered, jaw tightening. He turned to Miss Poison. “Get me everything on Ava and her family. I want full data—now.” Without a word, Miss Poison activated the wall-length telecom screen. Within seconds, a digital web of information sprawled before them—photos, timelines, bank records, social connections. She pointed with her gloved finger. “Five years ago, after your conviction, Ava graduated top of her class. She joined Asstas Group almost immediately. She’s climbed steadily—today’s deal landed her the role of Regional Manager.” Chris remained quiet. Miss Poison continued, “Her mother, Mrs. Karen Nile, is celebrating her 40th birthday tonight at Reddit Villa. It’s a massive event—Ava planned it all. Many VIPs, politicians, celebrities. And there’s one more thing.” Chris raised a brow. “Ava is being matched with a suitor tonight. Apparently, her mother’s choice.” Miss Poison paused. “My Lord… would you like to attend the party?” Chris leaned back in his seat and gave a slow, dangerous smile. “Of course. I need to be close to Ava. I owe her family a small… compensation.” He stood. “And I want to meet the man who thinks he’s good enough for her.” *** Night came swiftly. Reddit Villa shimmered like a palace under a million lights. Waiters in tuxedos floated across the lawn, balancing champagne glasses on silver trays. The villa’s entrance was lined with red carpet, and paparazzi lights flashed nonstop. Inside, birthday songs echoed as Karen Nile stood on stage, basking in the glow of praise. Her husband, Josh Nile, presented her with an ornate box tied with golden ribbon. Ava clapped beside them, whispering birthday wishes into her mother’s ear. Karen beamed, then raised a hand to quiet the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she said, her voice loud and proud, “tonight isn’t just about my birthday.” Everyone turned, expecting drama—and Karen delivered. “At 40, I believe it’s the perfect age to expect grandchildren!” she said, earning some laughter. Ava groaned under her breath. Here we go again. Karen continued, “But I didn’t need to look far. God brought the perfect son-in-law to me. Handsome, rich, and full of promise!” The crowd stirred. Phones rose into the air. “Please welcome—my son-in-law—Mr…” A voice interrupted from the doorway. “Mr. Chris Loner!” Heads whipped around. Murmurs spread like wildfire. Standing at the entrance was Chris. He wore simple jeans, a plain black shirt, and sneakers. No designer suit. No flashy watch. Just presence. Ava’s eyes widened. “Chris…” she whispered, her heart skipping a beat. It had been five years since she last saw him—and now, here he was, alive and standing in front of her like time hadn’t passed. Chris walked slowly toward the stage. Karen’s smile vanished. Her jaw locked. She hated him from the first day Ava brought him home. And now this criminal had the audacity to crash her birthday? When Chris got close enough, he bent slightly, trying to show respect. But Karen stepped back and shoved him hard. “How dare you walk into my party uninvited?” she spat. “And who told you to call yourself my son-in-law?” Chris raised his hands. “Relax, Aunt. It was a joke.” But a deeper voice cut in, sharp as a blade. “And who told you to joke with my title?” Everyone turned again. Benjamin Burton strutted forward, towering over the guests. He had tattoos coiling up his forearms like snakes and a smug grin carved into his face. A luxury suit hugged his frame like armor. “I’m Ava’s soon-to-be husband,” he said, his voice filled with spite. Chris stared at him. Of course. Benjamin. The same man who once visited him in jail pretending to be a friend—only to send guards in to beat him up like a dog. Benjamin stepped closer. “I can’t imagine an ex-convict thinking he still has a place here,” he scoffed. Chris’s fists curled. “Call me anything… but don’t you ever call me an ex-convict again.” Benjamin laughed. “Or what? You’ll punch me with your parole papers? Let me make this easy—I'm richer, better, and not a disgrace.” Karen looped her arm through Benjamin’s. “Mr. Burton, I apologize for this idiot. Please ignore him.” Benjamin turned to her, frowning. “I brought gifts for you tonight. But how can I give them when this trash is still here?” Karen nodded solemnly. “What do you want me to do?” “Throw him out.” Guards circled Chris immediately. One reached for his arm. Chris didn’t move. Then, calmly, he closed his eyes… and flexed his fingers. Chairs from across the hall began rattling. Then, as if guided by invisible hands, they flew through the air, striking the guards with a loud bang! and sending them to their knees. The room fell into stunned silence. Chris opened his eyes. “Before I leave,” he said, “why don’t you show everyone those gifts you prepared? Let’s see what you’ve got.” Benjamin smirked. “You want to be humiliated? Fine.” He snapped his fingers, and three women entered carrying trays draped in royal cloth. Gasps followed them. Benjamin opened the first tray. “An ancient Chinese statue—two centuries old. Market value? $300 million.” The second. “A box of luxury. Ten diamond necklaces, five custom pendants, one golden wristwatch. Total value? $500.7 million.” Finally, the third. He lifted the cloth. “The key to the third most expensive villa in Sera—United Villa. Worth $1.5 billion.” The guests burst into applause. Karen looked like she might faint from joy. Benjamin strutted up to Chris. “Now tell me, what did you bring?” Chris gave a lopsided smile. “You want to see it?” He marched to the trays. People gasped. “What’s he doing?” “Wait—no way…” Chris picked up the gold watch, inspected it, then smashed it on the floor. Crack! He crushed the diamond necklaces under his heel. He flung the statue off the tray—it shattered like cheap porcelain. Then he grabbed the key to the villa and snapped it in two. Benjamin lunged. “How dare you!” Chris tilted his head. “You need me to explain, huh? All of this? They are all Fake.” Gasps echoed. “Those diamonds?” Chris pointed. “Glass and foil.” He held up what remained of the key. “That villa? It’s not even top ten—it’s number thirty on the list. Estimated value? Barely $8 million.” He looked directly at Benjamin. “And you think I wouldn’t know? I’ve got receipts, screenshots, and satellite coordinates if you want to fact-check me in front of these people.” Benjamin was frozen. The guests began to murmur again—this time, not in admiration. “You brought fakes?” “Cheap showoff!” Chris stepped closer, voice rising. “Now tell us the truth, Benjamin. Are these gifts real—or fake?”
Latest Chapter
23. Bianca Has A Plan!
Bianca stood frozen, venom swirling hot in her veins as the murmurs faded into a background blur. Before she could lash out again, her mother stormed toward her, grabbing her wrist with urgency.“We need to leave here quietly, Bianca,” Bridget said in a hushed but sharp tone, her eyes darting around. “Look—everyone’s taking pictures already. Thank heavens I disguised my real features. We must get out of here before our faces are plastered all over social media. The little reputation we have left is at stake!”Bianca yanked her arm back in defiance. “I’m not going anywhere! Let them record! Let them see what Chris did—”Bridget’s patience snapped. Her grip tightened, and her voice lowered to a dangerous pitch. “Stop acting like a child! Do you want to become a meme by sunset? Look around you—every single person in that room had their phone out.”She scanned the surroundings again, paranoia creeping into her expression. “And Mr. Lockwood isn’t just anybody. He’s respected. Influential.
22. You Shouldn't Have Underestimated Me!
Bianca’s mouth parted, but no words came out. Her throat went dry, her mind blank. Everything had hit her like a slap in slow motion.Bridget’s eyes bounced between Chris, Ava, and Mr. Lockwood, trying to grasp the truth of what she'd just heard. Her brows furrowed as reality settled like a heavy blanket. She leaned in toward Bianca and whispered, almost breathlessly, “Bianca, look at the trouble you got us into. That man is the CEO!”Bianca’s lips twitched as she finally found her voice. She faced Ava, her voice strained. “What are you saying, Ava? Are you seriously trying to say that this man over here… is the CEO of Asstas?”Ava didn’t reply. She walked straight to Mr. Lockwood, her tone respectful and composed. “Sir, please pardon her. She truly had no idea who she was speaking to.”Bridget nudged Bianca again, panic now mixing with guilt. “I told you to behave, but you wouldn’t listen,” she muttered. “You better fix this before it gets worse.”Bianca stepped away from her mother
21. Chaos
Ava and Chris left the mansion for Asstas.As usual, Chris sat silently in the driver’s seat, dressed in his black-and-white security uniform, but his heart wasn’t in his duty. He knew Ava had only agreed to her mother’s request—for him. And throughout their drive to the company, Ava remained quiet, her mood heavy and written all over her face.Chris could see it clearly.He held her hand on the gear shift, even as he drove. “Are you still upset about what happened, Ava?”Ava sniffled and tried to look away. “I’m okay, Chris. You don’t have to worry about anything…”“Are you sure, Ava?” Chris interjected quickly. “Because I can see it in your eyes. You’re mad at yourself just for saying yes to Mother’s demand. You didn’t want to help Bianca get that job, and it’s not like you didn’t have options. You only did it to keep her from throwing me out of the house, didn’t you?”Ava shook her head, hiding her emotions. “It’s okay, Chris. I’ve already accepted what she asked me to do. I only a
20. Let's Watch And See!
Ava gave her mother a stern yet confused look as she stared at the papers handed to her.“What are these?” she asked sharply.Mrs. Karen kept her hand outstretched, her expression unreadable.“Why don’t you take a proper look first before asking me questions about what they are or what they’re for?”Suspicion immediately crept into Ava’s eyes as she glanced at Bridget and Bianca, both of whom were watching her with oddly expectant expressions. Finally, Ava took the documents from her mother and looked down at the bold heading.Her brow lifted."Application for Job in Asstas Group of Companies. Secretary General."She scoffed and let out a dry laugh.“What is this now? A job application? Seriously?”Mrs. Karen nodded as if everything was perfectly reasonable.“Yes. That’s Bianca’s job application. She wants to work for Asstas as a Secretary General.”Ava didn't even let her finish before cutting in.“And what exactly does that have to do with me?” she asked, her voice rising with disbe
19. Have A Look!
Chris’s face drained of color. Nothing grated on his pride more than being humiliated by a woman, especially after what his wife had done to him. Ever since her betrayal, his tolerance for women’s disrespect had thinned to a thread. And now, Bianca had slapped him.He stood frozen, staring up at her. His jaw clenched, and his eyes glowed red with suppressed fury.“Why did you—”“Are you gonna hit me, huh?” Bianca interrupted him, stepping forward boldly like she was daring him to try it. “You poured that cold juice on me. Instead of acting like a decent human and apologizing, you're just standing there asking useless questions? You want another slap, huh? Say something stupid again and I’ll give it to you!”Ava pushed forward, anger flaring in her eyes. She had seen the whole thing, seen how it all went down, and now she couldn’t hold her tongue.“Watch your attitude, girl,” Ava snapped, jabbing her finger in Bianca’s direction. “You didn’t have to slap Chris. He didn’t pour the juice
18. Guests From Hell!
Even after the chaos at the banquet, Chris knew Mrs. Karen wouldn’t let the night end without confrontation. He expected her scolding. And as predicted, it didn’t take long.Chris had left the event earlier than everyone else, including Mrs. Karen and Ava. So, the moment they got home, her voice rang through the house.“Chris! Where are you? Get down here and explain yourself!” she shouted, dropping her purse on the console and glaring up the stairs.Chris emerged a few seconds later, walking down the steps with a blank look on his face.Mrs. Karen stormed up to him, folding her arms across her chest. “Tell me, Chris. Was all that drama at the banquet necessary?”Chris blinked, playing dumb. “What are you talking about, Aunt?”“Don’t start acting clueless with me, Chris. You had the nerve—the sheer audacity—to talk to Mr. Leonard that way! And because of you, those men pulled out of the partnership and sponsorship deals. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”He gave a small shake of
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