The Discarded Heir's Ultimate Revenge

Chapter 9: The collaspe

Chapter 9: The Collapse

The silence stretched like a taut wire ready to snap. Every face in the ballroom wore the same expression—shock, confusion, and dawning horror.

Richard's hand remained pressed against his burning cheek, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Mr. Sterling... why did you hit me?"

Marcus didn't even glance at him. His entire focus remained fixed on Rebecca, his bow deepening further. "Please, I sincerely apologize for the disrespect shown here tonight. I had no idea you were attending. If I had known—"

"Known what?" Derek's voice cracked with confusion. "Mr. Sterling, what's happening? Why are you apologizing to this—"

"Shut up!" Marcus's voice cracked like a whip, silencing Derek instantly.

Richard tried again, his voice trembling with barely controlled panic. "Marcus, please, I don't understand. What's going on? Why are you—"

"I said shut your mouth!" Marcus's face had gone from pale to flushed with barely contained terror. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool air. "Don't speak! Don't move! Just be quiet!"

The crowd stirred uneasily, whispers rising like a tide.

"What's happening?"

"Why is Mr. Sterling acting like this?"

"Who is that woman?"

Vanessa stepped forward, her ice-blue eyes narrowed with suspicion and barely masked fear. "Marcus, surely there's been some mistake. This woman and that street rat came here to cause trouble. They—"

"Not another word." Marcus's voice shook. "If you value your life, not another word."

Vanessa's mouth snapped shut, her face going white.

Rebecca stood perfectly still throughout the chaos, her expression one of cold indifference. She didn't acknowledge Marcus's frantic apologies, didn't even look at him. Her dark eyes swept over the ballroom with the casual disdain one might show a particularly filthy gutter.

Finally, she moved. Her hand reached out, fingers closing gently around Ethan's wrist.

"Don't get angry over trash like this," Rebecca said softly, her voice carrying across the silent ballroom. "They'll get what they deserve soon enough."

"Miss—please, if I've offended you in any way—" Marcus's voice rose desperately.

Rebecca didn't respond. She turned, guiding Ethan toward the VIP lounge at the far end of the ballroom. Her movements were unhurried, graceful, as if she were simply taking an evening stroll rather than walking away from a man of immense power who was practically groveling at her feet.

The crowd parted before them like water before a ship's prow. Guests pressed against walls and each other, their earlier mockery replaced by stunned silence and growing fear.

"Who is she?" someone whispered.

"I've never seen Marcus Sterling bow to anyone—"

"Not even the mayor gets that kind of respect—"

The VIP lounge doors closed behind Rebecca and Ethan with a soft click, cutting off their view.

Richard immediately whirled on Marcus, his composure cracking completely. "What the hell was that? Why did you hit me? Why are you bowing to some random woman? Marcus, we're partners! We're about to sign the biggest deal of—"

"Partners?" Marcus's laugh was bitter, bordering on hysterical. "You think we're partners?"

"The contract! The Kidman family agreement! Everything we've built—"

"Is over." Marcus's voice dropped to a deadly whisper. "Completely and utterly over."

Derek pushed forward, his bloody face contorted with confusion and rising panic. "What do you mean over? We've been planning this for months! The partnership is supposed to be announced tonight!"

"You stupid, ignorant fool." Marcus's eyes blazed with fury and terror. "Do you have any idea what you've done? Any idea who that woman is?"

"Some rich bitch who thinks she's—"

CRACK!

Marcus's second slap caught Derek across the face, sending him sprawling. The crowd gasped, pressing back further.

"Don't you dare speak of her like that!" Marcus's voice shook with genuine fear. "You're less than dirt compared to her! Less than the insects crawling through dirt!"

Celeste clutched Richard's arm, her face pale. "Marcus, please, we can fix this. Whatever the misunderstanding—"

"Misunderstanding?" Marcus laughed again, the sound hollow and broken. "You called her desperate. Mentally ill. You compared her to gutter trash. You mocked her companion in front of everyone here."

"That man is gutter trash!" Vanessa shrieked, her composure finally breaking. "He's nothing! A worthless parasite who—"

"If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!" Marcus's roar silenced the entire ballroom. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his whole body trembling with barely controlled rage—and underneath it all, genuine terror.

Richard's face drained of all color. "Marcus, please, we can explain—"

"Explain what? How you invited me to a banquet where you publicly humiliated people under my family's protection? How you created this circus of mockery and insults?" Marcus's voice rose to a shout. "SECURITY! WHERE THE HELL IS SECURITY?"

Heavy footsteps thundered through the ballroom. A dozen security guards burst through the doors, their faces grim and professional.

"Yes, Mr. Sterling?" The lead guard snapped to attention.

Marcus pointed at Richard, Derek, Vanessa, and Celeste with a shaking finger. "Throw them out. All of them. Now."

"What?" Richard's voice cracked. "This is my house! My banquet! You can't—"

"OUT!" Marcus's face had gone purple. "Get them out of my sight before I do something we'll all regret!"

"Mr. Sterling, please!" Derek grabbed at Marcus's sleeve desperately. "We didn't know! We didn't understand! Just tell us what we did wrong and we'll fix it!"

Marcus wrenched his arm away as if Derek's touch burned. "You're vermin. Parasites. Animals pretending to be human. And you just insulted someone so far above you that—" His voice broke. "Get them out. Now. Before I lose what's left of my mind."