The Graham Heir—I Am Not An Adopted Nobody

Chapter 81: The Wise and The Blind

The entire plaza had gone quiet again, and the massive glass domes above seemed to reflect the growing tension down below. Avery was standing just a little bit apart from the rest of the group. She wasn't exactly hiding, but she looked distant, like her mind was miles away from the fight happening in front of her.

Chloe noticed it immediately. She let out a nasty smirk and nudged Edward with her elbow. “Well, look at that,” she called out mockingly, her voice echoing off the marble. “Standing in the corner now, Avery? What’s the matter?”

Avery didn’t even look up. Chloe folded her arms, feeling bold. “What’s wrong? Are you finally ashamed because that Bugatti isn't actually yours?”

Avery stayed silent, her head lowered as she stared at the ground. She was clearly struggling with everything she had just learned about Robert. But Anna wasn't about to let Chloe have the last word. She stepped forward, looking completely bored.

“Oh, please,” Anna said casually. Chloe spun around, her eyes snapping with anger. “Excuse me?”

Anna tilted her head to the side. “I’ve said this to you before, Chloe,” she continued, her voice perfectly calm. “You’re not even a good gold digger. You don’t even know how to dig for the right kind of gold.”

Edward’s body went stiff, and Chloe’s face turned a dark, angry red. “You tried to attach yourself to Robert first,” Anna went on, exposing her in front of everyone.

 “But the second he was kicked out of the family, you dropped him and switched over to Edward.” She let the words hang in the air for a second. “It’s like a hooker switching from one client to the next.”

A few of the men in black suits shifted uncomfortably, and a loud gasp went through the crowd. Edward’s expression hardened instantly. “Watch your mouth,” he warned, stepping toward her.

But Anna didn't flinch. “Edward,” she said lightly, “you’re not a stupid man. You know I’m telling the truth. She’s just pretending to love you for the name.”

Jane stepped forward, her face twisted with rage. “How dare you speak such nonsense about my brother and his girlfriend!” she shouted. “You think what you and Robert did at the auction was a big deal? Once this contract is signed today, we are going to show you what real humiliation looks like.”

Her cold eyes moved over to Avery. “We’re going to make sure she never has a moment of peace at school. We’ll crush her socially until she has nowhere left to go. Everywhere she walks, she’s going to feel the impact of our influence.”

Anna’s gaze turned icy cold. “I’d really like to see what your family thinks they can actually do,” she replied. Then she added, “When you walk into that building to finalize your contract... You might be more surprised than anyone else standing here.”

Edward just let out a harsh, dry laugh. “You’re completely delusional.”

And right at that moment, another engine entered the plaza. It was smoother and much less aggressive than the others, but it sounded refined and expensive. 

A polished purple McLaren 720S rolled in gracefully, its wrap shimmering under the sunlight. The door glided open, and Professor Darby stepped out. He adjusted his black coat calmly and scanned the crowd with a steady gaze.

Professor Chinny’s face immediately twisted into a sneer the moment he saw him. “Well, look who decided to show up,” Chinny said, his voice full of hate. Several other professors behind him started whispering.

“After what he did at the signing event...”

“He actually had the nerve to tell Morris Emmett to apologize to a scholarship student...”

Chinny shook his head. “You’re going to regret that, Darby,” he threatened, stepping forward. “After today’s signing is over, Robert is going to be crushed. And you? You’re going to be dealt with personally.” He let out a cruel smirk. “You’ll be stripped of your job, you’ll be financially ruined, and your daughter...” He glanced over at Avery. “She’s going to be bullied until she finally breaks. I’ll make sure of it.”

Some of the other professors nodded in agreement, eager to stay on the Emmetts' good side. “I’m glad you came,” Chinny added mockingly. “At least you’ll get to witness the consequences of trying to sabotage greatness.”

Professor Darby stared at all of them for a long, quiet moment. And then, he did something unexpected. He laughed. It wasn't a nervous or bitter laugh— it was the sound of someone who knew exactly how the story was going to end.

“You are all absolute fools,” he said, his voice perfectly calm. The other professors started murmuring instantly, offended. “Morris is a fool, his kids are fools.” Darby continued, pointing a finger. “You professors are fools. And every single person here supporting the Emmetts blindly... is a fool.”

Chinny’s face flushed bright red with embarrassment. Edward stepped forward, his fists clenched. “Watch your words, old man.”

But Darby’s eyes moved to Robert. “I am actually the wisest man standing here,” he said quietly. “Because I have seen true greatness... and I was smart enough to align myself with it.” He looked back at the crowd. “While the rest of you just keep digging your own graves.”

Silence fell over the plaza. “You are going to reap exactly what you’ve sown,” Darby added. “And what you’ve sown is nothing but foolishness.”

Edward scoffed. “What are you even talking about? Greatness?”

Darby’s voice dropped even lower. “The man standing right in front of you— Robert— is no ordinary man.”

Morris narrowed his eyes, listening closely for the first time. “The power he holds,” Darby continued, “is the kind of power the Emmett family could never even dream of reaching.”

A heavy pause followed those words. “You should all apologize right now,” Darby said. “Get down on your knees before it’s too late for any of you.”

The atmosphere in the plaza turned cold, almost vibrating with tension. Jane clenched her fists, Chloe rolled her eyes, and Edward’s jaw clenched until it looked like his veins might snap. 

Finally, Morris raised his hand to silence everyone.

“I have heard enough of this nonsense,” he said coldly. He looked at Robert with nothing but pure contempt. “Let us go inside.” He gestured toward the massive gold trimmed doors. “Let’s go finalize this signing.”

His voice turned hard as he looked back at the group. “Then we will show these peasants...” His gaze swept across Robert, Anna, Avery, and Professor Darby. “...who the real boss is.”

The glass doors of the Bullion Corporation Empire stood ahead of them— tall, silent, and waiting. As Morris began walking toward them with his massive convoy of supporters, the fountains in the plaza continued to flow, completely unaware that inside those walls, the power of the world was about to shift forever.