The Hidden Overlord Halston

Chapter 1

Halston Wells stood in front of Skyline Tower, holding a folder of documents he needed to deliver to his wife. Wearing a worn-out courier uniform and shoes with soles nearly falling apart, he stepped into the luxurious building where successful people worked. Whispers of mockery echoed around him, judging him as a poor man out of place.

At the receptionist's desk, June eyed Halston from head to toe. "What's your business here?" she asked in an unfriendly tone.

"I'm Halston Wells. I want to see Mia Brown, my wife," Halston replied without hesitation, though several pairs of eyes immediately glared at him.

June looked confused. Judging by Halston's shabby appearance, she couldn't believe he was Mia Brown's husband. In Rivertone, Mia was famous for her beauty and intelligence as a CEO at Silver Trust, the city's top investment company.

There was no way a career woman as great as Mia would have a courier as her husband. Many wealthy men in Rivertone wanted to marry her. She could pick any of them with her eyes closed and not be disappointed.

"Can you repeat that? Whose wife are you talking about?" June asked, leaning her ear toward Halston as if her hearing was impaired. She had recently been transferred to Rivertone, so she hadn't heard the rumors about Mia marrying a loser.

"I want to meet my wife, Mia," Halston gave the same answer.

June's frown deepened. "You… are CEO Mia's husband?" she asked again, her voice full of doubt. "Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but—"

"If you don't have an appointment, please leave!" June demanded, pointing toward the door. "The exit is over there," she continued with an annoyed smile.

At that moment, everyone's attention in the lobby shifted to a woman with curly light brown hair, wearing a tight knee-length dress that hugged her curvy figure. Halston immediately approached the woman, who was none other than Mia, his wife.

Mia was startled by Halston's unwanted arrival. "What are you doing here?" she whispered.

"I came to deliver this," Halston said, showing her the folder.

It contained important presentation materials for Mia's meeting that day. She had forgotten to bring them, so Halston took the initiative to deliver them, knowing how crucial they were. Mia quickly grabbed the folder without saying thank you.

"Couldn't you have sent someone else to deliver it?" she snapped.

"I had to deliver it myself because I'm your husband," Halston smiled proudly.

Curious whispers began to spread, and Mia quickly dragged Halston to a quiet corner. Her face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger.

Two years ago, her grandfather forced Mia to marry Halston, hiding the real reason. He asked her to be patient, but she couldn't take it anymore, especially since her grandfather had passed away a month ago without explaining anything, leaving her with a poor, lowly husband.

"Have you lost your mind? We agreed you wouldn't show up near me in public!" she scolded, hitting Halston's shoulder with the folder.

Halston responded with a smile. "But those documents are very important. If I didn't deliver them quickly, you might have gotten in trouble."

"Trouble?" Mia let out a small laugh. "I'm Mia Brown, Halston! Even if I make a mistake, everyone will forgive me!" she said arrogantly.

"Sorry for coming without notice," Halston said, choosing to back down.

Mia glared as she inspected Halston's appearance. His courier uniform only fueled her frustration.

"Do you know, Halston? My life before you came was perfect. I had everything! Reputation, beauty, rich friends, and a bright future. Then you came and ruined it all! You're just dirt in my perfect life!"

Mia's words stung, but Halston tried to stay calm. He stepped forward, gently holding Mia's hand.

"I'm trying, Mia. I'll give you what you want, whatever it is. You just need to be patient a little longer. Give me time. I'll prove it to you," he pleaded.

Mia roughly pushed his hand away and laughed cynically. "What did you say? Trying? Do you think being a lousy courier and trying will make you a company owner? Don't be ridiculous!"

She leaned closer, whispering in Halston's ear, "Even if you try forever, you'll only ever be one thing—a leech in my life. Remember that!"

Mia turned around, the sound of her high heels echoing in the hallway.

"Don't ever come to my office again. If we meet in public, don't act like you know me," she warned without looking back, as if Halston were just a fly. "And remember, Halston, you're nobody!"

"Nobody, huh?" Halston whispered. "If my subordinates heard that, they'd probably laugh at you, Mia."

The Brown family was just one of many mid-tier wealthy families, a small name Halston could wipe out with a single command.

But he held back. Not out of fear, but because he owed Mia a debt. She had once saved his life.

Halston was actually known as the Overlord, a mysterious figure who controlled the finances of all influential people in the Veyland Republic. Be it conglomerates, officials, or gangsters, they all came to him when they needed money. He could basically destroy them by raising loan interest rates or pulling his investments.

Two years ago, he was ambushed by a group of unknown attackers and poisoned. That night, he stumbled through the rain, the poison blurring his vision and weakening his body. Then, he saw the silhouette of a woman with long brownish hair.

"Hey, are you okay? Hang on!" Her voice was panicked but warm. The woman gave Halston first aid when he desperately needed it.

After recovering from the poisoning, Halston tracked down the woman who had helped him, and it led to Mia Brown. She matched the description of his savior. Halston then decided to marry her as a way to repay her kindness.

In truth, even without Mia's help, Halston could have recovered from the poison because his body could detoxify itself. But enemies were still hunting him, and her help sped up his recovery.

He hid his identity to protect Mia. His enemies were not ordinary people. If Halston revealed who he was, Mia would become the next target for assassination.

Even so, he secretly paved the way for Mia and her family from behind the scenes. Silver Trust, the Brown family's company, would never have soared to become the city's top investment firm without Halston's touch.

Halston stayed patient when Mia insulted him, believing she acted that way because she was depressed by others' mockery of their marriage. He was confident Mia would soften toward him once he cleared up those bad rumors someday.

Ding!

A notification sounded on Halston's phone. One message was from a subordinate, and another was from an unknown number.

[Lord, we've found a lead on the culprits behind your poisoning two years ago!]

[Young Master, please return to the family. We need your help.]