The Hidden Overlord Halston

Chapter 7

"What is this? Miles Rowan knows that loser Halston?" someone whispered, their voice full of surprise.

"Looking at how respectful Mr. Rowan is, Halston must have an extraordinary identity!" another person replied, shaking their head in disbelief.

Mia stood frozen in the middle of the crowd, her face as pale as paper. Her hands were clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palms until they turned white.

"No… this doesn't make any sense!" she hissed, her eyes locked on Halston. "How could that useless delivery man know Miles Rowan?"

Her mind raced, looking for a reason to deny what she was seeing. But Miles was still standing there, looking at Halston with admiration. He had only come to this party because of pressure from his business associates.

But who would have thought that, in the middle of this arrogant crowd, Miles would meet someone like Halston. He had known Halston ever since he received his first capital from Dominion Capital, a company owned by the Overlord himself.

However, one question lingered in Miles's mind: why would a man as powerful as Halston be in a small place like Rivertone?

Halston stepped closer to Miles and whispered in the old man's ear, his voice barely audible. "Sorry, Mr. Rowan. For now, I'm keeping my identity hidden. I hope you understand."

Miles stared at him for a moment, his eyes narrowing in understanding. The next second, he let out a small laugh and turned to face the crowd with an awkward smile.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry, everyone," he said, his loud voice deliberately made clumsy. "From a distance, I thought he was an old acquaintance from New Carven. They look very alike. But it turns out I was mistaken, haha!"

There was a moment of silence before laughter echoed through the hall.

"Hah, so Mr. Rowan just mistook him for someone else?"

"I thought that loser son-in-law was someone important, but he only looked similar!"

"Wow, I almost had a heart attack thinking that loser knew Mr. Rowan!"

Mia let out a long breath, the tightness in her chest fading away. A mocking smile returned to her face as she stepped closer to Halston.

"I knew it!" she said loudly, her voice full of sarcasm. "How could a courier like you know someone as honorable as Mr. Rowan? You're just trash who's lucky not to get kicked out of this party! And all of that is only possible because of me!"

Lucy added proudly, "Don't worry about it anymore, my dear daughter. Soon, you'll be the wife of Nolan Clark. Be happy you're free from this loser!"

"Let's take Nolan to the hospital and report everything this loser did to the Clark family!" Jack shouted, full of threat.

Halston didn't say a word. His eyes swept across the faces that were once again looking down on him, from the arrogant Mia to the guests who mocked him. Without saying anything, he walked away as mocking whispers followed behind.

Miles watched Halston's back growing distant from view. A faint smile appeared on the old man's face, full of hidden admiration. If he were Halston, he would silence all the dirty mouths at this party.

'If they knew who they just insulted, they wouldn't be able to imagine what could happen with just one command from that man,' he thought as he glanced at the guests continuing the party as if nothing had happened.

The elevator doors in the hotel lobby opened with a soft chime as Halston stepped out. Several men in black suits stood tall like statues, welcoming his presence. In front of them, a middle-aged man in a navy suit bowed his head slightly.

"I'm William Vander," he said, his voice low but full of respect. "Personal messenger of the clan head."

Halston's eyes remained cold, showing no surprise or interest. The clan William referred to was a name that would shake anyone who heard it. But Halston didn't care. The aura radiating from him made the men in suits lower their heads even more.

William continued, his tone very cautious. "Young Master, it has been too long since you left us. The clan head hopes for your return."

"I still remember what that old man said," Halston replied flatly. "When he kicked me out of the house, he said I was a failure and should never come back, not even to ask for a drop of water. That was his last sentence. Wouldn't I be an ungrateful son if I didn't obey his words?"

Halston continued, since William couldn't defend his father's cruelty. "Back then, I was thrown away like trash. Now that I've stood at the peak of power in Veyland, now you come looking for me?"

William clenched his fists behind his back, his head still bowed. "The clan head regrets it," he said quietly.

"Regret doesn't erase what he did!" Halston cut in sharply, his eyes flashing. "Does he think I'll come running back just because he asked?"

"Young Master, the clan head promises to grant your every request if you return."

"I refuse. Without that old man's help, I got everything I wanted with my strength!"

Regret was clear on William's face because Halston had been hurt too deeply to return to his family. "In that case, I have no choice. Since you refuse, I will withdraw. But I'll come back tomorrow, the day after, or next month to persuade you. I hope you'll consider the clan head's request."

"Tell that old man this. If he truly regrets it, let him come to me and kneel. Then I'll consider returning to the family," Halston said sarcastically.

He didn't want to hear anything more about his family, but William quickly blocked his path.

"At least take this," said William, offering a black folder. Before Halston could reject it, he quickly added, "This is not from the clan head. This is a gift from me as a token of apology."

Halston glanced at the folder uninterested. William continued, his tone sincere. "Please accept it. I guarantee you'll be satisfied with the information inside."

"Information?" Halston raised an eyebrow, curiosity beginning to grow. He took the folder, thinking there was no harm. His fingers opened each folded paper, and his body tensed after reading all the information inside.

"This… is this true?" he asked, his voice trembling.

William nodded. "I would never fake this information, Young Master. You know my capabilities when you were still in the clan."

He bowed deeply before turning away, followed by the group of men in suits who disappeared into the night.

Not long after, several other men approached Halston. They were his subordinates, neatly dressed in expensive suits.

Luke, his most trusted subordinate, stepped forward. "Lord, we've gathered information that the person who poisoned you is now in a neighboring country using a false identity. It will take time to capture them since they're in a different country," he reported.

"Should we proceed with the plan for Miss Brown now?" Edmund asked enthusiastically.

Tonight, Halston had planned to reveal part of his power to Mia. He thought his wife was beginning to accept him because she gave him a bank card to shop with and invited him to this party. But it turned out Mia did it only to toy with Halston by giving false hope and then crushing him.

Halston pulled out the ring box he had kept for this plan. Inside was an obsidian ring with a rare blue gem, one of only seven in the world. Forged from the core of an ancient dragon, it is believed to strengthen soul energy and protect its wearer.

"No. The plan is canceled."

Luke frowned. "Did something happen inside that we don't know about?" he asked, holding back anger.

This moment was supposed to be Halston's grand reveal, the time he would show his power to Mia and silence those who criticized their marriage. Canceling it made no sense to him.

Halston let out a small laugh, but there was bitterness in his voice. "I wasted two years on the wrong person," he said, his finger tracing a paper in the folder. He stared at the photo of a woman inside. "Mia Brown wasn't the one who saved me. The woman I'm looking for is named Kyra Brown."