The Househusband Was a Hidden Monarch

Chapter 8

The banquet hall gradually fell into deep silence.

All eyes shifted toward the grand entrance. Conversations died mid-sentence and even the waiters slowed their steps as an invisible pressure settled over the luxurious space. Whoever this chairman was, his presence alone was enough to make the city’s elites hold their breath.

Then… a familiar figure walked in.

It was the old man from earlier.

He entered with steady steps, his sharp eyes scanning the hall like someone inspecting territory. The moment he saw Cassian surrounded by guards and a crowd, his expression darkened slightly. Without greeting anyone and without pausing for formalities, he marched straight toward the scene.

Fiona saw him coming and immediately laughed.

“Well,” she said loudly, clearly enjoying the attention, “now you understand what status means, Cassian. You tried to act tough and important… and now you’ve offended someone far beyond your reach.”

Her smile turned vicious.

“You’re finished. Completely finished. This is what happens when useless men pretend to be powerful.”

Leon grinned beside her, chest puffed out with pride.

“Relax,” he said arrogantly. “This is all because my father personally spoke to the chairman. That’s why he came tonight. Some people just don’t understand how influence works.”

He adjusted his tie smugly.

“Our Hartley family doesn’t just attend banquets. We create them.”

A few guests nodded, impressed by the confidence in his voice.

Meanwhile, the old man had already reached them. He stopped in front of Cassian and glanced coldly at the guards.

“What is going on here?” he asked.

The guards stiffened instantly.

“Sir… we… we were just...”

Before they could finish, Fiona stepped forward with a sneer.

“Hello sir, sorry for the eyesore, this man is my ex-husband,” she said loudly. “A pitiful, useless nobody who came here pretending to be important. He’s been making trouble and embarrassing himself.”

She pointed at Cassian like she was presenting evidence.

“He even said he could make me take him back. Can you imagine? A woman of my calibre, wanting junk like this when I have young master Hartley here.”

The old man raised a brow slightly but Fiona wasn’t done clearly enjoying the attention. 

“He’s also been talking nonsense,” she continued dramatically. “Claiming that the entire banquet wouldn’t hold if he wasn’t here. That everyone would regret offending him. He’s clearly lost his mind.”

She shook her head with fake pity.

“Honestly, I think he’s desperate for attention.”

Cassian chuckled softly beside her.

“Creative,” he said calmly. “You’re getting better at lying. You should consider acting. This level of imagination shouldn’t be wasted in business.”

A few people snorted, trying to suppress laughter.

Fiona’s face tightened but the old man’s gaze had already shifted fully onto Cassian.

Leon’s face darkened when he heard Cassian’s words. He was raging thinking of different ways he's going to make his life miserable. 

“Shut up,” he snapped harshly. “Know your place.”

He immediately turned toward the old man with a polite smile, trying to regain control of the situation.

“Sir, allow me to introduce myself,” he began confidently. “I am Leon Hartley, Young Master of the Hartley Financial Family. My father...”

“I have no recollection of you,” the old man cut in calmly and Leon froze.

The hall grew even quieter but the old man’s gaze was cold.

“Nor do you have any impression worth remembering,” he continued. “Especially from someone who causes trouble on my turf.”

The words fell like a hammer and several guests stiffened.

Leon’s confident smile cracked slightly and Fiona’s grip on his arm tightened.

The old man seeing Leon's arrogance could have acted immediately. He could have crushed their arrogance in one sentence. But he remained composed. He understood his master’s temperament. Cassian moved at his own pace. He humiliated people slowly, let them gloat, they'll get what's coming soon.

So the old man restrained himself.

Instead, he looked at Fiona.

“What is your relationship with him?” he asked calmly, nodding toward Cassian.

Fiona’s eyes flared with annoyance as she glanced at Cassian with open disgust.

“He’s my ex-husband,” she said coldly. “A loser who held me back for years.”

Her voice grew louder, filled with pride and bitterness.

“I wasted three years of my life on him. He had no ambition, no power, no vision. Now that I’ve finally risen, he suddenly appears again like a ghost trying to drag me down.”

She tightened her hold on Leon’s arm as if clinging to proof of her success.

“I don’t deserve someone like him,” she added. “Everything I achieved today is thanks to Leon. Without him, I wouldn’t be standing here.”

Leon straightened proudly.

“That’s right,” he said. “Miss Fiona’s talent simply needed the right support. My family recognized her value.”

The old man’s expression became extremely cold, unable to hold it in anymore because how could someone be so stupid,!

“Is that truly the case?” he asked Fiona.

She nodded without hesitation.

“Of course,” she said confidently. “Everyone here knows it.”

For a moment, the old man said nothing and then he let out a slow sigh.

“Very well,” he said.

He turned slightly and raised his voice just enough for the entire banquet hall to hear.

“Miss Fiona,” he continued calmly, “you may proceed to meet Young Master Leon Hartley regarding your contract.”

A relieved smile began forming on her face and then the old man finished his sentence.

“However… Skyline Dominion Group will be canceling all cooperation with your company.”