The Monarch Crown System

21. The Secret Shareholder

The chaos inside the restaurant was growing louder by the second, voices overlapping and chairs scraping against the marble floor, when a man dressed in a dark security uniform rushed toward the table with urgency written all over his face.

“What is going on here?” the man demanded, his sharp eyes moving from Elias to Kiara and then to the furious faces of the Halstons.

Damien straightened immediately, relief flashing across his expression the moment he recognized the man. He pointed at Elias without hesitation, his voice rising with authority as if he already owned the place.

“Kelvin, finally,” Damien said sharply. “This man is a fraud. He sneaked into this hotel without permission. That is trespassing. Drag him out immediately.”

Kelvin turned his gaze to Elias, scanning him from head to toe with suspicion, while the Halstons exchanged glances filled with anticipation. This was the moment they had been waiting for, the humiliation they believed would finally crush him.

Henry leaned forward, his lips curling into a cruel smile, while Susan clutched her purse tightly as if savoring the scene that was about to unfold. Celeste folded her arms, her eyes burning with satisfaction as she watched Elias stand calmly beside Kiara.

Kelvin cleared his throat and asked, “Did you enter with a trade pass?”

Elias met his gaze without flinching. “No, I did not.”

A small chuckle escaped Kelvin’s lips, and it was immediately echoed by the Halstons.

Susan scoffed loudly. “The stupid fool still feels untouchable even now.”

Celeste shook her head in disbelief and laughed bitterly. “I cannot believe I was once married to this man. Kiara, is this the bastard you want to spend the rest of your life with?”

Kiara’s body stiffened at the words, but she lifted her chin and spoke clearly, her voice trembling yet firm. “Elias and I are not together. I just do not want to marry Damien. Is that not obvious?”

The restaurant seemed to fall silent for a split second. Damien felt as if he had been slapped across the face. Until that moment, Kiara had never said it out loud. He had assumed her silence meant submission, that fear would eventually bend her to his will.

Elias gently placed his hand on Kiara’s shoulder when he felt her shaking beneath his touch. Her body trembled as she met her parents’ furious stares, fear flashing in her eyes.

“It is fine,” Elias said calmly, his voice steady and reassuring. “I will not let you be married against your will. I am here.”

Kiara nodded slowly, holding onto those words as if they were the only thing keeping her standing.

Damien clenched his fists, rage boiling over as he pointed at Elias. “Get this man out of here. He does not have a pass. What are you still waiting for?”

Kelvin hesitated for a brief moment, then barked, “You heard him. You are to be dragged out of this hotel right now. You will also receive notice from our legal department. We will sue you for trespassing.”

He turned and gestured sharply to the other guards nearby. “Boys, get him. Drag him out.”

Kiara’s heart pounded violently as she watched the guards move closer. Her hands trembled at her sides, panic tightening her chest. Susan, Celeste, and Henry exchanged gleeful looks, barely hiding their excitement as they watched the scene unfold.

Just as the guards were about to lay their hands on Elias, a loud voice cut through the tension.

“Stop.”

Everyone froze.

A man rushed into the restaurant, his expression severe, his presence commanding instant attention. He moved quickly, pushing past the guards and placing himself firmly between Elias and the security team.

“Do not touch that man,” he ordered.

All eyes turned toward him in shock.

“Victor Reed,” someone whispered.

Victor Reed was a well known figure, a respected member of the board of the Golden Tulip Group. Many people often mistook him for the chairman because he was the public face of the hotel chain, the man who represented power without needing to announce it.

Behind him followed a woman dressed sharply in corporate attire, her heels clicking briskly against the floor as she struggled to keep up.

Kelvin’s face drained of color. “Sir,” he stammered, straightening immediately.

Victor Reed ignored him for a moment and turned his attention to Elias, his stern expression softening slightly.

“You said you would be coming by,” Victor said. “I did not expect it would be so soon. Did you have any trouble reaching the hotel?”

Damien’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“What is going on?” Kelvin asked nervously. “Sir, this man trespassed. We were about to handle it appropriately.”

Victor turned slowly and looked at him, his gaze sharp. “Oh? So you did not recognize him when he entered?”

Celeste stepped forward quickly, her voice shrill. “Sir, this man is a criminal. He is my ex husband. He has no money, no status, no sense to his name. You must be mistaken.”

Damien nodded eagerly. “Yes, sir. He does not belong here.”

Victor did not even spare Damien a glance. Instead, he addressed Elias respectfully. “Are you uncomfortable about anything sir?”

Elias’s eyes shifted briefly to Kelvin before returning to Victor. “Your man was about to throw me out.”

Victor’s expression darkened instantly. He turned to Kelvin with fury in his eyes. “Who dared touch you?”

Kelvin swallowed hard, panic setting in as he realized something was terribly wrong. “Sir, I did not know. I truly did not.”

Victor laughed coldly. “Do you have any idea what you were about to do? You were about to offend one of the biggest shareholders of this hotel. That alone is enough to end your career.”

Kelvin’s knees nearly gave out. “Shareholder?”

Celeste burst out laughing nervously. “That is ridiculous. You must be mistaken. This man has nothing. I gave him twelve million just days ago to treat an illness. He is a nobody.”

Victor finally turned his gaze to her, his eyes sharp and unforgiving. “A few minutes ago, he transferred five billion into the Golden Tulip Group. He is here today to complete the final process to officially become a shareholder. I suggest you mind the way you speak.”

Silence crashed over the restaurant like a wave.

Five billion.

The words echoed in everyone’s mind.

Faces went pale. Mouths fell open. Damien staggered back slightly, his confidence evaporating in an instant. Henry’s hands trembled, Susan’s grip on her purse loosened, and Celeste felt the ground shift beneath her feet.

Kelvin stood frozen, his mind struggling to process what he had just heard.

Elias stood calmly beside Kiara, his expression unreadable, as the weight of the truth settled heavily over everyone present.

And that was when they realized they had made a mistake that could never be undone.