2025-11-18 15:37:36Morning sunlight pushed gently through the penthouse windows as Jared stirred awake, the previous day playing back in fragments—Director Hill’s authority, Lisa’s betrayal, Kirby's actions, Sammy's mockery, Professor Bernard's insults, the laughter on campus. All of it simmered in him like a quiet storm. Before he could gather himself, his phone vibrated on the nightstand.
Mr. Anders.
Jared sat up, cleared his throat, and answered.
“Good morning, Young Master,” Joseph Anders said, his voice crisp as always. “I come with news. Your father has completed the last of your requests from yesterday.”
Jared blinked. “Already?”
“Indeed, sir. Los Angeles University and Skyrun Inc. now belong to you. But… your father went further. He bought out their parent companies entirely—The Atlantic Group, owners of LAU, and the Blue Belt Group, owners of Skyrun and several other tech subsidiaries. You are now the sole heir and controller of both groups. Whenever you are ready, you may visit their headquarters to assume official control.”
Jared let out a slow exhale. He knew the Diamond family moved quickly, but this was beyond even his expectations.
“Thank you,” Jared said quietly.
“One more thing,” Anders continued. “Master Diamond personally arranged for your grandmother to be airlifted to Tokyo General Hospital. She is receiving full intensive care under Japan’s top cardiac specialists. Everything is handled.”
Something inside Jared tightened—something soft, something old. His father may have been controlling, overbearing, and at times ruthless, but when he decided to do something… he did it thoroughly.
“Tell him… thank you,” Jared said.
“Yes, Young Master.”
After the call ended, Jared showered, threw on a simple black T-shirt, joggers, and white sneakers, then headed downstairs. He didn’t expect trouble. Not this early.
But trouble was waiting.
Right in the center of the lobby stood Sammy Jo, Lisa, and Rosaline Joackin herself—dressed like she owned the entire city, chin high, eyes dripping with disdain.
They saw him at the same time he saw them.
The shock on their faces lasted only a second before it morphed into disgust and confusion.
“What are you doing here?” Sammy Jo blurted sharply, stepping forward as if the marble floors could be contaminated by proximity.
Jared didn’t even bother replying. He walked past them.
“Hey!” Sammy Jo barked. “I asked you a question!”
Jared didn’t bother turning. “And I don’t owe you any explanations.”
Lisa scoffed loudly. “Unbelievable. Jared, what exactly are you doing here? Are you stalking me now? Do you have any idea how creepy you are?!”
Jared finally paused, turned slowly, and looked at her—really looked at her.
“You think everything is about you,” he said calmly. “Relax. You’re not that important.”
Lisa flinched. Sammy clenched his jaw.
Rosaline stepped forward, narrowing her eyes. “Sammy, who is this gutter rat?”
“The idiot who assaulted me,” Sammy replied, jabbing a finger at Jared. “The one you told Director Hill to expel.”
Recognition flashed across Rosaline’s face and immediately twisted into revulsion. She walked straight up to Jared, her designer heels clacking like gunshots.
“This is the filth?” she hissed. “This… thing touched my son? If I had known, I would have had his hand severed. People like you don’t deserve to breathe the same air as us.”
Jared chuckled.
Rosaline’s nostrils flared. “What are you laughing at?”
“You,” Jared said simply. “You and your son both talk like you own the world. But you have no idea what you’ve just stepped on.”
Something in his tone made Sammy’s confidence waver for a moment, but Lisa stepped forward before anyone could respond.
She slapped him.
Hard.
The sound cracked through the lobby.
“Shut up,” she snapped. “Just shut up, Jared. I know you better than anyone here. You’re nothing. Stop acting like you’re somebody just to scare us.”
Her voice trembled slightly—fear, or guilt, Jared couldn’t tell.
He laughed softly, touching his cheek. “Lisa… the things you don’t know could fill a mansion. And you… you're standing on sinking ground, smiling like you’re on a throne.”
Lisa’s eyes flickered with something like confusion, but she tried to hide it.
“Let me give you advice,” Jared said, stepping closer. “Leave this falling family while you still can.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?” Rosaline barked.
“You’ll understand soon,” Jared replied. “Enjoy your breakfast while it lasts.”
He turned and walked out of the hotel doors, their angry voices echoing behind him.
Outside, he dialed Caroline Leavitt—manager of the California branches of Diamond Manor Hotels.
She picked up instantly.
“Young Master!” she said warmly. “I heard you came in last night. I planned to greet you this morning but didn’t want to disturb your rest.”
“No worries,” Jared replied. “I need a favor.”
“Anything, sir.”
“The Joackins are inside the hotel,” Jared said. “Probably heading to the Sky Diner for breakfast. Evict them from the building. Ban them from all Diamond Manor Hotels globally. And make sure the footage goes viral.”
Caroline didn’t need further explanation. “Consider it done, Young Master. They will be handled with precision.”
***
Inside Sky Diner…
The Joackins, oblivious to the storm heading toward them, strutted confidently toward the Sky Diner entrance—the most elite dining floor of the entire hotel chain. Billionaires booked months in advance. Tech moguls used it as a playground. Scoring a reservation there was a sign of power.
Rosaline held her handbag like royalty. Sammy adjusted his shirt as if preparing for his coronation. Lisa followed behind, smiling now that she’d fully won Sammy’s approval.
“This is it,” Sammy whispered with excitement. “If we meet even one of the tech giants today, Skyrun will double their offer.”
Rosaline smirked. “With my influence and your future position in the company, they won’t refuse us.”
They reached the entrance.
“Excuse me.”
A firm voice cut through the air behind them.
They ignored it. Surely it wasn’t directed at them.
“Security,” the voice commanded. “Stop them.”
Four elite Sky Diner security guards stepped forward immediately and blocked their path. The Joackins turned in confusion—then the color drained from their faces.
Caroline Leavitt approached, heels clicking, expression sharp enough to cut steel.
Rosaline’s voice trembled. “Miss Leavitt. Good morning. To what do we owe the pleasure?”
Caroline didn’t smile. “Mrs. Joackin. I received a direct call from my employer moments ago. He informed me that you harassed him this morning. As such, you and your family are banned from this hotel and every Diamond Manor Hotel worldwide. Effective immediately.”
Gasps rippled.
Sammy’s jaw dropped. Lisa froze.
Rosaline stuttered. “W–what? We didn’t harass anyone! We haven’t even met your employer! If we saw a Diamond, we would kneel! Please, Miss Leavitt, this must be—”
Lisa cut in. “The only person we met was Jared Stevens, and trust me, he is not your employer. Not even on his best day.”
Caroline looked at her with pity.
“My employer,” she said coldly, “is not someone you have the privilege of discussing.”
Before they could process her words, Caroline turned to the security team.
“Throw them out.”
Security grabbed them.
“Wait! STOP—”
“Do you know who we are?!”
“Let go of me!”
Their screams were useless.
Everything—every humiliating second—was recorded on multiple devices by staff who had been subtly signaled to film.
The Joackins were dragged through the lobby, past morning guests, business elites, camera flashes, and shocked whispers, and finally tossed outside the main entrance.
The videos hit social media within minutes.
#ExitOfShame
#JoackinFamilyBanned #DiamondManorScandalEverywhere.
Rosaline could barely breathe from embarrassment. Sammy was pale. Lisa clutched her chest, horrified as the comments poured in.
“This can’t be happening,” Sammy muttered. “This can’t be real!”
Lisa swallowed hard. “First Director Hill humiliated Jared… now we get humiliated in the exact same way? This timing is too perfect.”
A thought flickered through all their minds at once—
Could Jared have somehow…?
They shook it off instantly.
Impossible.
“Jared is nothing but a broke scholarship student,” Rosaline snapped. “He couldn’t pull off something like this even in his dreams. He must have called Caroline and lied we harassed some big VIP. The nerve! That bastard thinks he can play games with us?”
Her eyes burned with fury.
She pulled out her phone.
“Find someone for me,” she ordered the person on the other end. “Find Jared Stevens… and capture him.”
Her voice dropped to a chilling whisper.
“I want him delivered to me alive.”
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
CHAPTER 197
Jonah stepped into the penthouse, and the world seemed to tilt, caught in a whirl of color, sound, and light. A chandelier scattered rainbows across the polished floors, the bass of the music thudding against his chest with every beat, each note vibrating through the soles of his shoes.Laughter, shouts, and the clinking of glasses echoed across the room, layered with the faint hiss of champagne corks and the rich scent of perfume and cologne mingling with the smoky tang of incense from somewhere near the balcony.He paused, letting it wash over him, and realized—this was a world entirely unlike the structured halls of the university, a world where rules bent to the whims of the wealthy and fearless.Sammy Jo, already in the center of the chaos, was laughing loudly, a glass of champagne tilted in his hand as a group of students leaned in, hanging on every word. Kirby was nearby, spinning on her heels, daring someone to dance with her, a mischievous glint in her eye. Lisa lounged elega
CHAPTER 196
The morning sunlight spilled across the campus, casting long shadows behind banners that fluttered lazily in the gentle breeze. Students moved between classes, backpacks swinging, headphones humming faint melodies, entirely absorbed in the rhythm of ordinary life.For the first time in weeks, Jared walked the quad without that subtle tension in his shoulders, without glancing over his back to anticipate conflict. The rumor that had spread like wildfire—the one that had painted him as a violator of trust, a target of the Iron Vow—was dissipating, replaced by evidence, calm logic, and undeniable truth.His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he checked it absentmindedly. A series of notifications flashed across the screen: screenshots, social media posts, and forum updates.The headline that caught his attention read, “Campus Video Debunked: Claim Retracted.” The clip had been manipulated. Metadata, cross-checked by the administration, revealed its forgery, and the young woman involved had
CHAPTER 195
The campus charity gala unfolded beneath strings of warm lights and carefully curated elegance. Banners bearing the university crest draped from the balconies of the student center, and clusters of well-dressed students moved between silent auction tables with glasses of sparkling cider in hand.Laughter rose in polite waves, the kind cultivated for donors and alumni who appreciated refinement over chaos. It was the kind of event where reputations were polished, not tested.Jared hadn’t planned on attending.But absence, tonight, would have looked strategic. And he was done feeding narratives.He stood near the edge of the courtyard, dressed in a dark tailored suit that drew subtle glances without demanding them. Conversations shifted when he passed, though not as sharply as before. The accusation had quieted, thanks in part to the Iron Vow’s silence.The forum thread had lost momentum. Comments had turned uncertain. Some posts had even disappeared.Pressure had receded—but not entire
CHAPTER 194
The far end of the parking structure was dimmer, the overhead lights flickering faintly as if undecided about whether to stay on. The concrete walls trapped sound, turning even quiet breaths into something heavier. The Iron Vow members remained several paces back, forming no visible barrier this time, just a silent perimeter. Their leader stood in front of Jared, posture relaxed but eyes sharp, measuring.“You said the footage was edited,” the leader began. “Prove it.”Jared didn’t rush to answer. He pulled out his phone slowly, deliberately, making sure every movement was visible. Escalation here would come from misinterpretation, not aggression. He opened the circulating clip first.“This is the version spreading,” he said, angling the screen slightly. “Sixteen seconds. Starts mid-motion. Ends mid-motion.”The leader didn’t take the phone. He watched.Jared continued, voice steady. “Look at the reflection on the car behind us. The timestamp on the dashboard clock. It reads 9:42 at t
CHAPTER 193
The pressure did not erupt. It accumulated.By the next morning, the shift had become structural. Jared discovered his access to the athletic wing had been formally suspended pending “conduct review.” A campus mentorship program he had quietly supported sent a brief, carefully worded message informing him that parent participants had expressed concern.Even the Robotics Club, which had casually invited him to open lab hours just days ago, posted an update limiting lab access to “verified active members only.” None of it accused him directly. None of it condemned him outright. It was administrative erosion—measured, procedural, clean.Walking through campus felt different now. Not hostile. Hostility was loud. This was calibrated distance. Conversations lowered when he approached, then resumed once he passed.A group of students at the fountain stopped mid-laughter as he walked by, their smiles tightening into neutral expressions. One freshman who had thanked him just days earlier avoid
CHAPTER 192
By the time Jared reached his suite that afternoon, the accusation had evolved from a whisper into a narrative. It wasn’t loud or chaotic. There were no shouting matches in hallways or dramatic confrontations on the quad. Instead, it moved like a quiet tide—steady, deliberate, and suffocating.The forum thread had doubled in size. Screenshots of the edited clip were circulating across multiple group chats. Someone had slowed the footage, zoomed in, added red circles and captions as if conducting a forensic analysis. The comments had shifted from speculation to certainty. “Look at her body language.” “He’s always been too smooth.” “Money makes people think they’re untouchable.” The transformation was efficient. Clinical.He tossed his phone onto the table and stood by the window, watching the campus below. Nothing outwardly chaotic. Students still walked in pairs.Clubs still advertised events. But he could see it now—the subtle recalibration of space. A group that might have waved now
You may also like
Revenge of the Secret Heir
Belladonna84.8K viewsThe Lowly Son in Law is Quadrillionaire
Riku Ormstrom93.6K viewsRise From Prison: Married To A Beautiful CEO
Rex Magnus180.7K viewsThe Charismatic Charlie Wade
Lord Leaf63.9M viewsBeneath the city lights
Amìnessa Vale296 viewsREINCARNATED AS THE SUPREME LORD
Clevee675 viewsTHE BOSS BEAST
Lionaira185 viewsDivorced? I Am The Trillionaire Heir
Victor Sterling110 views