2025-08-05 00:19:35“I had to travel down to five different countries on my private jet just to inspect the materials used for creating this masterpiece,” Daniel boasted into the microphone, his voice dripping with arrogance as he gestured proudly to his jewel-encrusted car gleaming under the spotlights.
The crowd watched, some in awe, many in disgust.
“With hand-picked, hand-furnished gems encrusted on this beauty,” Daniel continued, “I knew you lowlives would have no choice but to give me the winner's title. Honestly, I'm not even surprised.”
He scoffed, turning toward the event manager and the judges, who now wore expressions of quiet discomfort. He had just insulted them on stage, and while they should have been furious, they were shackled by one truth: Daniel was a major sponsor of the event.
There was little they could do.
“How pathetic!” Daniel sneered, his voice booming through the speakers. “That the so-called new heir of the Raymond family didn’t even have the courage to show up!”
He turned in slow, mocking circles on the stage, hands stretched wide, soaking in the laughter and murmurs of the crowd.
“Or has the money finally run out?” he added, smirking. “Or maybe… just maybe, he was faking the whole Raymond heir story from the start!”
His words sliced through the air like knives.
“I always knew that John was a joke,” Daniel declared. “A fake. A scam. Just some random loser who got lucky. Probably a charity case. I mean—let’s be honest—do we really think the Raymond family would claim someone like him unless they felt sorry for him?”
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
A long, deep woooahhhh rolled out from the audience like a crashing wave. Some students couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Others laughed nervously. Daniel had crossed a line—a line no one else had dared to approach.
He hadn’t just insulted John.
He had insulted the Raymond family.
A family so powerful, so untouchable, that most students couldn't even bring themselves to say “Raymond” without checking over their shoulders.
Jerry, standing proudly in third place, smirked with approval. He was thrilled. This was better than anything he could’ve orchestrated himself.
But Anna had heard enough.
Her fury boiled over.
“That’s not an appreciation speech, you jerk!” she shouted from the side of the stage, her voice slicing through the tension like a knife.
Daniel laughed coldly. “Oh, look! His little warrior is fighting on his behalf. I’m so scared.” He folded his arms dramatically, taunting her.
The crowd laughed again, but uneasily this time. Even Noel, who was normally the picture of cool detachment, didn’t look amused. He liked Anna, but seeing her stand up for John—his rival—kept him from defending her this time.
At the back of the auditorium, seated in the dim shadows, John remained calm—but only on the surface.
He could take the insults aimed at him.
He could ignore the laughter.
But Anna being dragged into it?
That was a line too far.
His jaw clenched.
He’d been enjoying the event from the shadows all along, observing everything. His black suit and quiet presence made him nearly invisible among the sea of flashy outfits. No one noticed him. No one knew he was there.
But now, it was time to strike.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out his iPhone, and dialled his grandfather.
RING... RING…
“Where did this old man drop his phone again…” John muttered, impatient.
“Hello?” came the voice finally. Calm. Familiar. Powerful.
“Hi, Grandpa.”
“John? How are you, my boy?”
“Fine… and not fine,” John said, his tone quiet but cold.
That was enough.
There was a long pause on the other end. Then his grandfather spoke again.
“Who pissed off my grandson—and heir to the Raymond empire?”
His voice was sharp. Steel wrapped in velvet.
“That person is going to pay dearly.”
John smirked faintly. “Calm down, Grandpa. I’ll tell you everything. Do you know a company called Danco Tech?”
His grandfather paused, clearly recognising the name.
“Yes. Of course. That young man, Daniel—he came to me years ago, begging for seed money. I saw promise in him. He was passionate. I gave him a shot.”
“Yeah, well,” John said dryly, “this is how he repays you. By mocking our name publicly.”
Silence.
Then John added, “I want their accounts frozen. Every property seized. Bankrupt them, Grandpa. Make an example of him.”
The other end went quiet again—but this time, the silence was burning.
Then his grandfather’s voice returned. “Consider it done. I’ll contact the family manager now.”
“Thank you,” John said softly. “You’re the best.”
“This brat needs to be taught a lesson,” his grandfather said grimly, and ended the call.
The line went dead.
John returned his phone to his pocket, his heart steady now.
Miles away, his grandfather picked up his phone again.
“Hey, Chucks,” he said as he dialled.
“Huh? You don’t call this late,” said the voice on the other end. It was the family manager—an old friend of the Raymond patriarch.
“There’s an emergency,” his grandfather replied sharply.
“What’s going on?”
“I need you to bankrupt Danco Tech. Freeze every account. Lock every asset. Make them disappear—within the next two minutes.”
There was a brief hesitation.
“Whoa… calm down. Is this decision final?” Chucks asked, knowing the weight of such an order.
“He mocked my grandson. He mocked our family. He forgot who gave him his wings. Let’s remind him who holds the sky.”
“Say no more,” Chucks replied. “It’s done.”
The call ended.
Within minutes, calls were made. Access codes sent. Emergency authorisations triggered.
Like a switch flipped, Danco Tech began to vanish.
Banks halted transactions. Employees were logged out of company systems. Vendors received termination notices. Clients found websites offline.
To the digital world, it was like Danco Tech had never existed.
Chucks sent a single text back to John’s grandfather:
“It’s all over now.”
Beaming with satisfaction, the old man dialled John again.
RING.
John answered on the first ring.
“It’s done,” his grandfather said, his voice triumphant.
“Thank you, Grandpa. You’re the best.”
John ended the call.
He was done with shadows.
It was time for the real show.
Outside, parked discreetly behind a hidden stage wall, sat John’s car. He had parked it there the day before, tucked out of sight. Now, he walked calmly, slowly, to the vehicle, the stage’s noise growing fainter behind him.
He climbed in.
The engine roared to life—deep, smooth, thunderous.
Back inside the hall, Daniel was still on his arrogant rant when his phone buzzed.
He ignored it.
Another buzz.
Then his phone started vibrating constantly.
He frowned, irritated, and finally glanced at the screen.
One glance was enough.
His face turned pale. The colour drained from his cheeks.
He unlocked the screen. Notification after notification flooded in.
BANK ACCOUNT FROZEN.
VENDOR CONTRACT CANCELLED. EMPLOYEE ACCESS REVOKED. MAIN SERVER SHUTDOWN. DANCO TECH TERMINATED.“No… no, no, no…” he whispered.
His hands trembled.
His mouth hung open, completely frozen.
The lights of the stage still danced around him. The crowd still buzzed with amusement.
But Daniel?
Daniel was collapsing on the inside.
He looked up slowly, just in time to see it—
The entrance doors swung open.
And from the smoke-filled entrance…
A car, unlike anything anyone had ever seen, glided in.
Every camera turned.
Every head snapped in the same direction.
The real show had begun.
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Chapter 40: The Contract
Agnes crossed her legs and tilted her head slightly, her gaze settling on Bobby before darting to John. The room still carried the weight of John’s loud interruption from earlier, and though the tension had slightly eased, curiosity had replaced conflict. Everyone was waiting for John’s next move. Agnes, in particular, was eager to see how the young heir would walk the tightrope between diplomacy and authority.John, on the other hand, felt like his lungs were barely keeping up with his heart rate. Every beat echoed in his ears like a ticking time bomb. It was his first time taking charge in such a heated room, and though he was determined to make a mark, the pressure was immense. Every eye, every breath, every pause in that room was pointed directly at him.But he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, stood to his feet, and let it all out in a steady voice.“First, I must commend all of your efforts in building this glorious empire,” John said, his voice calm and sure. “My desire is t
Chapter 39: Trouble in Paradise
After the final voice died down, the secretary turned to John with a respectful nod.“Mr John, please, your opening remarks,” she said, giving him space to address the table before the contract would be discussed in full.John stood, adjusting the lapel of his suit. He glanced briefly around the table, noting the diverse expressions: some welcoming, some indifferent, some clearly sizing him up.“Hello,” John began, his voice steady though not overly rehearsed. “My name is John, and I am the new heir to the empire. I look forward to working with all of you peacefully and changing the world as well. Thank you.”His words were brief but struck the right chord. A few of the board members smiled and gave nods of approval. Others simply turned back to their tablets or took sips of their coffee, their reactions unreadable.Then the mood began to shift.The room, which had felt moderately tense before, now seemed to drop into a chilling silence as the secretary pulled up the contract on the m
Chapter 38: The Power Houses
The room was thick with tension until the deep, commanding voice of John’s grandfather sliced through the silence.“Can the both of you just behave like adults for once and let bygones be bygones?” he said, his eyes shifting between Agnes and Jamal, whose subtle jabs at each other had turned a professional gathering into a stage for their personal grievances.Bobby White, who had been flipping through the pages of his report, muttered under his breath without looking up. “It’s clear they’re still not over each other.”A few people tried to suppress their smirks.Jamal let out a short breath, then reached for his mic. “Apologies, sir. Let me allow the young lady to speak,” he said and turned off his microphone, giving Agnes the floor.“Thank you,” John’s grandfather responded, nodding approvingly. He turned to Agnes and gestured that she could now speak.Agnes shifted slightly in her seat, her posture regal, her expression unreadable. Her voice, when it came, was smooth and deliberate,
Chapter 37: The New Contract of Doom
Beep! Beep!John’s alarm echoed solemnly in the quiet of his room. A soft beam of morning light filtered through the sheer white curtains, casting a golden hue across the bedspread. He groaned slightly and rubbed his eyes, his body resisting the call to rise. But he knew better. Today wasn’t one of those days where he could afford to hit snooze.He dragged himself out of bed, stretched slowly, and turned off the persistent alarm. His mind was already ticking. Today was important. It wasn’t just another meeting; it was the day he would place his signature on the first contract as the heir of the Raymond Empire.Without wasting time, he changed into his gym gear and slipped on his running shoes. Stepping out into the fresh morning air, John took a moment to appreciate the serenity of his new estate. It was vast and elegantly designed, tucked away in one of the most secure districts—a quiet stronghold his grandfather had insisted he move into after Michael’s sudden assault.The Raymond f
Chapter 36: New Beginnings
John slipped back into the driver’s seat, his expression calm and reassuring as he looked at Anna and Collins waiting expectantly.“Don’t worry,” he said, placing the key in the ignition. “It was just my grandfather checking in. Nothing serious.”“Are you sure?” Anna asked, brushing a strand of hair from her face.John smiled gently. “Positive. Now let’s go celebrate your freedom from the Johnsons properly.”Both Anna and Collins nodded in agreement, visibly more relaxed now that the heavy events of the night were behind them. The laughter they had shared after Noel’s meltdown still echoed in their hearts, but now they craved something else—food, warmth, and a taste of peace.The restaurant Anna recommended was only a ten-minute drive from the Matron-Dax Hotel. It was cleverly positioned just a block away, nestled between towering glass structures and lit with golden lights that shimmered like candlelight. The aroma of grilled meat and freshly baked bread wafted into the street, drawi
Chapter 35: Is It a Real or Fake Crest?
The flashing red and blue lights faded behind them, but the image burned in Noel’s mind like a wildfire that refused to die out. He slumped in the back seat of the police car, barely registering the officers on either side of him. His vision blurred—not from the swollen eye or the pain that radiated from his jaw—but from the tears that refused to stop.He had seen that ring before.Not on John.No, long ago.It was on the hand of a man who had walked into their estate in his youth. Regal. Cold. Powerful. He had worn that same ring and rested it on Noel's head like a crown, calling him the grandson he never had. The man was John's grandfather.And now, years later, that same ring adorned the finger of the boy he had hated so blindly.Noel sobbed quietly, every tear that escaped him filled with the weight of regret. It wasn’t embarrassment anymore. It was despair. The kind that clutches your throat and presses hard on your chest until breathing becomes a chore.John Raymond was not just
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