The Secret Billionaire Son-in-law

CHAPTER 3: THE FACE-SLAP AT THE GALA

Back inside the grand penthouse banquet hall, the atmosphere was electric. The scent of expensive champagne, high-end perfumes, and rich food filled the air.

The entire Collins family was gathered near the main stage. Evelyn was grinning from ear to ear, holding a copy of the freshly signed divorce papers like a golden trophy. Dexter stood proudly beside her, constantly adjusting his tie and greeting the local businessmen who were trying to curry favor with him.

Chloe stood slightly apart from them, looking down at her empty hands. A strange, hollow feeling was blossoming in her chest. She kept looking toward the back exit where the security guards had dragged Ethan out into the freezing downpour. Had she been too harsh? He was penniless and lacked ambition, yes, but he had never looked at her with the piercing, dead coldness he had shown right before he signed the papers.

"Chloe, stop staring at the door!" Evelyn hissed, stepping over and aggressively grabbing her daughter’s arm. "Look around you! The supreme tycoon of the Vance Group is about to arrive any minute. Dexter has already laid all the groundwork with the venue managers. Tonight, our family ascends to high society, and you are finally a free woman! Smile!"

"Mother, we just ended a three-year marriage," Chloe said, her voice tight and trembling slightly. "How can you expect me to just—"

"A marriage to a parasite!" Dexter scoffed, taking a slow sip of his premium champagne. "Once you catch the eye of the Vance Group tycoon tonight, you'll realize that trash wasn't even worthy of breathing the same air as you. Why waste your youth feeling guilty for a guy who cleans floors for a living?"

Right at that moment, the master of ceremonies stepped onto the stage, his voice booming through the microphone, echoing across the massive hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests! The moment we have all been waiting for has arrived! Please give your ultimate, undivided attention to the entrance of our grand guest of honor—the supreme authority and newly appointed head of the Vance Group!"

The entire room went dead silent. The hundreds of wealthy guests, CEOs, and city officials quickly parted, creating a wide, flawless path from the main entrance doors all the way to the stage. Evelyn, Dexter, and Chloe pushed their way to the absolute front of the line, their faces plastered with the most submissive, groveling smiles they could muster.

Dexter held a leather-bound contract file tightly in his hands, his heart pounding against his ribs. This is it, he thought. The moment that changes everything.

Boom!

The massive, gold-leafed double doors of the banquet hall were pushed open from the outside. Two rows of elite security details dressed in matching black tactical suits entered first, instantly taking control of the perimeter.

Then, the heavy, authoritative sound of slow, steady leather footsteps echoed through the silent room.

A tall, striking figure stepped through the threshold.

The moment the man entered, it felt as though the entire temperature of the room dropped. He wore a bespoke, shimmering charcoal suit that screamed absolute wealth and power. His dark hair was perfectly styled, framing a sharp, incredibly handsome face with a jawline that looked like it was carved from marble. The four-million-dollar Patek Philippe watch on his wrist caught the glittering light of the chandeliers, casting a blinding glare across the room.

Evelyn’s smile instantly froze. Dexter’s eyes bulged.

Chloe’s breath completely caught in her throat. Her glass of wine slipped from her fingers, crashing violently onto the marble floor and splashing red liquid all over her white heels. She didn't even notice. She was staring at the man's face, her brain completely short-circuiting as her heart hammered frantically against her ribs.

"E-Ethan...?" Chloe whispered, her voice barely a breath, completely choked with disbelief.

"What?!" Evelyn blinked furiously, rubbing her eyes so hard her makeup smeared. "No... that's impossible. That's that live-in dog... no, it can't be him! He's a beggar!"

Dexter’s face turned completely pale, but his mind refused to accept the reality. He convinced himself it was just a bizarre, horrifying coincidence. There is no way that broke trash could be this god-like figure. He must have snuck back in! "Hey! Who do you think you are?!" Dexter stepped forward out of the crowd, pointing a trembling, angry finger at Ethan. "Where did you steal those clothes, Ethan? How dare you sneak back in here dressed like that to ruin our family's event! Security! Security, get over here and break this trash's legs! He's an impostor!"

Dexter’s loud, frantic shouting broke the silence of the room. The surrounding guests began to whisper nervously, looking back and forth between Dexter and the terrifyingly calm young man in the center of the room.

Hearing Dexter's commands, four hotel security guards rushed forward to grab Ethan.

But before they could even get within two feet of him, the elite security details traveling with Ethan moved like lightning. With synchronized, brutal efficiency, they intercepted the hotel guards, twisting their arms and throwing them to the ground, pinning them down instantly.

"Ah!" Dexter took a frantic step back, terrified by the sudden, overwhelming show of force.

Ethan didn't even blink. He kept his hands casually in his tailored pockets, taking slow, deliberate steps right up to Dexter. The sheer aura of absolute dominance radiating from Ethan made Dexter’s knees tremble so violently he could barely stand.

"Ethan Vance! You're insane!" Evelyn screamed from behind Dexter, her voice cracking in pure rage. "You're a live-in loser of our family! We just divorced you! How dare you use violence at our gala! Chloe, look at what your trash ex-husband is doing! Call the police!"

Right then, Butler Thomas stepped into the room, his expression colder than arctic ice. He walked directly past the screaming Evelyn and Dexter, ignoring them completely, and stopped right beside Ethan. Thomas turned his fierce, commanding gaze to face the entire crowd, his powerful voice ringing out with absolute clarity.

"Silence! Anyone who utters another insult against my master will be permanently blacklisted by the Vance Group, and their businesses will be liquidated by morning!"

The entire room gasped. The local billionaires in the crowd instantly recognized Butler Thomas—the right-hand man of the Vance empire. If Thomas was bowing to this man, then...

Thomas turned to Ethan, bowing a full ninety degrees with deep reverence. "Young Master, the contract for Collins Logistics is here on the floor. Do you wish to sign it?"

The entire room felt like it experienced a cataclysmic earthquake.

Young Master?! The legendary Chief Steward Thomas just called the Collins family's live-in son-in-law Young Master?!

Dexter’s leather contract folder slipped from his limp hands, the papers scattering messily across the floor over the spilled wine. He looked at Ethan, his chest heaving, his mind completely collapsing under the weight of reality. The "clumsy, worthless servant" he had ground his heel into just twenty minutes ago... was the supreme head of the most powerful empire in the nation. The very tycoon they were begging to meet.

Ethan looked down at the scattered contract papers at his feet, then lifted his sharp, dark eyes to look at the trembling, horrified faces of Evelyn and Dexter. Finally, his gaze drifted to Chloe, whose face was entirely bloodless, tears of pure shock and regret streaming down her cheeks as she gripped the table for support.

Ethan smiled coldly, stepping forward. His bespoke leather shoe came down directly on top of the Collins family contract, crushing the pages into the dirt and spilled wine beneath his heel.

"Dexter," Ethan said, his smooth, deep voice carrying a terrifying, suffocating weight. "You said I was a jinx who would ruin your family's image. You threw me out into the rain so Chloe could marry a real man. So tell me... are you still waiting for my investment?"