Chapter 72
Author: swaan
last update2026-08-07 21:37:07

Berry stopped three feet in front of him. Her chest was heaving, her perfectly applied makeup unable to hide the bright, flushed red of her cheeks. She looked at his calm, entirely unbothered face, and it only made her angrier.

"I called your name," Berry demanded, her voice shaking with a mix of fury and something deeply vulnerable. "I know you heard me. Why are you running away? Why do you constantly avoid me like a plague every single time we are in the same city?"

"Hello, Berry," Dane repli
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  • Chapter 75

    The grand ballroom of the Sterling estate went entirely, completely silent. It was a heavy, suffocating silence. The classical music from the orchestra had faded away. Hundreds of the wealthiest, most powerful people in the city held their breath, their eyes wide with anticipation. They all watched Patriarch Sterling marching directly toward Dane.Everyone expected an explosion. They expected the powerful old man to scream, to demand that his security guards beat this insolent outcast and throw him into the street for ruining his granddaughter’s reputation all those years ago.But as Patriarch Sterling stopped just two feet away from Dane, the deep, burning anger on the old man's face completely melted away.The Patriarch stared into Dane’s cold, calm, unblinking dark eyes. He felt the terrifying, heavy pressure radiating from the younger man's body. In that split second, a memory hit the old man with the force of a speeding train.Years ago, Patriarch Sterling had been hunted. A terr

  • Chapter 74

    The large, heavy doors at the top of the grand stairs opened wide. The soft, quiet music in the big room stopped for a second, and a new, happy song began to play. Everyone in the beautiful ballroom stopped talking. They all turned their heads to look at the stairs.Patriarch Sterling had arrived.He was the guest of honor. Today was his eightieth birthday. He was an old man, with bright white hair and lines on his face, but he stood very tall and straight. He wore a dark, very nice suit. His eyes were sharp, bright, and full of life. He did not look weak at all. He looked like a man who held a lot of power and a lot of money.As he slowly walked down the marble steps, the rich crowd rushed toward him like a wave of water. Everyone wanted to be near him. Rich businessmen, smiling women in bright dresses, and young men in black suits crowded around him. They all smiled big, fake smiles."Happy birthday, Patriarch Sterling!" a rich man called out, holding up a glass of wine."We wish yo

  • Chapter 73

    "Yes, that is him," a businessman replied, his tone dripping with absolute disgust. "He is the disgrace. Do you not remember the massive scandal? They say he was the one who drugged Berry.""I heard the rumors," another woman gasped quietly, her eyes wide with scandalous delight. "They say he slipped something into her drink at a private estate party. He ruined her reputation completely. His family threw him into the streets to rot because of it. What is a monster like him doing back in high society?"The dark, ugly rumors echoed loudly enough for everyone in the circle to hear. The crowd stared at Dane with overwhelming revulsion, treating him like a convicted criminal who had just crawled out of a sewer.Bary smiled smugly, feeling entirely vindicated by the crowd's reaction. He stepped closer to Dane. "Do you hear that? Everyone knows what you are. You are a disgusting criminal. Security will be here in a minute to drag you out by your hair."Dane did not look at Bary. He did not l

  • Chapter 72

    Berry stopped three feet in front of him. Her chest was heaving, her perfectly applied makeup unable to hide the bright, flushed red of her cheeks. She looked at his calm, entirely unbothered face, and it only made her angrier."I called your name," Berry demanded, her voice shaking with a mix of fury and something deeply vulnerable. "I know you heard me. Why are you running away? Why do you constantly avoid me like a plague every single time we are in the same city?""Hello, Berry," Dane replied, his voice painfully polite and entirely devoid of emotion. "I am not avoiding you. I am simply very busy tonight. Excuse me, I have urgent matters to attend to elsewhere."He gave her a brief, dismissive nod and stepped to the side, attempting to walk past her.Before Dane could take two steps, a man violently threw his arm out, physically blocking Dane’s path.It was one of Berry’s most desperate sycophants—a young, arrogant heir named Bary, dressed in a bespoke navy-blue tuxedo. Bary had b

  • Chapter 71

    The double doors of the Sterling estate banquet hall closed softly behind Dane, instantly muffling the cold wind of the night outside. He stepped onto the plush, intricately woven Persian carpet that blanketed the sprawling venue, immediately immersed in a world of blinding opulence.The Sterling family had spared absolutely no expense for the patriarch’s eightieth birthday. Massive crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted, frescoed ceilings, casting a brilliant, glittering light over the room. A live classical orchestra played softly from a raised velvet stage in the corner. Waiters in pristine white tails circulated seamlessly through the crowd, carrying silver trays loaded with crystal flutes of imported champagne and rare delicacies. The room was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with the absolute highest echelon of the city’s elite—billionaires, politicians, and socialites, all draped in custom silk, velvet, and millions of dollars worth of diamonds.And right in the middle of it all

  • Chapter 70

    Lana was clinging tightly to Cade's arm, dressed in a sparkling, violently expensive designer gown that caught the flash of the estate's lights. She was only able to attend this highly exclusive banquet by riding on Cade's coattails. After the Mercer Group had publicly terminated her business contract, her reputation had taken a massive hit. She desperately needed to be seen at Patriarch Sterling's party to prove to the city that she was still a powerful player, and Cade was her only ticket inside.Cade stood tall next to her, wearing a sharp white tuxedo with a smug, deeply arrogant grin plastered across his face.Lana looked Dane up and down, her eyes entirely filled with malicious glee. Standing in the safety of the bright lights with her wealthy fiancé beside her, she had completely compartmentalized the terrifying events of the previous night. She conveniently forgot how she had been screaming in terror and fleeing the slums. Right now, she just wanted to humiliate him."Where is

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