2026-06-24 17:13:59Lana scoffed, her jealousy flaring even hotter. "Girlfriend? A disfavored, poor young lady whose company is heavily in debt really thinks she can climb the social ladder by seducing a beggar. What a perfect match."
Lana crossed her arms triumphantly. "I would love to see how the two of you even get through the front door today. This is the Mercer Group. You can't just enter by smiling at the security guards."
Dane looked directly into Lana's arrogant eyes. "Let's make a bet then."
Lana paused. "What bet?"
"Whoever cannot get through those front doors tonight," Dane said, his voice echoing in the quiet courtyard, "must kneel right here at the entrance and publicly apologize to the other."
Mara's heart pounded in her chest. She grabbed Dane's sleeve and whispered frantically, "Dane, no! Maybe we should just leave. We don't have invitations. They will humiliate us."
Dane squeezed her waist gently, his eyes never leaving Lana. "Trust me," he whispered back.
More onlookers gathered around, whispering excitedly about the high-stakes drama.
Cade laughed loudly, completely confident. "You really are an idiot! Lana was selected as one of the city's top ten renowned female entrepreneurs this year. She gets more VIP invitations to banquets than she can even attend! There is absolutely no way she cannot get in."
"I agree to the bet," Lana sneered, her eyes gleaming with malice. She looked at Mara. "Prepare your knees. You are going to be scrubbing the pavement tonight."
Lana turned immediately to the head security guard standing at the door. "Guard! Check this woman's identity strictly. They are trying to sneak in to steal food!"
The head guard, a large man in a tailored suit, frowned and stepped in front of Mara. He looked her up and down dismissively. "Miss, please produce your official invitation. If you do not have one, I will have you physically thrown off the property immediately."
Mara froze, her hands shaking violently. She didn't have one. She had planned to wait in the lobby and beg to speak to a manager.
Dane frowned, his eyes narrowing at the guard. "Why are you only checking her invitation? You haven't even checked Lana's identity yet."
Lana laughed, flipping her expensive hair over her shoulder. "I am a regular VIP at these high-society banquets. How could I possibly be the same as you poor rats?"
She reached into her designer purse. "But since you asked so nicely, I will be gracious and show you."
Lana proudly pulled out a gleaming, heavy golden invitation and handed it to the guard.
The guard took it, barely glanced at it for one second, and bowed respectfully. "It is genuine, Miss Hayes. Please go inside."
Lana smirked and pointed directly at Mara. "Now check hers."
The guard turned back to Mara, crossing his massive arms. "Your invitation, miss. Now."
Mara looked down at her feet, her face burning with deep humiliation. She had failed before she even started. Horizon Corp was doomed.
"You've been awfully quiet all this time," Lana taunted loudly, enjoying every second of Mara's pain. "You must be feeling incredibly guilty because you can't produce a single piece of paper, right? Time to kneel!"
Dane calmly stepped in front of Mara. He reached into his cheap jeans pocket.
"Here," Dane said firmly.
He pulled out a simple, silver-gray card and handed it directly to the head security guard.
The guard took the silver-gray card. He looked at it for exactly two seconds. Then, a look of pure disgust crossed his face.
"Sir," the guard said loudly, making sure the entire crowd heard. "This invitation of yours is completely invalid."
Lana and Cade instantly burst into hysterical laughter.
"A fake invitation!" Lana wiped a tear from her eye. "You actually forged a Mercer Group invitation? You are going to jail!"
Mara felt her legs go weak. She pulled desperately on Dane's arm, tears stinging her eyes. "Dane, please. Let's just leave. I can't do this."
Dane stood like a rock. He looked the arrogant guard dead in the eye.
"Are you absolutely sure you are familiar with all types of VIP invitations for this company?" Dane asked coldly.
The guard sneered, stepping aggressively toward Dane. "I have worked here for years. I have never seen a cheap piece of cardboard like this in my life. It is definitely a fake. Get lost right now, both of you, and don't disturb our wealthy guests."
Lana clapped her hands together. "Guards! Throw them onto the street! And make sure they kneel first!"
Two more heavy security guards stepped forward, reaching out to violently grab Dane and Mara by the shoulders.
"Wait a moment!"
A sharp, authoritative female voice echoed loudly from the grand lobby.
Everyone froze.
A stunning woman in a razor-sharp business suit was power-walking toward the glass doors. Her high heels clicked aggressively against the marble floor. Her face was dark with absolute fury. Right behind her walked another sharply dressed woman with an imposing, icy aura.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 149
"Stand down, you feral boy," the Patriarch chuckled, his voice dropping back into its usual gravelly rumble, though the edges were completely softened by an immense, undeniable warmth. He waved a dismissive, highly amused hand toward Dane’s aggressive combat posture. "Nobody is threatening your precious heiress. In fact, I am the one who currently needs protection. I believe she was just about to buy my entire estate out from under me and fire my staff."Dane frowned deeply, refusing to lower his guard. He turned his head just a fraction of an inch, keeping his body positioned as a shield, and looked down at Berry over his shoulder.Berry was not trembling. She was not crying. Her chin was held high, her beautiful eyes burning with a fierce, untouchable pride. She reached out, her soft, delicate fingers gently wrapping around Dane’s tightly clenched fist. The absolute second her warm skin made contact with his, the paralyzing terror in Dane's chest instantly vanished."I am perfectly
Chapter 148
Absolute panic was an entirely foreign concept to a man who had conquered the Earth Grade, yet it was the only thing violently tearing through Dane Mercer’s veins as he obliterated the heavy oak doors of the Patriarch’s study.The massive, reinforced double doors did not simply swing open; they were catastrophically blown off their heavy steel hinges by a sheer, concussive wave of terrifying kinetic energy. The thick wood splintered and shattered, flying across the cavernous room and smashing against the priceless bookshelves.Dane strode through the swirling dust and ruined wood, looking like a god of war who had just descended to exact apocalyptic vengeance.For the first time in his entire adult life, the invincible grandmaster was physically out of breath. His broad chest heaved heavily beneath his crisp white dress shirt. The man whose heart rate had remained perfectly, mathematically flat while dismantling an entire syndicate of elite mercenaries was currently gasping for oxygen
Chapter 147
Berry leaned slightly forward, resting her hands flat on the edge of the mahogany desk. She met his oppressive, terrifying aura with a fierce, burning gravity of her own, completely refusing to be swallowed by his shadow."Under my sole leadership," Berry continued, her words precise and lethal, "I completely purged the board of every single dissenting, cowardly executive who wanted to play it safe. I restructured the entire corporate hierarchy from the ground up, firing anyone who proved incompetent. And as of midnight last night, after a brutal, six-week negotiation campaign, I finalized the absolute acquisition of a revolutionary synthetic cellular regeneration patent."The Patriarch’s eyes remained locked on the scrolling financial graphs illuminating the tablet screen. He was a master of global markets; he could read and process complex, high-level economic data instantly. The numbers staring back at him were not fabricated projections or hopeful estimates. They were authenticate
Chapter 146
Berry did not reach for the gold fountain pen resting on the polished mahogany. She did not lower her gaze to the floor in shame, nor did she allow the tears burning at the back of her eyes to spill over her lashes.The profound, agonizing heartbreak that had gripped her chest only seconds ago—the crushing realization that the most powerful man in Dane’s life viewed her as a pathetic, disposable liability—instantly fractured. But it did not break her. Instead, the emotional agony calcified, transforming in a fraction of a second into a spine of absolute, unyielding steel. She looked at the blank check lying on the desk. It was a tiny slip of paper meant to quantify her worth, a cheap bribe designed to erase her existence from the only man she had ever truly loved.The Patriarch sat perfectly still, expecting the inevitable conclusion to his test. He waited for the trembling hands, the desperate, choked sobs, or the indignant, naive speech about how true love could not be bought or mea
Chapter 145
The Mercer ancestral estate did not look like a home. It looked like an impenetrable, sovereign nation. Acres of perfectly manicured, ancient gardens stretched as far as the eye could see, surrounding a massive, multi-level architectural masterpiece forged from dark stone and reinforced glass. Dozens of highly trained, Earth Grade shadow guards patrolled the perimeter, their lethal auras completely unsuppressed, projecting a terrifying warning to anyone foolish enough to approach.The car came to a smooth halt beneath a massive stone portico. The operative opened her door, gesturing silently toward the entrance.Berry stepped out. Her high heels clicked sharply against the imported marble steps. A pair of silent, elderly but terrifyingly capable servants guided her through the cavernous halls of the estate. The walls were lined with priceless historical artifacts and original masterpieces, but the air was suffocatingly cold. There was no warmth here. There was only absolute power.The
Chapter 144
The armored black town car idling at the private curb outside Horizon Corp did not belong to Dane.Berry Sterling knew this the absolute second she walked out of the glass revolving doors. Dane always parked exactly three inches from the curb, always stood at a forty-five-degree angle to monitor the street, and always looked at her with a quiet, grounding warmth that instantly erased the stress of her corporate battles. The man currently standing beside the rear door of this vehicle possessed none of those traits.He wore a charcoal grey suit completely devoid of any corporate insignia, and he moved with the lethal, rigid discipline of a high-ranking military operative. He stepped directly into her path, entirely blocking her access to her own waiting vehicle. He did not ask for her identity. He did not offer a polite, deferential greeting. He simply extended a thick, gloved hand, presenting a heavy, cream-colored envelope sealed with dark crimson wax."Miss Sterling," the operative s
You may also like
Son-in-Law: A Commoner's Path to Revenge
Naughty Snail124.1K viewsRising from the Ashes
Only For You2.9M viewsHidden Billionaire Son-in-law
Deliaha Shine127.3K viewsInvincible Billionaire Heir
Chanhlee83.9K viewsAfter the Crash, They All Needed Me
TheFool181 viewsThe Man They Never Knew
Magical Inspirations54 viewsWhen the Delivery Boy Walked Out
Desmond Neptah35 viewsThe Prison King Returns
Perfect Pen28 views