The Tyrant's Return : From Beggar to Sovereign

Chapter 6: The Bill of Ruin

Chloe clutched the signed debt papers to her chest like they were made of gold. She stood up from the table, her face shining with evil joy. She did not even care about the dark, chilling words that had just come out of Ethan’s mouth. To her, Ethan was still just a weak dog whose teeth had been pulled out. He was a ruined man with a twenty-million-dollar weight around his neck.

“We regret it?” Beatrice laughed loudly, tossing her head back in absolute mockery. “The only thing we regret is letting a trashy beggar like you breathe the same air as us for three years. Go enjoy your dark prison cell, Ethan. Come on, Julian, darling. Let us leave this loser to his misery and go celebrate our new freedom.”

Julian pushed his chair back, his heavily bandaged face twitching with sick pleasure. He wanted to say something mean, but his broken jaw only let him make a wild, grunting sound. He pointed a finger at Ethan’s face one last time, then turned around to walk toward the large double doors of the private VIP room.

Chloe and Beatrice walked right behind him, their high heels clicking loudly on the expensive floor. They were walking like kings and queens who had just won a massive war.

But just as Julian reached out his hand to grab the gold door handle, the heavy doors suddenly swung open from the outside.

A tall man with sharp, stern eyes and a perfectly ironed suit stepped into the room. This was Manager Sterling, the famous boss of the Jade Palace restaurant. Behind him stood a line of six massive security guards wearing matching black uniforms. Their faces were as hard as stone, and their arms were crossed tightly over their broad chests. They completely blocked the exit, forming a solid wall of human muscle.

Julian froze in surprise. He raised his eyebrows under his white bandages and made an angry sound.

Beatrice quickly stepped forward, her voice full of pride.

“Manager Sterling! What is the meaning of this? Why are your guards blocking our way? Move them aside immediately. We are finished with our dinner, and we are leaving now.”

Manager Sterling did not smile. He did not bow. He looked at Beatrice with an incredibly cold and flat expression.

“Nobody is leaving this room yet, Madam.”

Chloe frowned, stepping next to her mother.

“Manager Sterling, do you know who you are talking to? This is Young Master Julian Vance. He holds a premium VIP membership card at your restaurant. His family spends hundreds of thousands of dollars here every single year. How dare your guards stand in our way?”

Manager Sterling slowly reached out his hand.

“Young Master Julian, if you please, give me your premium VIP membership card.”

Julian grunted angrily, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a shiny black plastic card with gold lettering and tossed it arrogantly into the manager’s hand. He thought the manager was just going to scan it and apologize on his knees.

Instead, Manager Sterling took a small pair of metal scissors from his front pocket. Right in front of their eyes, he snipped the card right down the middle.

Snip. Snip.

The shiny black VIP card was cut into four tiny pieces of useless plastic, which fell onto the floor like garbage.

Julian gasped loudly through his bandages. Beatrice screamed in shock, covering her mouth.

“Are you out of your mind? You just destroyed a Vance family VIP card! You will be fired for this!”

“The Vance family of Julian has no power here anymore,” Manager Sterling said, his voice dropping like an icy hammer. “Ten minutes ago, the highest corporate owners of the Jade Palace sold this entire building, the land, and the brand franchise. The restaurant has officially changed hands. The new owner has ordered that Julian Vance and the Miller family are permanently blacklisted from every single branch in the world. Your membership is dead.”

Chloe felt a sudden wave of panic hit her stomach. Her mind raced. Changed hands? Bought the entire restaurant in ten minutes? Who could possibly have that much money and power?

Before she could think any further, Manager Sterling pulled a long white paper receipt from his leather folder. He held it out right in front of Chloe’s face.

“Furthermore, we need to settle the bill for your table before you step outside,” Manager Sterling announced loudly.

Beatrice rolled her eyes, waving her hand dismissively.

“Just send the bill to the Vance estate like you always do! Julian always pays at the end of the month!”

“Not anymore,” Manager Sterling snapped coldly. “The new owner has demanded immediate payment. No tabs. No credit. No digital bank transfers from your old accounts. We only accept cash, or we will seize your personal property right now. The total bill for your table, including the rare vintage wine and the private room rental, comes to exactly one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”

“One hundred and fifty thousand dollars?” Chloe shrieked, her voice cracking with terror. “That is insane! We only ordered a few plates of food! Why is it so high?”

“The private room rental f*e was raised to one hundred and forty thousand dollars just five minutes ago by the order of the new boss,” Manager Sterling replied, his face completely expressionless. “Pay it right now in cash, or there will be severe consequences.”

Julian began to sweat through his white medical bandages. One hundred and fifty thousand dollars in pure cash? He did not carry that kind of money on his body. His family’s main bank accounts were currently frozen due to an ongoing business investigation, and his cousin Kevin had just lost a whole dealership.

Beatrice turned around, her face turning pale as she looked back at the dining table. Her eyes finally landed on Ethan.

Ethan was still sitting calmly in his chair, swirling a glass of clear water in his hand. He looked completely relaxed, like he was watching a funny comedy show on a television screen. The bright lights of the room shined perfectly on his brand-new custom black silk suit. He looked impossibly rich, distant, and powerful.

“Ethan!” Beatrice yelled, her voice filled with desperate malice. “You are still Chloe’s husband until the divorce papers are filed in court tomorrow! You signed the debt waiver! This bill is a debt! You have to pay it! Use your cheap delivery money and pay the manager right now!”

Chloe looked at Ethan, her eyes begging for a second, but then she remembered he was just a beggar.

“Mother, he does not have a single dollar. He is a loser.”

Ethan slowly stood up from his chair. He walked past the large round table, his steps firm and heavy. He did not look like a servant anymore. He walked with the grace of a true king.

He approached the line of guards, and instead of stopping him, the two largest security guards immediately stepped back and bowed their heads ninety degrees in total submission.

Chloe’s heart stopped beating. Beatrice felt her knees go completely weak.

Manager Sterling turned away from the three panicked fools. He faced Ethan, closing his leather folder tightly. Then, the proud, powerful manager bent his back, bowing deeper than anyone else in the room. His voice was filled with absolute reverence and fear.

“Chairman Vance, should I lock the doors until they pay?”