The Useless Husband Is A Secret Young Master

Chapter 4: The Grand Auction

Chapter 4

"I will show you that one million dollars is nothing," Liam said, his voice echoing with absolute certainty across the silent boardroom.

Julian threw his head back and roared with laughter, clutching his stomach as if he had just heard the funniest joke of his life.

"You? Show me one million dollars?" Julian scoffed, stepping closer and looking down his nose at Liam. "Listen to me, you pathetic church rat. If you ever, ever manage to produce one million dollars of your own money, I will bow down on my hands and knees right here and lick the sole of your dirty big toe!"

Liam looked Julian dead in the eye, his expression completely unfazed. "Deal. Make sure you do not back down on your words."

"Oh, I won't back down!" Julian sneered, turning to the laughing executives before facing Liam again. "But when you lose this bet, you will have to follow me around like a street dog and bark on command for an entire week!"

A sharp gasp rippled through the room. Several directors shook their heads at the sheer extremity of the wager, but Liam simply nodded once, his gaze ice-cold.

"Okay," Liam said quietly.

Without another word, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the boardroom. Vicious insults and loud laughter followed him down the hallway, with executives mocking his stupidity for agreeing to a bet that would ruin what little dignity he had left. Inside the room, Sandra covered her face in shame, thoroughly disgusted that her soon-to-be ex-husband had made such a ridiculous scene.

Stepping out of the corporate building, Liam did not hesitate. He knew Sandra would never bother picking up their daughter, so he drove straight to Lily’s school. After gathering the sweet, innocent little girl into his arms, he drove toward the most private and exclusive district in the entire country.

This area of the capital was so restricted that only three estates existed within its gates. The first belonged to the President of the nation, known as the White House. The second belonged to the Royal Monarchy. The third, sitting at the highest point of the hill, belonged entirely to the Blackwoods family.

As the heavy iron gates opened for his car, Liam felt a sharp pang in his chest. It had been ten long years since he last set foot on these grounds.

Looking out at the sprawling, grand estate, he was still shocked that his family was willing to forgive him. Ten years ago, he had abandoned his bloodline and his rightful place as heir all for the sake of a selfish woman.

Back in college, Liam had been a quiet, shy guy who kept to himself. When Sandra , the most beautiful girl on campus, approached him and asked him to be her date to the senior prom, he thought it was a miracle. He genuinely believed she saw something special in him.

He never knew that Sandra had made a bet with her friends, or that the college principal had promised her the Prom Queen crown if she treated a "charity case" nicely. Everyone on campus had assumed Liam was a broke scholarship student because he drove an old, antique-looking car. In reality, that car was the second automobile ever produced by the Benz company, a priceless family relic worth tens of millions of dollars.

Sandra had used him from the very beginning. After they married, she treated him like a dustbin, leeching off his brilliant marketing strategies and business insights to build her corporate fame, all to satisfy her insatiable hunger for attention and power.

The car came to a smooth stop in front of the main mansion.

Standing right by the grand entrance, supported by a gold-headed cane, was his grandmother.

Liam’s eyes welled with tears. Holding Lily’s little hand, he walked up to the old woman, fell to his knees on the marble floor, and bowed his head deeply.

"Grandmother," Liam choked out, his voice thick with emotion. "I am sorry. I was blind, and I failed the family."

He gently brought Lily forward to introduce her, but his grandmother’s eyes remained icy and distant. She did not reach out to touch the child, nor did she tell Liam to rise.

"You threw away your birthright for a woman who treated you like trash," his grandmother said, her voice sharp and firm despite her age. "You brought shame upon the Blackwoods bloodline."

"I know," Liam whispered, keeping his head bowed. "I will accept any punishment."

"There is only one way you will ever receive my blessing and the full backing of the council," his grandmother declared, staring down at him. "Our family’s most sacred heirloom was stolen and sold years ago during your absence. The Black Diamond Jade Ring. Bring it back to this house, and I will forgive your past mistakes."

Liam looked up, his eyes filled with determination. "Where can I find it, Grandmother?"

His grandmother looked toward the city skyline, her expression solemn.

"At the White House International Auction."