Chapter 4

After giving Remy, Karen, and Sandra a stern warning, the officer left them to work on another case.

Remy turned pale, then red with anger and humiliation. Obviously, the public humiliation was too much for him. He glared at me and gritted his teeth.

"Don't get too smug just yet, Alex! The police may not do anything to you, but I can still make sure that you're completely blacklisted across the entire industry in Waverton!

"I will expose your true colors as a leech in front of all the senior executives and business partners at the company's annual dinner event tomorrow!"

Karen also recovered from her shock and viciously echoed, "Yes! Scum like you should be despised by the entire industry! So what if you're actually a man? You're still a useless piece of shit!"

I had no desire to entertain their nonsense. Without saying another word, I turned around and walked out of the police station.

That night, rumors about me began circulating wildly in various Slack channels and WhatsApp groups within the Waverton business industry. They accused me of bullying my colleagues at work, having a chaotic and unrestrained personal life, and even resorting to under-the-table methods to secure business deals.

It was obvious that Karen and Sandra were the ones behind it all. They were trying to completely shut me off by destroying my reputation and pushing me off the cliff of despair.

I read the vile insults on my phone screen, feeling absolutely nothing. In fact, I found it all rather amusing.

After all, the higher they climbed, the harder they would fall—and the more painful their downfall would be. And if Remy was determined to make a huge show about this, then I was more than delighted to play along with him.

…

The next evening, Grand Wave Hotel was ablaze with lights and luxurious décor as the Lincoln Group's annual dinner event was held in the ballroom.

Luxury cars lined the hotel, and almost all of Waverton's prominent business figures were present.

Meanwhile, I arrived at the hotel entrance dressed casually in jeans and a shirt, my hands tucked into my pockets.

Just as I reached the door, two familiar figures got in my way.

"Well, well, well, if it's not the bitch—I mean, bastard—who got fired from the company for petty theft…"

Karen sashayed over in a cheap knockoff evening gown, with Sandra trailing behind her, both of them wearing expressions of disdain.

"What the hell are you doing here, Alex Sutherland? This is not a place for poor wretches like you."

Karen gave me a once-over before bursting into shrill laughter.

"What, did you think that you could attend the company dinner dressed in thrifted clothing? Are you planning to mooch off the free food? Or maybe steal a couple of things from the people here?

"Where's security? Kick this street beggar out of this place at once! Don't let him be an eyesore to Mr. Lincoln!"

Just then, Remy arrived with his arm wrapped around an heiress dressed in an extremely revealing outfit, making his way toward the entrance surrounded by a crowd of people.

His face darkened the instant he caught sight of me.

"You've got some nerve to show your face in front of me again, Alex Sutherland!" he yelled while pointing a finger at my nose. Then, he shouted at the security guards nearby.

"What the hell are you guys doing? How dare you let in a street beggar like him! Throw him out at once and break his legs! I'll take responsibility for it all!"

Several ruthless-looking security guards began marching toward me menacingly, drawing their batons as they approached. Karen and Sandra cheered excitedly from the side as if they could already see me being beaten to a pulp.

I remained standing there, perfectly motionless.

Just as the guards' batons were about to strike me, the sound of screeching brakes was heard. A limited-edition Rolls-Royce Phantom came to a stop right in the middle of the hotel entrance, exuding an unmistakable air of authority.

The door was kicked open, and a man in a bespoke suit and sunglasses rushed out.

"I'd like to see who the hell dares to lay a finger on him!"