Chapter 5 - The Public Humiliation
The sharp, explosive sound of the shattering crystal completely silenced the immediate area of the ballroom.
Dozens of wealthy guests turned around, holding their breath as they watched the glamorous CEO confront the man in the worn canvas coat.
Celeste wasn't finished. After smashing the glass at his feet, she aggressively pointed her manicured finger directly at Luke's face, fully intending to humiliate him until he begged for his job.
"You don't belong here!" Celeste shouted loudly, her voice echoing harshly over the soft classical music playing in the background. "This is an elite corporate event, not a soup kitchen! Get on your knees and clean up this mess right now, or I will ensure you never work in this city again!"
Luke did not flinch. He did not step back.
His expression was a mask of patient, calculated endurance. He stood completely quietly, looking down at the shattered glass, fully absorbing the sheer, unfiltered toxicity of the woman he had allowed to run his company. He didn't want to cause a massive scene and terrify his son, so he simply remained silent, holding his ground like a mountain against a storm.
But in the background, roughly thirty feet away, a different reaction was unfolding.
Sterling, Celeste’s white-haired father wearing a sharp dark suit, had just turned around from a nearby table. He saw his daughter pointing aggressively at the man in the worn coat.
Sterling’s heart completely stopped beating. A cold, suffocating wave of absolute, unadulterated panic washed over him, completely draining the color from his face. He knew exactly who was under that hoodie.
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He dropped his drink and began rushing forward, desperately pointing his finger in a frantic attempt to stop his daughter before she destroyed them all.
👉 Read Part 6 to see the heartbreaking fear of the billionaire's son.
