Chapter 1 Chapter 1

At Riverdale Public Hospital. “Excuse me, make way!” Philip Clarke was carrying an unconscious little girl as he rushed into the hospital, yelling madly, “Doctor! Doctor! Quick, save my little girl!” The nurses and doctor who had rushed out quickly took the child from Philip’s arms, and entered the emergency room. “Oh, you can’t go in!” A nurse in an azure-colored uniform with a face mask stopped Philip from entering into the emergency room. Just then, the rapid sounds of high heels clicking against the ceramic tiles could be heard from the back, squeezing his heart with every click. “Philip Clarke!” roared a woman’s voice. ‘Slap!’ A crisp slap came in firm contact with Philip’s cheek. Before him, stood Wynn Johnston with an enraged expression as tears pooled in her beautiful eyes. “If anything happens to my daughter, I will never forgive you!” Her tone was cold and laced with full fury. This scene frightened quite a few patients and their family members in the hospital. Philip hung his head low in shame without attempting any explanation. “Hmph!” Wynn snorted coldly. The dissatisfaction and contempt in her eyes were visible. Philip stood aside with his head down in silence like a kid who was caught misbehaving. He stole a few glances at the woman standing a few meters away from him, the woman he used to call his wife. The woman with whom he had already signed the divorce papers could officially be separated from him at any time. Wynn Johnston was gorgeous. Her features were defined, her figure tall and slim. She was well-mannered and educated, once the prettiest girl in their university. She had unexpectedly fallen in love with Philip, abruptly gotten married, and given birth to his daughter, Mila Clarke. However, life after marriage was not as ideal. Philip’s career did not go well, and his business ended up failing. His daughter even had congenital heart disease, which drained all of their savings, and now he had to make a living by doing food delivery services. On the other hand, Wynn was a deputy general manager of a marketing department in a public-listed company. One of her parents was a section chief, the other a retired teacher. It was safe to say that Philip did not have much status in the Johnston family, and for the past two years, he was almost non-existent. And because of Philip, Wynn had fallen out with her family that her parents were not willing to provide them any support. Both the elders had told them solemnly that they would assist in their granddaughter’s treatment funds only if Philip and Wynn divorced. After the divorce, the child would belong to the Johnston family. This matter had dragged on for a year. The emergency room’s door was pushed open, and Philip saw his daughter being pushed out. He wanted to rush over, but Wynn had already gotten there first. He stopped in his tracks and watched his adorable little girl from afar. Little Mila was wearing a respirator, but her big eyes were bright like obsidian gems. She reached out with her tiny pale hand and mumbled, “Papa…” Philip went over to hold his daughter’s cold hand while gently brushing away the wisps of hair from her forehead, smiling as he said, “Papa’s here.”“Mama, please don’t fight with Papa. It’s Mila’s fault; I wanted Papa to take me to the amusement park.” Little Mila, who was only three-years-old, was speaking feebly for her father. Wynn smiled and answered, “Okay, Mama will listen to you and not argue with Papa. “Philip Clarke, pay the hospitalization fee.” A cold voice interrupted Philip’s conversation with his daughter. Philip glanced at Wynn, but she only shot him an icy glare before accompanying their daughter into the ward. Upon reaching the inpatient payment department, Philip took out his debit card. “I’m sorry, but your card has declined,” said the nurse coldly as she swept him a look. Oh, it’s Philip Clarke, she thought. The penniless man who keeps getting his wife to foot the medical bills. He could have asked for help from his parents-in-law, but he hasn’t. What an egoistic man, rubbish! “It’s declined?” Philip was exasperated. He grimaced and humbled himself, bowing slightly to ask, “Nurse, can you give me a few days?” The nurse shot him a cold look with mockery in her eyes and replied, “If you don’t have any money, ask your wife! After all, you’re just a kept man.”“You!” Philip’s expression darkened. The nurse merely crossed her arms and scoffed. “You have until tomorrow. If you can’t pay up, then proceed with discharge.” After that, she turned around to ignore him. Saying another word to him made her feel disgusted. How could she bully someone just because they’re poor? Philip clenched his fists tightly in a fury, feeling bitter. The moment he turned around, he saw Wynn standing behind him radiating a cold aura, hatred was apparent in her frosty expression. “Wynnie, don’t worry, I’ll go and gather some funds now.” Philip forced a smile. However, both their savings were already dried up. Tears poured down from Wynn’s eyes as her hands balled into fists. “Philip Clarke, if you’re still a man, go and beg my parents!”“I…” Philip froze. His words were stuck in his throat. “Hah!” Wynn scoffed as she wiped her tears. “I knew it. You never change. Is your pride more important than Mila?” She had seen through to his thoughts. Wynn then turned around with her back facing him. Philip let out a helpless sigh and then received a notification about a delivery on his phone. He rushed to the ward, had a quick chat with his daughter before leaving. Before he left, Wynn reminded him, “Philip Clarke, it’s my father’s birthday this weekend. If you don’t want to divorce, then go and beg my parents.” She left him with no choice. Philip knew that this was the last shred of Wynn’s patience for him. Just as he was about to leave the hospital, an arrogant male voice called out to him, “Wow, isn’t this Philip Clarke? Where are you rushing off to?” Philip looked up to see a handsome man standing in front of him. The man was wearing a full suit with a fruit basket and a Peppa Pig doll in his hand. “Juan Parker! Why are you here?” Philip’s face immediately darkened. Juan Parker was his best buddy at university. But ever since Philip and Wynn got married, they became enemies because Juan, too, was in love with Wynn. “I asked him to come.” Wynn suddenly appeared and walked past Philip. With an apologetic smile, she said to Juan, “Brother Juan, I’m so sorry to trouble you again.” Upon seeing Wynn, the mocking expression on Juan’s face turned into a generous smile as he said, “It’s okay, I’m Mila’s uncle after all. This is for Mila. I’ll go and pay the bills now.” Juan then shot Philip a smug look with apparent disdain in his eyes. The knuckles on Philip’s fists turned white. He asked Wynn coldly, “Why did you loan money from him?”“Do you have any? Or do you want Mila to be kicked out of the hospital tomorrow?” Wynn glared icily at Philip before turning away to follow after Juan, chattering happily with him as they went. Philip’s eyes were about to pop from their sockets out of anger at this scene. He felt his ego being dealt a heavy blow. Money, money, money! It’s all about money with them! Philip stood at the entrance of the hospital for the longest time before heaving a sigh. He looked up at the blue sky and then dug out his cellphone to make a call. “Howie, where are you? Let’s meet up.” Inside a rented house, Philip and Howard Lowe sat across each other. Howard was a slightly tanned and skinny man. He handed a debit card to Philip and said, “There’s sixty thousand here. Take it for now.” Philip’s hand was trembling as he took the card. “Howie, thank you. Thank you!”“What’s there to thank? We’re brothers, after all.” Howard laughed. “I object!” There was a loud bang, and the door of the rented house was suddenly pushed open. A tall woman rushed in furiously. “Howard Lowe, that’s the bride price you were supposed to give my family. Why are you giving it to him?” This woman was Howard’s girlfriend, Ruby Ford. Her looks were a seven out of ten, and she had a proud personality. She was a bit of a snob. “Ruru, Mila has been hospitalized, so I’m only lending this to Philip for an emergency.” Howard went over to pull at Ruby’s arm as he explained. Ruby swung his hand away and sneered at Philip. “Hah! Philip, how many times have you borrowed money from our Howard now? If you’re going to be shameless, why should I indulge you?”“Ruby!” Howard’s voice deepened as he tugged her sleeve. Ruby would not back down. She pointed at Howard’s nose and blamed him. “Mr. Lowe, if you’re going to loan him the money, I’m breaking up with you! You can forget about our wedding!” Seeing as they were about to get into a fight, Philip put the card down onto the table, stood up, and nodded apologetically. “I’m sorry. Uhm… Howie, I’ll see you guys at your wedding ceremony then. I’ll take my leave now.”“Goodbye!” Ruby said coldly. Without waiting for Howard to chase after him, Philip had already run out of the rented house. As soon as the door closed behind him, Ruby and Howard’s arguing voices sounded behind the door. Philip squatted down with his phone in one hand and a cigarette in another, lost in thoughts along the streets. Being poor is a sin, and you really can’t move forward without money. After making up his mind, Philip finally called a number he had not dialed in seven years. The call soon got through. “Hello, Young Master? Young Master, is that you? You’ve finally called me.” The voice on the other end sounded thrilled. There were hints of age and even sniffles. Philip sighed helplessly and said, “George, I need money. Can you transfer me a hundred thousand?”“Oh, Young Master, please don’t say that. I would even transfer you a billion if you wanted.” The older man on the phone was still excited, but soon, he sounded troubled. “But Young Master, according to your agreement with the master, if you want to use the finances and connections of the family, you’d have to come back and inherit the family business. Could you come over to the company, and we’ll discuss this?” Philip pondered it for a moment before answering, “Alright, I’ll make a trip over.”“Great! Young Master, I’ll send someone to pick you up!” Old George said enthusiastically. “That’s okay, I can go over myself.” Philip said before asking, “Oh yes, which company?”“Apex Group. I’ll be waiting for you at the director’s office,” said George. After hanging up, Philip stared at the stream of people passing by in front of him. Okay, I’ll be frank and say that I, Philip, am born with a silver spoon! My family has assets worldwide, and my family owns seventy percent of the businesses in the world. I’ve been trying to avoid the inheritance these past seven years, so I ran away, hoping that I could experience a normal life. But today, reality has forced me to compromise. If I don’t work hard enough, don’t have any money, I would have to go back and inherit that massive fortune. Philip soon arrived at the Apex Group building in his scooter. It was a tall building of about three hundred meters. The company itself was ranked at number seven on the Fortune Global 500 list! But then again, all the companies in the Fortune Global 500 either belonged to the Clarke family or had a piece of share owned by them. Upon entering the lobby, Philip was stopped by a female voice. “Hey, hey, hey, you there! Who said you could just barge in? Get out, out! Delivery men aren’t allowed inside! Call and get someone to come downstairs to meet you!” A pretty girl in black uniform blocked Philip’s path and started scolding him. She had a mature appearance and a dignified aura. “What are you staring at? How disgusting, you rogue! Hurry up and get out!” Lily Simmons shot a hateful glare at Philip, thinking that she had seen enough delivery men in her life.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Philip’s expression changed, frowning slightly. Seeing Philip in his delivery uniform, looking shabby, Lily pointed at the door and said, “Get out now, we don’t allow delivery men here.”“I’m not here for delivery,” explained Philip. Lily tidied her bangs before crossing her arms and said icily, “This is not the first time I hear this. Everyone that comes in here says they’re not delivery men. Please!”“I’m not. I’m here to see George Thomas.” Feeling exasperated, Philip headed inside after saying that. “F*ck! Are you mad? Didn’t you hear what I was saying?” Lily was furious. It was her first time seeing such a shameless delivery man who would just force his way in after being denied entry. Just then, a department manager seemed to have heard the commotion and came out with an ugly expression. “What’s going on?”“Manager Stuart, this delivery man is trying to force his way into our office!” Lily pointed at Philip and then continued with much disdain, “I’ll get security to chase him out immediately!” The manager frowned and sized Philip up before saying, “Our company doesn’t allow delivery men inside. Please leave.” Stuart showed more courtesy, but his tone and attitude did not sound friendly. This man was a department manager of a company listed in the Fortune Global 500. To be this polite to rubbish delivery men was already very kind. Seeing Philip still standing there in a daze, Lily was anxious to show her authority, so she pointed at him again and roared, “Did you hear that? Get out now!” Philip was annoyed. Did she swallow a stick of dynamite, or is she on her period? This is a company owned by my family, and you’re just a watchdog! Who are you to bark at your owner? Damn it! “I’ve already said that I’m not here for a delivery. I’m here to see George Thomas,” Philip answered coldly. George Thomas? The manager was stunned as he stared, bewildered at Philip before snorting out a laugh. “You’re looking for our chairman?”“George Thomas, is your chairman?” Philip was dumbstruck. Wasn’t that old man a mere secretary? Since when did he secretly become chairman? No wonder he was brave enough to want to talk about conditions. That means I can’t be soft when I see him later! I, Philip Clarke, will never inherit the family business! I’ll just take the money and go! Stuart shook his and laughed sarcastically. “You didn’t even know that President Thomas is our chairman, and you say you’re looking for him? Do you have an appointment?”“Mr. Stuart, stop joking. How could trash like him get an appointment?” Lily mocked as her lips curved into a sarcastic smile. “Alright, alright. Lily, get security to come over.” Stuart waved impatiently. “Understood, Mr. Stuart,” answered Lily in a coquettish voice before she jogged over to the front desk and picked up the phone to call the security department. The manager was about to leave when, suddenly, an angry voice sounded at the front desk. “George Thomas, get down here right now! I’m being held up by your receptionist. If I don’t see you in three minutes, I’m leaving.” The other two people followed the source of the voice and saw Philip just hanging up with a lazy expression as his eyes surveyed the office environment. The mocking smile on Lily’s lips grew, and she reproached, “You’re even putting on an act now! You deserve to be a delivery man for life!” Her hands then shifted from the phone to take a secret picture of Philip to post on her social media timeline with the caption, ‘Disgusting! Met a mad delivery man today and about to get security to kick him out…’ On one side, Stuart frowned as he shot Lily a look. The latter understood immediately and gave him an ‘OK’ gesture. She called the security department and reported, “Hello, come over to the front desk to take care of a piece of human trash.” After hanging up, Lily sat back down and started touching up her make-up, ignoring Philip. Soon, the chairman of Apex Group, George Thomas, with his secretary in tow, came jogging out of the elevator and saw their young master waiting at the lounge from afar! However, what made their eyes pop was seeing three security personnel about to throw the young master out! That’s the sole heir of the family business! George instantly yelled, “Stop!” The three security guards were just pushing Philip out when they heard the order. They turned to see their chairman rushing over with an enraged expression! Why is the chairman here? ‘Thud!’ The three men straightened up and saluted. “Good day, Mr. President!” they greeted. However, George did not notice them and went straight toward Philip; his face blooming like a sunflower. The moment Lily noticed the chairman, she quickly hurried over. And when she saw Philip still standing there like an idiot, her rage grew. “Mr. President!” Lily greeted respectfully before turning to glare at Philip with disdain. “Why are you still here? Three of you, throw him out immediately!” Lily was enraged. Were the security team blind? How could they let this trash stand in the lounge when the chairman was here? What if this madman annoyed the chairman? George, however, shot a cold glance at Lily and reproached, “What are you doing? This is the young master of our company, the future president! Who allowed you lot to be this disrespectful?!” Young… Young master? This guy? How was this delivery man anything like a young master? Lily was dumbstruck. She said indignantly, “Mr. President, are you mistaken? How is he our company’s young master?”“I’m not mistaken,” answered George coldly as the contempt for this woman grew in his heart. What kind of tone and attitude is this? Is this how you speak to your chairman? Lily immediately realized her error and bowed in apology. “Mr. President, I’m sorry, I…” The manager, Stuart, from before just happened to come back at that moment. He gave a flattering smile and asked, “Mr. President, why have you come down here?” As he spoke, he noticed that Philip was still here but was not aware of the current atmosphere. His face went red, and he frowned. “Why are you still here? Didn’t I tell you that our company doesn’t allow delivery men in here? Get out!” Soon after he spoke, he felt a pair of cold eyes staring straight at him. Oh dear, idiots were everywhere, but they were especially abundant today. “Shut up!” George exploded furiously and roared, “He is the young master of our company! Both of you are fired!” Philip shook his head, helplessly. “What a sin it is to be such a snob.”“Young Master, this way please.” George bowed slightly and gestured him to go inside. This scene startled both the manager and the receptionist. Young Master? Was he really the young master? Seeing as Philip was about to leave with the chairman, Stuart immediately rushed over to smile apologetically and begged, “Young Master, I was too blind to recognize you for who you were. Please forgive me this time.” Stuart could see how the chairman was so respectful to the young man. Apex Group was ranked seventh in the Fortune Global 500, and the chairman himself was a prominent figure worth over billions! If a big shot like him said that this young man was the young master, then he was the young master! Lily, too, had rushed over with a docile expression as she apologized, “Young Master, I was wrong. I won’t ever do it again.” Philip only glanced at George indifferently. The latter instantly pointed at the security team and ordered, “What are you standing there for? Throw these two out! From today on, don’t let them take even one step into our premise!”“Young Master, Young Master, we were wrong, please forgive us…” Stuart and Lily both ended up being tossed out of the building by security. Upon reaching the president’s office, Philip sat down at the leather sofa while George stood respectfully at one side with his hands in front of him. “Old George, you’re living a pretty luxurious life. This ostrich skin sofa, what great taste!” Philip patted the sofa he was sitting on and exclaimed. George wore a humble expression as he answered, still standing, “Young Master, stop joking with this old man. If you would sign your name in this document, everything here is yours to take.” As soon as he said that, the tall secretary with delicate skin, dressed in black formal attire behind him, handed Philip a set of documents. Philip glanced at it in disdain. “It’s not like you don’t know that I refuse to inherit my dad’s wealth. I’m here today to ask you to loan me a hundred thousand dollars.” George smiled tactfully and said, “I refuse.”“Say that again, old man!” Philip stood up, abruptly out of anger. George repeated. “I refuse.” The older man then continued with a bright smile on his wrinkled face as he tempted, “Young Master, as long as you sign this, forget a hundred thousand, even a hundred million or billions are all yours.”“Forget it then! If I sign this document, my name isn’t Philip Clarke!” Philip raged. Five minutes later. “Congratulations, Young Master, you have officially inherited all Clarke family’s wealth and businesses. Here is your hundred thousand.” How delightful! George stared at the signed document with his face blooming like a chrysanthemum flower. At the same time, the secretary beside him brought over a briefcase and opened it. It was a hundred thousand in cash! “George, old man, you’re too lavish. This briefcase looks like it’s carrying a hundred million instead,” said Philip as he picked up a plastic bag lying beside and put the money in. “I’ll be taking my leave now.”“Take care, Young Master. Do you need me to get a car ready for you?” George asked respectfully. “That’s okay, I came on my scooter,” answered Philip, and he walked out of the office with the plastic bag in hand. After Philip had left, George immediately brought the documents up to the conference room on the top floor and started a video conference. “Master, the young master has finally signed.” Old George stood in front of the large screen, bowing slightly as he reported with much enthusiasm and respect. The screen showed an old man in a wheelchair. The old man coughed for a bit before slowly lifting a hand and said in a weak voice, “Then… pass on the message…”“Yes, Master,” answered George, wiping his tears as he looked at the old man on the screen. In an instant, the top management of all the businesses under the Clarke family received an email informing them that the sole heir of the Clarke family, Philip Clarke, had officially inherited the family business! These businesses include properties, development, entertainment, production, finance, investment, information technology, and etcetera… Philip returned to the hospital and rushed over to the ward just in time to see Wynn and Juan leaning close to each other as they chattered happily. Philip frowned as he balled his hands into fists. “Philip Clarke, where have you been?” Upon seeing him, Wynn asked coldly. To think this man still had the heart to run around, ignoring his daughter. Wynn’s gaze held disappointment as she looked at Philip. Juan, who was sitting beside him, snorted in laughter. “Philip, were you away trying to borrow money? It’s okay; I can foot the medical bills. I’m Mila’s uncle, after all.”“I don’t need you to worry about my daughter’s medical expenses; I can pay up.” Philip walked in with an icy expression. “Philip Clarke, how can you behave this way toward Brother Juan! Apologize to him!” Wynn started scolding him, thinking that she knew her husband well enough to know that he was disrespectful on purpose. Brother Juan was kind enough to help them foot the bill, but this man was sour to him. How rude! Juan feigned kindness and urged Wynn, saying, “Wynnie, don’t get angry. Philip must be feeling upset because he didn’t manage to borrow any money.” Wynn shot Philip a furious glare as she looked down on him even more. Philip tried to hold his rage back as he stared at both of them with clenched fists. He wanted so much to throw a punch at Juan’s face. Wynnie? He’s calling her by her pet name so affectionately! Jesus, Wynn Johnston, I’m your husband here. Have you no shame?

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

“It’s just money. Who said I didn’t manage to borrow any?” Philip glared viciously at Juan. Juan was dumbstruck as his expression froze. When the surprise was still evident in his eyes, Philip tossed the plastic bag in his hand in front of him and Wynn. The bag fell with a loud thud and rolls of cash appeared before their eyes. The corner of Juan’s eye twitched slightly as his lips trembled. His hands had subconsciously balled into fists. Wynn was surprised. She stared at the money Philip had tossed in front of them, confused, but then her expression immediately turned cold as anger surfaced in her eyes. Where did Philip get all this money? If he had this, why didn’t he take it out earlier? I even had to keep another man company by chatting happily with him! Doesn’t he know how tiring it is? “Here’s a hundred thousand. I’m paying you back all at once, including the past loans! Don’t ever come here again,” said Philip coldly. Juan did not take the money. To be frank, this hundred thousand did not amount to much in his eyes. He only thought of it as a charity to the poor. “Well done, Philip. You manage to fund this much in such a short time. But I’m curious, who would lend you so much in such a short amount of time?” Juan asked ambiguously, feeling his ego being shaken. He had stayed there just to wait for Philip to come back so he could ridicule him. Besides, he wanted to show Wynn just how terrible the man she had chosen was! But now, the words that Juan wanted to say were all stuck in his throat. This feeling of discomfort and a lump in his throat made him antsy. “Does it have anything to do with you?” answered Philip indifferently. Wynn could no longer stand it. She stood up and yelled at him, “That’s enough, Philip! Brother Juan has helped us out so many times now, so how can you say that?”“Did I ask him for help? Don’t you have any idea who he’s doing all this for?” Philip retorted, his rage barely visible in his eyes. Wynn was stunned. Of course, she knew why Juan cared for Mila so much. However, being exposed so directly by her husband hurt her pride. She accused, “What do you mean by this?” Philip took a deep breath to calm his emotions. He had been arguing with Wynn a lot more recently. “Aren’t you leaving?” He moved the conversation back to Juan. Juan snickered. He then picked up the money and left without saying more. Wynn shot a furious glare at Philip before chasing after Juan. “Brother Juan, let me see you out!” It was finally quiet. Philip sat down beside Mila’s bed and watched his daughter sleeping soundly. He felt immense guilt. “Mila, is it hard for you to be with Papa? But I’ll tell you what, from today onwards, you’ll be a little princess.” Philip stroked his daughter’s forehead gently with great affection in his eyes. Just then, Wynn returned to the room. She asked coldly, “Where did you get the money from?” Philip answered without ever looking up. “I borrowed it.”“From who?”“Howie.” Wynn breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought that he borrowed it from a loan shark. “You’ve already borrowed from him too many times. You can’t keep troubling him. Make sure to return it to him soon. I heard he’s getting married.”“I know. I’ll return it to him as soon as I can.” Philip finally looked at Wynn. This woman was really beautiful. Even with her brows pinched together, there was still a charm to her. It was just a pity she did not know that her good-for-nothing husband, who had collapsed after one setback, was now the heir to the world’s wealthiest family. He could now summon clouds and rain with just a nod of his head. Wynn’s gaze gradually fell darker. She looked at her daughter lying on the sickbed and said, “Philip, you managed to borrow money this time, but what about the next? Will you have to borrow money every time Mila gets hospitalized?” The old Philip had been vigorous and spirited back then. It was also the reason why she fell for him. But after he had failed in his startup, Philip could not pick himself up again, and he became more and more wretched. Philip was slightly irritated. “I know what to do.” Wynn kept quiet for a moment before continuing to say, “Philip, even if it’s not for yourself, think of it as doing something for Mila. Come with me to my father’s birthday this weekend. Apologize to my parents.” Philip kept quiet, only clenching his fists. Seeing him unwilling to say anything, Wynn grew more annoyed. She stomped her foot, took her bag, and scolded him, “Then, just keep being this wretched for the rest of your life!” After watching Wynn stomp out of the room in anger, Philip finally let out a helpless sigh. Life without money and prestige sucked. Would his father-in-law ever approve of him? In the afternoon, Philip had some urgent matters to take care of, so he got the nurse to look after Mila. Wynn was busy with work, so she was already back at her office. Philip got onto his scooter, refreshed his delivery list to start working again. He received a delivery task at Intercontinental Hotel. The people who could afford a room here were mostly rich. Upon reaching suite room number 8808, Philip knocked on the door. “Hello, your delivery is here.” Following a click, the door was opened, and a fit woman came into view. She was wearing a crop top with spaghetti straps and black shorts. There was a tattoo of a rose on her thigh, and her hair was disheveled, her make up exquisite. “Hello, your…” Philip handed her the delivery with a bright smile before stopping halfway. “Ruby… Ruby Ford?”“Philip?” The girl standing in front of him was Howard’s girlfriend, Ruby Ford. She was staring at Philip with a surprised expression as suspicion and anger flashed in her eyes. “Ruru, are you done? I can’t wait any longer! You have even brought bunny ears today, hehe…” Coming from within the room was the revolting voice of a middle-aged man. Ruby shot Philip a glare, snatched the delivery from him, and slammed the door shut. Philip stood dumbfounded outside the door for a long time before he regained his senses. Shit! Why is Ruby here? She’s even in a room with another man! Should I tell Howie? Half an hour later, Philip met Ruby at the lounge downstairs. The latter had put on a black trench coat and trotted over in her high heels before sitting on the opposite of Philip. She took out three hundred dollars from her purse and placed it on the coffee table, saying coldly, “This is for you.” Philip stared at the three hundred and snorted. “Is this a bribe?” Ruby frowned and dug out another two hundred to toss onto the table. “Five hundred! Is that enough? This is worth two days of your salary.” Well, that escalated quickly! Philip stood up, looking furious and said through gritted teeth, “Ruby, how could you do this to Howie! He has worked so hard for you, and you two were going to get married by the end of the year!”“So what? Who says I will marry him?” Ruby snorted and lit a ladies’ cigarette, saying nonchalantly, “Philip, why don’t you just mind your own business. You keep coming to borrow money from Howie, and that’s starting to irritate me. “You’re a man, don’t you have any sense of shame? It’s no wonder your wife wants to divorce you, trash!” Ruby then stood up and crossed her arms, staring proudly at Philip. “Don’t say a word about what happened today, or I’ll get someone to break your leg.” After that, Ruby went over to the plump middle-aged man who was waiting aside, and both of them left the hotel, arm in arm. Philip clenched his fists tightly. After he took the money on the table, he left the hotel and made a mental note to tell Howie about it. Just then, Philip’s phone rang. A glance at the caller ID showed that it was a call from his manager, Wilson Young. The moment he answered the call, a thundering rage exploded from the other end. “Philip, what the f*ck are you doing?! I’ve received more than ten complaint phone calls! Were you delivering to Mars? Come straight back after your delivery, then pack up and get lost!” Wilson was going insane with anger. In just half an hour, he had received more than ten complaint phone calls about Philip. It was driving him crazy! Was this trash trying to work at all? “Mr. Young, you can stop scolding me because I f*cking quit! I just fired you!”“Say what? Philip Clar-…” Philip hung up. To begin with, he was already mad, and now a mere manager was scolding him to boot. Life had forced him to tolerate it all back then, but things were different now. He had been made to inherit his family fortune and was now the heir of the world’s biggest consortium, so how could he let just anybody berate him so simply? Philip dug out his phone and called George. “George, I want to repurchase my company, can I?” George answered, “Young Master, that company was originally founded by you, but you ended up selling it due to bankruptcy. If you want to repurchase it, just say the word.” Philip said calmly, “Okay. In ten minutes, I want to become its owner!” Two minutes later, George sent Philip a short message: Young Master. It’s done. You are now the owner of Gopher Delivery Services. Philip nodded. George was very efficient. Philip got onto his scooter and went straight to the office. Wilson Young, wait for daddy! Just wait and see how I’ll skin you alive! Gopher Delivery Services was the company Philip had founded. However, due to poor management, he went into bankruptcy and had to sell it off. Overnight, Philip had turned from a boss to a lowly staff. He lost all his glamour and was left with only endless mockery and cold reception. At Gopher Deliver Services Limited Liability Company, Wilson Young stared at his phone in the lounge, throwing a fit of rage. “Shit! This Philip is just looking for trouble! Just because I can’t fire you, who are you to speak that way to me?” The several staff members standing aside were all shrinking their necks, afraid of getting caught in the fire. Just then, the main door of the company was pushed open, and a middle-aged man walked in. Upon seeing the man, Wilson instantly put on a flattering smile. “Boss, why didn’t you tell us you were coming? I could have gone to welcome you.” It was the company’s owner, Kevin Tank. Mr. Tank glanced at him before saying, “Everyone, prepare yourselves to welcome the new owner.” Wilson was stunned. “The new owner?” Mr. Tank said, “Someone has spent ten million to buy this company.” Wilson asked cautiously, “Who is this new owner? Should we prepare something?” Mr. Tank frowned and answered, “I’m not familiar with the new owner, so everyone, be on your toes later.” After that, the staff followed Mr. Tank to standby at the main entrance of the company. Wilson was instead showing off his authority by saying, “Everyone, keep your spirits up! The new owner will be here soon. If you perform nicely, you might even get a raise or a promotion! This is about you and your wallets!”“What a scoundrel, only knowing how to kiss up!”“He must mean ‘this is about him.’ What bootlicker!” A few staff were gossiping quietly. This was not the first time they felt contempt for Wilson Young. The man was just like them before, a mere delivery staff. But he was such a shameless bootlicker that he had ended up securing a manager position only by sucking up to the higher management. Just then, a black Bentley stopped steadily in front of the company’s entrance. After some thought, George had decided to come and take a look at the company in person, thinking that he could be of help to the young master. If it could put the young master in a good mood, the young man might even make a trip home. Wilson was standing behind Mr. Tank, rubbing his hands in anticipation. “He’s here! He’s here.” He knew that the arrival of the new owner meant the arrival of his opportunity to show his performance! Just then, Philip, too, arrived and stopped his scooter right in front of the Bentley. The moment he saw Philip, Wilson’s whole body trembled with rage. He pointed at Philip and yelled, “Philip Clarke, why are you here? Hurry up and get out of the way!”

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Wilson was now boiling with anger! That madman blocked the new boss’ Bentley! Was he looking for trouble? “Philip Clarke, what are you still standing there for? Get out of the way!” Wilson pointed at Philip and barked at him. Philip had only just parked his scooter when he received another round of scolding from Wilson. “Oh no! Philip’s done for this time. Brother Wil’s going to have a fit.”“Ten complaint calls, and this crazy guy still has the guts to come back!”“This will cost at least two hundred in deductions, that’s a day’s work!” A few staff were gossiping quietly, and some others were enjoying the show. Among them were some old staff who used to work for Philip. When they saw the man reduced to the point of having to become a delivery man just like them, they started becoming more mean toward him. Philip was already used to it. Just then, Mr. Tanks glanced at Philip coldly. He looked annoyed and asked, “Manager Young, is this your staff?” Wilson quickly answered heavy sarcasm in his tone, “Boss, you don’t come here often, so I forgot to introduce you. This is Philip Clarke, our company’s ex-owner. He’s now just a lowly delivery man here.” Wilson deliberately emphasized the word ‘ex-owner’ as he said it with thick mockery. Oh, Philip, you’ll be getting what you deserve thanks to karma, hahaha! Mr. Tanks’ expression darkened. He frowned and said, “Clear out that good-for-nothing so we can welcome the new owner.” He finally remembered Philip, the sad young man who had sold him this company years ago. Unfortunately, Mr. Tanks had great wits but a short memory, so a man like Philip who was on the lower level in society never left too much of an impression. Mr. Tanks then straightened up his suit and moved toward the Bentley with a massive smile. Upon receiving the order, Wilson immediately assumed authority and pointed cheekily at Philip. “Philip, pack your bags and go!” Philip rolled his eyes and stared at Wilson like an idiot before spitting a single word, “Lunatic.” Everyone present had heard his response, and their expression turned odd. Wilson immediately flared up. His finger was so close to poking Philip’s nose as he bellowed, “F*ck! Try saying that again!” Philip then let out a cold laugh. “As you wish then, you lunatic! Your whole family is crazy!”“You’re a dead man, Philip! You are now fired, and you need to reimburse the company for the losses you have made!” Wilson said through gritted teeth as he glared at Philip with widened eyes. This man doesn’t know his place! He should be reminded that he’s no longer the boss of Gopher Delivery Services, but he’s so arrogant! Just wait and see how I’ll deal with you later! Suddenly, the Bentley’s door opened, and an elderly man with a walking stick came out with a furious expression. “Who dares to fire him?!” The elderly man then walked past Kevin Tanks, who had come to receive him with a smile on his face, and to everyone’s surprise, stopped in front of Philip. He straightened up, bent over slightly, and lowered his head. His actions were fluid, showing great respect. “Young Master, sorry I was late,” said the old man. His voice was not loud, but it sounded like a pin dropping in the silence. Young Master? Everyone was stunned! Had Philip Clarke suddenly become a young master? What was going on? Kevin Tanks was dumbstruck as the smile on his face stiffened. Wilson instead was so shocked that he let out a huge laugh. “Old Mister, are you our new owner? You can stop joking around. This Philip is the lowest level of staff in our company, so you must be mistaken!” George merely glanced at him coldly, thinking, how could an ordinary fellow like him understand his young master’s greatness? Kevin frowned slightly and jogged over before ardently saying, “President Thomas, please don’t joke with us like that. Come, let’s talk inside.” Kevin Tanks was an entrepreneur, so he could recognize George Thomas. The man was the president of Apex Group! An overpowering figure in Riverdale City! However, George remained rooted to the spot, glaring coldly at Kevin and Wilson with a dark expression. “Who’s joking with you? This is your company’s new owner!” How was that possible? The new owner was Philip? Wilson did not believe it, and neither could Kevin. “Brother Will, didn’t you just say that you want to fire me?” Philip looked at Wilson, trying not to smile. “Philip! Are you asking for trouble? Don’t call me ‘Brother Will’!” Wilson roared. He hated that nickname. “You better scram now and reimburse the company’s loss! That’ll be ten thousand!” Wilson smiled sardonically. Hah! How could Philip be the new owner of the company? With the likes of him? Don’t make me laugh. Philip, however, was still staring at Wilson, trying not to laugh. “What are you staring at? Hand out the money now!” Wilson sneered. “What’s wrong with me staring?” Philip smiled. “You’re just looking for trouble, aren’t you? I’d just be doing you a favor if I didn’t fire you for what you have just said.” Wilson stood his ground, snickering. He was the company’s manager, so he naturally had the authority to fire a staff below him. “Then, I’ll tell you what, Wilson. I’m firing you now, so you can beat it.” Philip leaned against his scooter with his hands stuffed in this pocket as he said nonchalantly. This Wilson Young was an idiot. He still could not figure things out at this point, but Kevin Tanks, who had been standing on the side, had finally come to a realization! Shit! Philip is the company’s new owner! At this thought, cold sweat started to form on Kevin’s forehead as he looked away, reluctant to face this scene. He wanted to strangle Wilson. “What did you say? You fire me?” Wilson laughed with a twisted expression. Did this Philip hit his head somewhere to be able to spout such nonsense? At that moment, George, who had been standing beside Philip, shot Wilson a cold glance. “If our young master says to fire you, you’re fired!” George’s expression was dark. To think that someone would have the audacity to humiliate their young master, what a fool! Wilson then realized that his new boss was standing right in front of him. But before he could react, Kevin had thrown a tight slap across his face and roared, “Wilson Young, get lost this instant! You’re fired!” This Wilson Young was an idiot! Kevin wondered how he had believed this man and had even promoted him to a manager position in the first place. “Boss, what do you mean by this?” Wilson held a hand to his cheek, staring at Kevin in disbelief. “What I mean is that Philip Clarke is the new owner, and since he says you’re fired, you’re fired!” Everyone was stunned at Kevin’s words! Wilson’s whole body was trembling as he shouted, “Impossible! He’s already bankrupt, so how could a broke man like him be the new owner?” Kevin frowned. “He’s not as simple as you think he is!” Wilson turned to look at Philip, his expression faltering. He finally realized that the old man standing in front of Philip was President Thomas of Apex Group! A rich man worth billions and the wealthiest man of Riverdale City! And if he addressed Philip as his young master, then… “Wilson Young, from now onwards, you’re fired. Beat it!” Philip straightened himself up. After he spoke, Wilson stood rooted to his spot, dumbstruck. Weren’t you just enjoying yourself scolding me earlier? You were even trying to fire me. But, too bad for you, I’m the new owner here. If I want you gone, you’re gone! There was a loud thud. Wilson fell to his knees and clung onto Philip’s leg. “Mr. Clarke, I was too blind to recognize you for who you were. I was too full of myself. Please don’t fire me. Seeing that we used to be colleagues, please let me stay in the company. I’m willing even to make deliveries!” Philip snorted. “Now you know that you’re at fault. But, would you have forgiven me if this didn’t happen? Your wrongdoings will only bring about self-destruction!” Philip had pushed Wilson over a cliff with just a few words. After that, he turned to look at the company’s staff and said, “I know that a lot of you had looked down on me when I was in my darkest moments, but that’s okay. From today on, all of your salaries will be doubled!” In an instant, the staff all went into an uproar! Double pay! “Mr. Clarke is awesome!”“I love you, Mr. Clarke!” Philip then looked at a beautiful woman standing at the back of the crowd and announced, “One more thing, Wilson’s manager position will be replaced by Miss Agnes Summer.” ‘Swish!’ The crowd turned their heads back to look at Agnes, a woman dressed in a black uniform skirt set that accentuated her perfect figure. Agnes stared at Philip in surprise, unable to catch her breath until Philip was about to leave. Seeing as he was about to disappear into the Bentley, a peculiar emotion sparked in her eyes. Agnes ran to the car and stopped right in front of the car window, her chest almost falling out. She pursed her lips then said, “Philip… No, Mr. Clarke, are you promoting me to become a manager?” Philip’s eyes indistinctly stole a glance at Agnes’ fair bosom, then he smiled and asked, “Sister Agnes, what’s wrong? Don’t you believe in your abilities?” This woman, Agnes Summer, was sensible, had a great figure, and was beautiful. She had been working under Philip before this, so promoting her now was not unexpected. This was the privilege of being the boss. “I… I’m just afraid I might not be good enough.” Agnes sounded conflicted. She had never imagined that Philip would become the new owner so suddenly. Although he was already the owner before this, the company was tiny, with only a few staff. The company’s turnover had now exceeded five million every year! That must mean that Philip had spent billions on buying over the company today! “Relax, Sister Agnes, take your time to get used to things, and don’t worry.” Philip smiled, and that served as a tranquilizer for Agnes. As she watched Philip leave in the Bentley, Agnes pursed her red lips as she pondered. Just who exactly is he? Why did he have to act poor if he was so rich in the first place? Inside the Bentley. “Young Master, there is an investment project tomorrow, and you have to meet the other company’s boss.” A smile appeared on George’s wrinkled face. “I’m not going,” answered Philip crisply. He did not want to care about any of this. I was forced to inherit the family wealth, so don’t even think about asking me to go anywhere! “Then, Young Master, please return that hundred thousand to me,” said George calmly. Philip’s eyes widened in shock before finally answering, albeit reluctantly, “Fine, fine, fine! I’ll go, okay?” To think that the heir of a wealthy family like me has to bend over backward for a hundred thousand! How sad! Sigh! “Alright, Young Master. I will come and pick you up tomorrow.” George smiled. As soon as he got out of the car, Philip heard a puzzled voice. “Philip? Why are you here?” Philip subconsciously turned to see Wynn with a confused expression as she stared at him with an odd gaze. Philip panicked internally. Oh no! Wynn is going to find out about my identity!

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

“Why are you here?” Wynn frowned and glanced at the Bentley beside Philip. Did he just come out from that car? Is this my wretched husband? Or do delivery companies now deliver meals in Bentleys? “I… I uh…” Philip stammered then swept a look at George who was smiling like a flower through the window. The old man quickly put out a hand and said, “Young man, thank you. It’s thanks to you that I finally found this place. Let this old man treat you to a meal next time to show my gratitude.” Philip smiled and nodded politely. “That’s okay, sir. Please take care on your way back.” The tone of his voice hinted to the elderly man to leave quickly. George did not say anything but smiled and nodded at Wynn before asking the driver to move away. Wynn froze in shock! Wasn’t… wasn’t that the chairman of Apex Group, President Thomas?! The wealthiest man in the city! And Philip was just in the same car with him! “Do you know George Thomas?” Wynn looked back at Philip, surprised. Philip shrugged. “No, I don’t. That old thing was lost, so I just led the way.” That old thing? The corner of Wynn’s mouth twitched. He had called the wealthiest man in the city ‘that old thing’? How rude! “What do you mean by ‘old thing.’ That man is the wealthiest in Riverdale, the president of Apex Group!” Wynn rolled her eyes at Philip. This man was senseless. The more Wynn looked at him, the more contempt she felt. She merely said coldly, “Philip, don’t forget that my father will be hosting a get-together this weekend at Virtuous Court. Prepare some gifts.”“I never said I would go,” answered Philip. “You!” Wynn was irked. She had put in a lot of effort to persuade her father, telling him that Philip would come and apologize to him, and she hoped that her father would not give him such a hard time. But, what was with Philip’s attitude? Forget it, forget him. She must have been blind back then to fall for this man. “Do as you please then!” Wynn’s temper flared up, and with a twist of her slender waist, she turned to leave. As Philip watched her leave, he noticed that she had changed clothes. She even seemed to be wearing perfume and had makeup on. Philip was puzzled as he saw her enter a large building. He started pondering, Didn’t Wynn say she was going back to the office? Why was she here? And where was this? It’s Hilton Hotel! At the thought of that, Philip felt anger rise in him. He was putting in so much effort at work, but she came to a hotel? This would not do. He must follow her and see what was going on! Wynn was very stressed out today. First, her daughter’s heart disease had relapsed under the care of that irresponsible Philip. Next, she had to worry about that whole matter with Juan Parker, and after she returned to the office, one of her projects was facing some challenging patch. The president of this project stood her up and insisted that she come for a discussion at the Hilton. Wynn had wanted to refuse, but the client was using the project to pressure her, so she had to show up. This project was worth a million! Just then, her phone rang. “Hello, President Warren, I’ve arrived. Where are you?”“I’m waiting for you at the restaurant on the sixth floor.” The mellow voice of a man sounded from the other end of the call. “Alright, President Warren, I’ll be over soon.” Wynn smiled. After she hung up, Wynn let out a sigh, looking a little hesitant as she stared at the elevator before finally deciding to go upstairs after all. The moment the elevator doors closed, Philip appeared in the lobby and saw that Wynn had gone up from afar. He ran after her, but a cold, mocking voice stopped him instead. “Wow, isn’t this my cousin brother-in-law who works as a delivery man? Are you delivering to the Hilton?” Philip turned his head to see a gorgeous and fashionable couple, leaning close to each other. The girl had her arms crossed with a mocking expression as she leaned into the arms of a tall and handsome man. “Lynn Johnston?” Philip frowned before taking note that the elevator had stopped on the sixth floor. The girl walked over with a taunting look and laughed. “What a coincidence to see you here. It looks like your area of coverage is extensive.” This girl was Lynn Johnston, Wynn’s younger cousin sister. She was only a freshman in college, but she looked like a fine woman. “Lynnie, who’s this?” The handsome man beside Lynn signaled her with his eye and asked. Lynn immediately snorted. “He’s my cousin brother-in-law. Didn’t I tell you before? The one whose business failed and had to do deliveries for a living. He even borrowed a few thousand bucks from me but hasn’t returned it yet.” Lynn had always looked down on Philip because he was just rubbish! She always felt that a frog like him did not match up to her cousin. While the man did marry her cousin sister, it was more accurate to say he married into her family instead. How shameful. “Haha, this is the cousin brother-in-law you’ve been talking about?” The man laughed out loud, the mockery visible in his eyes. Philip was starting to get annoyed. He was Lynn’s cousin brother-in-law after all, so what was she trying to achieve by getting outsiders to humiliate him too? “I’ll return you the money, but I have something to do now. So, I won’t keep both of you company.” Philip forced out a smile. Lynn was still Wynn’s cousin sister, so as an elder, Philip felt that he should exercise more tolerance. If she knew that he was now the heir to the world’s largest consortium, he wondered what expression Lynn would have right now and how would she react? Humans are always superficial and ignorant. “Return me the money? I’m not counting on it. With your pay as a delivery man, would it even be enough to cure Mila?” Lynn asked sarcastically. Her cousin brother-in-law was trash! And that little btch should have never been born! Lynn did not think much of Philip, so naturally, she felt the same for his daughter. When Philip heard this, his expression gradually turned cold. “Lynn Johnston, I am still your cousin brother-in-law. Don’t you think you’re too rude?” “Hah!” Lynn snorted. “I’ve never acknowledged you as my cousin brother-in-law. You just happened to be clinging onto my cousin sister and married into our family, nothing more.” How shameless! Who did he think he was to use his identity to pressure her? “Wow, he’s a live-in son-in-law?” Lynn’s boyfriend laughed, sounding surprised. How wretched was this man to be able to stoop so low? Lynn waved her hand before tugging her boyfriend’s arm and said, “Forget it, let’s go, Hugh. Standing beside a person like this makes the air all greasy and smelly.” Philip’s eyes darkened. His hands balled into fists as he watched Lynn swaying her hips and walking away with her boyfriend in tow. The two people were still mumbling to each other. “Your cousin brother-in-law is worthless.” “He’s not my cousin brother-in-law. If you keep saying that, I’ll stop talking to you.” Philip took a deep breath to calm his emotions. He should not be bothering himself with brats like them. He then turned around and ran into the elevator to go up to the sixth floor. Philip had circled the whole area before finally noticing Wynn’s silhouette inside a Western restaurant through a glass wall. What the fck! What angered him was the sight of a bald and oily fat man sitting across Wynn, reaching out his arm as he tried to touch Wynn’s hand with a disgusting expression on his face. Oh, a cuckoo bird! Wait, where is it going? This is not a beautiful sight at all! Philip was furious! He dug out his phone and called Wynn immediately. Inside the restaurant, Wynn tactfully rejected Manager Warren’s goodwill countless times, but the man was unwilling to give up. He was even trying to touch her hand! It was at this moment, her phone suddenly rang. This was her chance to take a breather. “I’m sorry, Manager Warren, let me take this call,” said Wynn, and she stood up to walk out of the restaurant. Manager Warren’s tiny eyes narrowed as he stared at Wynn’s back profile. He could not stop himself. He was thinking to himself that he will surely punish this proud woman tonight! “Hello, Philip, is something up?” Wynn stood outside the restaurant. “I’m in front of you.” Wynn then abruptly looked up to see Philip staring coldly at her. She frowned in confusion. Why was he here? “Are you following me?” Wynn walked over with a frosty expression and asked icily. She had just run into Philip downstairs, and now he was here at the restaurant entrance. What was this if it was not stalking? Excellent job Philip, you’re even starting this disgusting hobby of stalking someone now? Philip laughed. “I don’t have that kind of time to be following you. I just happened to pass by.” He then glanced over at the fatty inside the restaurant and asked, “Who’s he? Is he more important than Mila?” To come out and meet this fat man instead of going to the hospital. You’re something, aren’t you? Wynn was annoyed by Philip’s interrogative tone, but she explained nonetheless, “A business partner. We’re here for a business discussion.”“A business discussion? I saw him making moves on you. Are you having a business discussion or a date?” Philip questioned. Wynn’s expression darkened. She crossed her arms and said in a hateful tone, “Philip Clarke, what are you trying to say? Are you suspecting me of an affair? I grind myself away every day, working just to earn money to cure Mila! But, what about you? Does making deliveries every day earn you a great future? I have asked you to apologize to my parents, but have you done that? You’re just a coward!” As she spoke, Wynn grew more agitated as tears started to pool in her eyes. She turned away and sniffled. “Forget it. It’s no use telling you anything. I’m not coming back tonight.” Was she not coming back? Philip was dumbstruck. Did she mean she was going to stay out tonight? With this fatso? “What if I can help you?” asked Philip. Seeing Wynn in this state, Philip could easily guess that this discussion was not easy. That business partner must be threatening her. At the same time, he felt guilty, realizing that his attitude had been inappropriate earlier. “What can you help me with? Can you bring me a one million dollar worth of order?” Wynn laughed. Her tone was cold. She never counted on Philip to be able to help her with anything. “It’s just a one million dollar order, I can-...” said Philip. He did not lack the money now. With just one sentence from him, he could even buy over Wynn’s company, much less a million-dollar project. It was a piece of cake! “Philip, that’s enough. I don’t need you to worry about my troubles,” answered Wynn coldly before turning around and going back into the restaurant. Don’t need me to worry? But, you’re my wife! Philip stared after Wynn with a bitter smile and then took out his phone.

Chapter 6 Chapter 6

Philip casually made a call to George Thomas. “George, help me check for the latest projects that Wynn Johnston is handling within Beacon Pharmaceutical. Is there a million-dollar order? Let me know who is the client and the person in charge.” From the other end came George’s respectful voice, saying, “Young Master, Beacon Pharmaceutical is one of the companies that the Clarke family invests in. I’ll get President Hall of Beacon to visit you personally.” Huh? Beacon Pharmaceutical is actually one of the companies our family invests in? My dad is too awesome! Philip suddenly regretted not inheriting the family business earlier. “No need to. Investigate quickly and have the client smoothen the whole process so that they won’t give Wynn a hard time,” said Philip calmly. “Young Master, I recommend you to just buy over that client’s company. You don’t lack the money,” George suggested. What the fck! Buy over? As expected of a butler from a wealthy family. Oh George, old man, do you really talk this big now? “It’s called being low profile, do you understand? If I wanted to buy it, would I have waited until now?” Philip answered indignantly. “Alright, Young Master. Please give me ten minutes,” George said sheepishly. As soon as he hung up, George immediately got his secretary to contact Beacon Pharmaceutical’s chairman, Derrick Hall. When Derrick received the call from George’s secretary, he was trembling with excitement. “President Thomas, do you need me for something?” It was a call from the richest man in Riverdale City! The chairman of Apex Group! Countless people wished to have a meal with him. “President Hall, it’s not me who wants something from you, but my young master.” George’s voice sounded calm through the phone, but his tone was forbidding. He was, after all, the richest man in Riverdale City! He had to sound respectful in front of the young master, but toward other people, he was the boss! And a boss naturally needed to behave like one. “Young… Young Master?” Derrick was currently sitting inside the president’s office of Beacon Tower, stunned as he started to break out in cold sweat. President Thomas’ young master! The richest man in the city still had a young master! That was just too scary! “Then, what would the young lord like from me?” Derrick asked carefully, terrified of enraging George if he was not cautious enough. “There’s a Wynn Johnston in your company. Who is the client she has been in contact with lately?” asked George. Derrick knew Wynn Johnston. She was the deputy manager of the marketing department, a strong woman, and he had had his eyes on her for a long time now. But sadly, she was married, although it did not matter. Derrick immediately jogged over to the marketing department with his head drenched in sweat. When the staff of the Beacon Pharmaceutical marketing department saw Derrick, they all kept quiet. “Where is Deputy Manager Johnston?” asked Derrick. “She went out for a business discussion,” a staff member answered. “Who is the client?” asked Derrick. “Manager Maury Warren of Victory Pharmaceutical,” the staff member answered. Derrick brought the phone back up, turned around, and respectfully reported, “President Thomas, it’s Maury Warren from Victory Pharmaceutical.” “Alright, got it.” George directly hung up after that. Next up, George used his own authority to give Victory Pharmaceutical a warning. He had served as a butler for so many years now, he could naturally figure out what his young master was thinking. This Maury Warren from Victory Pharmaceutical must have offended the young master. Six minutes later, Philip who was making his way to the hospital received a call from George. “Young Master, everything has been taken care of.” “Okay. Don’t tell Wynn about this, and shut everyone else up. I don’t want to hear even a peep about it,” said Philip. “Understood, Young Master. Low profile.” George chuckled. After hanging up, Philip looked at the hospital building in front of him and smiled bitterly. Oh, Wynn, you keep saying that I can’t help you. I’m telling you now that I can assist you with simply one sentence. If you ever found out one day that I’ve been supporting you, how would you react? Moving back to the Western restaurant on the sixth floor of Hilton Hotel. Maury Warren had had too much to drink and now his hands were starting to misbehave. “Deputy Manager Johnston, you just keep eating but you won’t touch your wine. Are you looking down on me?” Maury put on a long face, his voice sounding dark. Wynn flashed an apologetic smile and explained, “Manager Warren, you’re mistaken. I’m just unwell these few days, so I can’t drink alcohol.” This shitty fatso keeps trying to touch me, he’s so irritating! “Hmph! Since you’ve put it that way, I don’t think there’s anything for us to talk about anymore.” Maury snorted before threatening Wynn. “Deputy Manager Johnston, you should know that not only Beacon is trying to cooperate with us. There are a lot of people begging to see me.” At his words, Wynn frowned and looked hesitantly at the red wine on the table. “Alright then, I’ll just have one glass,” said Wynn. She took the bottle of red wine and poured herself a glass. Maury was all smiles as he looked at Wynn. This woman was so endearing under the dim lights. Wynn drank the whole glass at one go. “Manager Warren, will this do? Let’s talk about our collaboration…” “Deputy Manager Johnston, don’t be in such a rush. Why don’t we talk about this slowly upstairs?” Maury Warren revealed his real agenda for the night. Soon after he spoke, he put his hand onto Wynn’s thigh and wanted to go further in! ‘Slap!’ Wynn had stood up directly and gave the man a furious slap. “Manager Warren, that’s enough!” “You btch, how dare you slap me!” Maury glowered furiously and stood up. He lifted an arm and was about to slap Wynn when… ‘Ring ring ring!’ The sound of a caller tone interrupted him. He grabbed his phone as he watched Wynn leave, roaring into his phone, “Who’s this?!”“Maury Warren! Is that how you should be speaking to me?” On the other end came a similarly enraged roar. “President Lewis, I’m sorry, so sorry. A few promoters kept calling me just now. What do you want with me?” Maury immediately sounded like an obedient little kid. This man, President Lewis, was the chairman of Victory Pharmaceuticals, his boss! What was he calling him for? Although the man had now ruined his plans, Maury did not dare to complain. “You’re asking me? Did you deliberately try to trouble Deputy Manager Johnston on our collaboration?” President Lewis asked, sounding exasperated. Just one moment ago, he had received a call from the wealthiest man in Riverdale City, George Thomas. The man’s words were filled with provocation. Damn it, this Maury Warren! He had the audacity to offend such a prominent figure! Was he looking for trouble? “President Lewis, how do you know about this?” Maury was stunned. Could Wynn have told on him? But, she was only a mere deputy manager of the marketing department, it was impossible for her to be in contact with President Lewis. “You’re even asking me this? Are you trying to get yourself fired?” President Lewis flew into a fit of rage and roared, “Our collaboration with Beacon is approved! And you better apologize to Deputy Manager Johnston immediately, in person! Without her forgiveness, don’t even think about coming back to the company. You can just scram!” ‘Thud!’ The call was ended and Maury Warren was flabbergasted! He could tell that President Lewis was really furious. Without another word, he dashed out to chase after Wynn. “Deputy Manager Johnston, please wait!” Maury was now behaving like an obedient child, lowering his head, bending over slightly with his hands held together to show his apology. “Deputy Manager Johnston, I’m so sorry, I was muddled earlier. I’ll sign our collaboration agreement immediately. I hope Deputy Manager Johnston can forgive me for being blinded by desire.” Wynn was stunned. She stared at Maury in shock and confusion. “Manager Warren, do you mean it?” This was the order she had been working on for a whole month. A hundred thousand! Her commission alone was worth tens of thousands! They could finally pay Mila’s treatment fees. In just ten minutes, Maury and Wynn signed the agreement. Everything happened so fast that Wynn still could not regain her senses. “President Warren, you mentioned that your chairman has approved of this personally, right?” Wynn asked, feeling confused. Maury had been giving her a flattering smile the whole time. “Yes, Deputy Manager Johnston. You should have told me that you were an acquaintance of President Lewis. We almost had a misunderstanding.” Wynn nodded, still puzzled. How could she be acquainted with President Lewis of Victory Pharmaceutical? That must mean someone had helped her! Could it be Juan Parker? She had mentioned this to him in the morning. I must ask him! thought Wynn. She subconsciously compared Philip and Juan in her mind and the contempt for Philip grew. Her husband was just too useless! On the other hand, Philip was still not aware that after helping Wynn with her problem, the latter had misunderstood and thought that his rival, Juan, had helped her instead. If he found out about this, he might just vomit blood. The next day in the afternoon, Philip got into a Bentley after leaving the hospital. He had made an appointment to meet someone with George today. After Philip left in the car, a girl who was standing a little too far away mumbled suspiciously, “Why does that back profile look like Philip…” Lynn Johnston was here at the hospital today to visit her cousin’s daughter. She had been unwilling to come, but her parents said that it was rude of her not to visit a Johnston family member. However, upon reaching the hospital entrance, Lynn happened to witness Philip getting into the car. But, she assumed that her worthless cousin brother-in-law could never afford a luxurious car like a Bentley, so Lynn never gave it another thought and went into the hospital’s inpatient department. Inside the moving Bentley, Philip asked lazily, “George, who are we meeting today? Are they troublesome?” George answered respectfully, “Young Master, it won’t be troublesome. He’s a collector in our country, considered a friend of mine.”“Why am I meeting your friend then?” Philip asked, instead. Good ol’ George, is this a reenactment of the brokeback mountain? You’re already at this age, and you’re still getting involved in things like this? George was all smiles. “Young Master, this is only a small business worth a billion. You need to learn from experience so you can inherit the family fortune as soon as possible.” This answer made Philip look up at George. A business worth a billion was a small business? He held back the urge to roast him and said, “George, do you know how the cow died?” Oh no, after not meeting for seven years, this old thing was getting more and more pretentious. As the heir of an elite family, Philip had the misconception of being frightened.

Chapter 7 Chapter 7

The Bentley soon arrived at Riverdale Virtuous Court. This was a famous restaurant in the city where only the wealthy and prestigious could dine. Virtuous Court also required a membership reservation where the minimum requirement was to spend at least one million to keep the membership. At that moment, standing at the entrance of Virtuous Court was a well-known entrepreneur. The chairman of Civil Trading Group, Russell Field. The company specialized in import and export business, mainly dealing with artistic pieces. As the company chairman, Russell himself was a wealthy man worth three billion! He was also a nationally famous collector! A well-known figure within the local collector’s community. Russell had brought more than ten personnel from his highest management to wait respectfully at the entrance of Virtuous Court with him. This scene caused quite a shock to the patrons dining at the restaurant. There were even bursts of exclamation. “Isn’t that the chairman of Civil Trading Group, Russell Field? Who is he waiting for with this extravagant display?”“What a rare sight! A billionaire like Russell is waiting so humbly at the door or Virtuous Court.”“Is there a prominent figure coming? Whoever it is, they must not be from Riverdale.” The moment Philip saw a crowd of well-dressed elites waiting at the entrance of Virtuous Court, he frowned inside the Bentley. “Didn’t I say to keep a low profile? What’s with this extravagant display?” George smiled sheepishly. “Young Master, President Field must have wanted to give you a surprise.”“Surprise my foot! I don’t like it,” said Philip coldly. “Head to the parking lot and inform your friend to meet us in private.”“Understood, Young Master.” George nodded. The car drove away into the parking area. Russell had been standing tall in front of Virtuous Court as he was patiently waiting for the guest of honor today. He had gone to shamelessly beg his friend for this opportunity. Standing beside him was his son, Tyler Field. The young man had his hands stuffed in his pockets as he spoke, sounding displeased, “Dad, just who are we waiting for? Aren’t they too arrogant? It’s already been twenty minutes.” Russell shot a sideways glare at Tyler and said in a hushed voice, “Behave yourself. If they show up and you make a mistake, just see how I’ll take care of you later.” Tyler let out a disgruntled snort, feeling more upset. He had already made plans with his friends to go clubbing, but his old father had dragged him over to meet some big-shot investor. However, there was not a shadow of the person even after this grand display. Just then, Russell received a phone call and then solemnly turned around. “Alright, everyone, let’s go inside. They are already here.” Already here? Many of them were confused but mostly annoyed. Tyler was more furious. He grumbled under his breath, “What the f*ck? Who is this person? I’ve waited for a whole day now, but I didn’t even catch a glimpse of them.” However, he did not dare say anything in front of his father, so he could only sulk and follow Russell into the restaurant. Once Russell received the phone call, he took his son along and hastened to the private room in a corner. The moment the door was pushed open, Tyler saw two people standing inside, but his gaze fell on Philip. The f*ck? Is this that big-shot investor? Dad can’t be this blind, can he? Which part of this guy looks sophisticated? He looks like a migrant worker in the streets. Tyler could not resist a snigger as his dissatisfaction grew. It was thanks to this guy that he could not go out and have fun. Instead, Russell had reached out with both his hands and a face full of smiles as he went toward George, who was standing with a walking stick. “President Thomas, you’re finally here.” George smiled and nodded, extending only one hand for the other man to shake. Russell’s gaze then turned to the young man standing beside George. “This is…?”“This is my young master, Young Master Clarke. He’s also the investor this time around.” George introduced with a smile. Young… Young Master? George Thomas, President George’s young master?! Russell was a company president, and he was worth three billion. He was also a prominent figure in Riverdale City. Although he could not compare to George, who was worth more than ten billion, he was at least acquainted with the world. It was said that George Thomas came from working for a hidden wealthy family. And that family was in control of more than half of the world’s assets. That must mean that the young master of this family was of a fearsome existence! He had to be very cautious. At the thought of this, Russell held out his hands in great trepidation. “This humble servant, Russell Field, has been too dense to recognize Young Master Clarke. I hope that Young Master Clarke can forgive me.” Philip nodded faintly and shook his hand before saying, “President Field, I still have some things to take care of, so let’s make this quick. I heard from ol’ George that your company requires financing. Give me a figure.” Russell glanced at George, but he realized the latter had been resting his eyes. Russell then said, “Young Master Clarke, our company is preparing to open up the art pieces market to international countries. The channel sales in America and Italy have been doing extremely well, so as an estimation, we would require one billion in financing as an estimation. Please don’t worry. We will give you 25% of the shares and a bonus at the end of the year.” One billion was not a very small amount. Even if Russell was worth three billion, he dared not gamble away his one billion. “One billion…” Philip mumbled, frowning slightly as he seemed to be in deep thought. This made Russell anxious on the inside. To ask for one billion at the start was a little too much. Other than Apex Group, there might not be another person in Riverdale City capable of helping. However, Philip’s next words stunned Russell for the longest time. Even Tyler who had been looking down on Philip ever since he entered the room was shocked! “I’ll invest two billion, but I want 40% of the shares.” Philip smiled like he was merely talking about numbers. Two billion? Was this a dream? Russell felt like he was being watched over by Lady Luck. What a surprise this was! His company assets only amounted to a little over three billion, but they had easily offered to invest two billion dollars! Scary! This was too terrifying! Was this the financial power of the hidden elite? 40% of the shares were still an acceptable condition for Russell. “Young Master Clarke, are you sure you want to invest two billion?” Russell was barely able to speak from the excitement, but he still calmed himself down immediately to ask. “Too little? I can add a bit more,” said Philip casually. A... a little more?! Russell could barely stand straight now. He quickly answered, “No, no, two billion is enough.” It had to be enough. With these two billion, Russell had full confidence that he could conquer both the American and Italian markets. By then, his own company would be able to go up to over ten billion! Russell then got his secretary to hurry in with an exquisite long box in hand. Russell took out a scroll from the box, unrolled it, and smiled. “Young Master Clarke, this is an authentic painting by the famous Tang Bohu of China. I’ve kept it for many years now, and today I’d like to present it to you as a token of my appreciation.” As a famous art collector within the country, the paintings Russell gifted were naturally authentic! In the market, an original Tang Bohu painting could go up to over ten million in worth! However, for Russell, in comparison to Philip’s investment, this painting was worth nothing. Philip merely glanced at it and nodded. “You have my thanks, President Field.” He then held the rolled-up painting under his arm and left the private room with George. The moment they exited the room, Philip saw a middle-aged man donned in a full suit coming over with a smile on his face. “Young Master Clarke, please wait. I am the owner of Virtuous Court, Javier Morris.” Both Philip and George stopped in their tracks, looking at the middle-aged man in confusion. When Javier saw George standing behind Philip, he felt a huge shock! It was true! President Field had been right! The young man who could have the wealthiest man in the city stand beside him was indeed extraordinary. “Young Master Clarke, President Thomas, I didn’t know that both of you were coming, so I have failed to welcome you. This is the platinum VIP membership card of Virtuous Court. If Young Master Clarke doesn’t mind, please take this,” said Javier. He was set on making Philip’s acquaintance tonight! Philip looked at Javier briefly before taking the membership card and said in a casual tone, “Thanks.” After that, he shuffled his feet to start walking again, leaving the rest to ol’ George to take care of. George waited for a bit before saying to Javier, “Mr. Morris, my young master doesn’t like to be too conspicuous. If anybody asks…”“Understood, understood! President Thomas, please don’t worry. No other soul besides me will know of Young Master Clarke’s identity.” Javier immediately guaranteed. Back to Philip. Once he left Virtuous Court, he did not choose to ride inside George’s Bentley but was about to rent a bicycle. However, the moment he stepped out of the door, he coincidentally ran into Wynn Johnston! Shit! How was he going to explain meeting her here? “Philip, what are you doing here?” Wynn was leading a group of well-dressed men and women as they appeared at Virtuous Court. As she was staring suspiciously at Philip, the latter quickly explained in panic, “I’m here for a delivery.” Delivery? Food delivery to a restaurant? Wynn frowned slightly, her expression cold. She was starting to get irritated when she saw his weak appearance. What made her even more anxious was letting her colleagues see Philip. However, a hostile male voice suddenly spoke up at this moment. “Deputy Manager Johnston, is this delivery man the husband of yours? He looks only so-so. As expected of a kept man.”

Chapter 8 Chapter 8

This voice was unpleasant. Philip lifted his head and saw a fat man with a protruding beer belly staring at him with a mocking expression. What does it have anything to do with you, whether or not I’m a kept man? Do I even know you? Philip pouted, planning to ignore him, turned to leave. The fatso, however, did not plan to let him off so quickly. He went over to block Philip’s way and ridiculed him indirectly. “Ignoring people now? Great personality! I heard that your business failed, and now our Deputy Manager Johnston is the one paying for your living expenses. A grown man like you has some nerve to become a kept man.” Philip frowned, looking extremely displeased. He recognized this man, Gavin Zach, the marketing manager at Wynn’s company. The man had tried to harass Wynn, and Philip had taught him a lesson. And now that he saw Philip in a low place, the man started to mock him unscrupulously. Wynn’s other colleagues were now looking at Philip with a weird look in their eyes. They, too, knew a little about Philip, who had been an enthusiastic entrepreneur but had now dropped to the low status of a delivery man. Wynn stood among the crowd, frowning hard as she looked at Philip and felt embarrassed. “Philip, go back quickly,” said Wynn. When Gavin heard this, he raised an eyebrow as the disdain in his eyes grew thicker. The other colleagues snickered. Even his wife was embarrassed by him now. What a failure of a man! Philip did not want to stay for a minute longer, so he turned to leave. But Gavin would not let it happen. “Don’t go, Philip. Why don’t you have a meal with us? Your wife just signed a one hundred thousand dollars worth of contract yesterday, something you can never achieve with ten years of delivery service. Don’t you want to celebrate together?” A hundred thousand dollar contract? So, Wynn managed to get it. Philip already knew, but he did not plan on staying. Even his wife was urging him to leave, so why should he wait to bring contempt upon himself? Oh, Wynn, if only you knew that I was the one who has facilitated this contract of yours, what reaction would you have? “No need. I still have to go to the hospital,” said Philip calmly. Gavin did not allow him room to reject and simply dragged Philip into the restaurant, even draping an arm around his shoulder and said, “There’s no need to be shy. Your wife is treating, after all. It’d be a waste not to eat.” You’re just a kept man, who are you to be picky? And so, the crowd entered Virtuous Court with Philip being forced to stay. However, he was standing alone in a corner while Wynn was huddled around her colleagues as they chatted excitedly about how she had managed to close the deal. “Deputy Manager Johnston, you mentioned that you closed this deal because someone has helped you?” One of the beautifully dressed women asked in shock. Wynn nodded. “Manager Warren of Victory Pharmaceuticals was giving me a hard time. You guys, too, know that he had been trying to ask me out for meals. But yesterday, after getting a phone call, he suddenly said that he would sign the contract and had even sincerely apologized to me.” As she spoke, Wynn subconsciously looked at Philip who was standing absentmindedly in a corner. She could not help but feel sad and disappointed. She had hoped that that person would be Philip, but she knew that it was impossible. “Wow, who’s this that has a crush on our deputy manager? To even help you with this hundred thousand contract!” That woman squealed intentionally in a loud voice so that Philip would hear. Look at you, you worthless thing! Your wife is being courted, but you’re still standing there like an idiot! How useless! As the crowd chattered happily, Gavin walked over with a conflicted expression and said, “We can’t eat here. They require reservations, and only members can walk-in.” Gavin could not believe that Virtuous Court actually required reservations and that a membership application required minimum spending of one million annually! Those who could spend a million to dine here were wealthy! Wynn stood up immediately with a troubled expression and said, “What do we do? Shall we switch to another place?’ She had promised to treat everyone today, but to think this place required a reservation… It was Wynn’s first time here, and a colleague had even suggested it. “Huh? Are you serious, Manager Zach? We’ve come all this way!”“Manager Zach, think of something. I heard that the food at Virtuous Court is especially delicious.”“If it really can’t be helped, then let’s switch to someplace else.” Some of them were starting to get upset and made a fuss. Gavin was feeling helpless. He had done so much just to win Wynn Johnston’s favor. But, where was he going to get this million-dollar membership card? “Why don’t we switch to Noble Manor? This place requires a reservation, so I can’t do anything.” Gavin shrugged. The woman who had been speaking loudly earlier was Rose Stewart, Gavin’s secretary. It was as the saying goes, ‘if there was something to be done, the secretary will do it; if there was nothing to be done, do the secretary.’ Rose shifted her long legs, moving to Gavin to hook onto his arm as she said coquettishly, “Manager Zach, it’s my first time here. Didn’t you say that you know the manager here? Get him to open up an extra table for us.” Upon hearing this, Wynn and the other colleagues turned to look hopefully at Gavin. The latter was now in an awkward position. He did not know any manager. He was only bragging when he said that. “Uhm… Isn’t that a little inappropriate? Let’s not trouble them and move to Noble Manor. It’ll be my treat,” Gavin answered immediately. Noble Manor was not as pricey. A meal for seven or eight pax would cost only about a thousand. He even went with the flow and offered to treat, so perhaps Wynn would thank him for this. However, a few of the colleagues were visibly upset. Rose glanced at Wynn and said in dissatisfaction, “Deputy Manager Johnston, you promised to treat us to Virtuous Court, so isn’t this a little too disappointing?” Rose was envious of Wynn. The woman was deputy manager at such a young age and was favored by both Manager Gavin and President Hall. Why? Just because she’s pretty? Aren’t I pretty? I’m not just pretty, so why don’t these stinky men care that much for me? “Alright, alright, Deputy Manager Johnston didn’t know that this place required reservations either. Let’s go to Noble Manor,” Gavin quickly spoke up for Wynn. His tone was firm. Wynn bowed to apologize. “I’m sorry, I’ll treat Noble Manor. I was supposed to treat anyway, so I don’t want to trouble you, Manager Zach.” A few colleagues shot cold glances at Wynn before turning away to leave unhappily. They were all filled with anger now, so who cared about eating anymore! Just as the crowd entered this downcast atmosphere, a voice broke the silence. “I have a membership card. Do you guys want to use it?” Philip who was standing in a corner spoke. He could not resist, after all. Wynn was still his wife, and to watch her being dismissed by her colleagues made him uncomfortable. “You have a membership? Philip, it wouldn’t kill you if you didn’t lie. Do you know where this is? Virtuous Court! Membership requires a minimum spending of one million a year!” Gavin’s ambiguously, sinister words could be heard. The colleagues around him, too, looked at Philip disapprovingly as mockery crept into their expressions. Wynn, too was stunned. She stared at Philip awkwardly before going over to tug at him, wanting to pull him away as she said in a hushed voice, “What are you doing? Go back to the hospital to keep Mila company.” Are you trying to chase me away because you’re afraid I’d embarrass you? Philip did not explain. Since she did not want his help, then he would leave. However, Gavin was amused and laughed scornfully. “Deputy Manager Johnston, what’s the rush? Since your husband says he has a membership card, just let him book a table for us.” The mockery was apparent on Gavin’s face. He just wanted to watch Philip make a fool of himself. Didn’t he hear just now that a regular silver membership card in Virtuous Court required minimum spending of one million a year? Doesn’t matter. Just let him make a fool of himself in front of everyone. That way, Wynn would probably be very disappointed with him. And that means I’ll have a chance to make the cut! “Philip, stop fooling around! Hurry up and go back!” Wynn said coldly, trying hard to suppress the rage inside her heart. Why did he have to pop up at a time like this? Was it fun to be this shameful? She already could not raise her head whenever her colleagues talked about her husband, and now he was adding fuel to the fire. This was driving her crazy! “Wynnie, I do have a membership card,” said Philip calmly. He then dug out a card from his pocket and waved it in front of everyone. Gavin and the group were shocked. Did he really have a card? However, after a little thought, Gavin’s expression looked even more taunting. “Philip, this isn’t the membership card for delivery men, is it? It won’t be right to con someone with this.” Gavin mocked ignorantly. However, Philip was looking at Gavin with a straight face like he was staring at an idiot. This irked Gavin. Why was he so calm? Could the card be real? Impossible! Just then, Rose went over in her high heels, swiped the card from Gavin’s hand and laughed arrogantly. “Since Deputy Manager Johnston’s husband says it’s a membership card, let’s try it.” She then took the card to the front desk. Wynn could not stop her in time when this happened. She could only stomp her foot in anger and glared furiously at Philip. “Philip, you’re just too disappointing!” This man was still trying to put on an act at a time like this! And now that his lie was about to be revealed, not only would he be shamed, she too would have to face the same! The mockery on Gavin and their colleagues’ faces grew even more. “Come, come, come, we’re benefiting from Philip’s association today, so let’s see if the reservation gets through.” Gavin was ecstatic, impatient to watch Philip make a fool of himself. He had prepared a lot of things to say so he could ridicule him later. A few others snickered as they surrounded Philip and Wynn, escorting them to the front desk like they were afraid that both of them would run away.