Chapter 1

The security guard at the entrance of the Grand Orion Hotel blocked my path, his hand held up like a stop sign.

"Invitation, sir?"

His voice was flat, professional, but his eyes sized me up and dismissed me in a single glance. My simple black suit wasn't designer, and my shoes were comfortable, not flashy. I didn't look like I belonged here.

"I don't have a physical one. The name is Liam O'Connell. It should be on the guest list."

He tapped at a tablet, his finger scrolling down the screen. He did it slowly, almost deliberately, making me wait under the bright lights of the hotel entrance. A few people in expensive gowns and tuxedos walked past, giving me sideways glances.

The guard looked up, his expression unchanged. "No O'Connell on the list. I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises."

Before I could say anything else, a familiar, grating voice cut through the air.

"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in. Liam O'Connell."

Brendan Riley, my former supervisor, stood there with a smug grin on his face. He was a man who looked like he was permanently sucking on a lemon. Next to him was his little follower, Kevin Miller, who was already snickering.

"I'm surprised you have the nerve to show your face here, Liam," Brendan continued, stepping closer. "This is the annual gala for Sterling Corporation. It's for employees, not for the unemployed."

Kevin chimed in, his voice dripping with fake sympathy. "Yeah, man. Did you get lost on your way to a soup kitchen? This place is a little out of your price range."

I felt a familiar tightness in my chest, the one that always appeared when Brendan was around. He was the man who had fired me from my junior marketing position a month ago. No reason, no warning. Just a cold, "pack your things, we're letting you go." I knew the real reason, of course. He needed to make a spot for his useless nephew. He' d done it without a single dollar of severance, assuming I was a nobody who couldn't fight back.

I kept my face neutral. I looked at Brendan, then at Kevin. They were preening in their ill-fitting, rented tuxedos, so proud of their little moment of power.

Just breathe, I told myself. Observe. Don't react.

My father always told me the best way to understand a person is to give them a little bit of power and watch what they do with it. Brendan and Kevin were putting on a master class in pettiness. They thought I was here to beg for my job back, to make a scene. They couldn't be more wrong. My plan for tonight was simple: watch them make fools of themselves. The fact that they were starting before we even got inside was just a bonus.

"I'm here for the gala," I said calmly.

Brendan laughed, a short, ugly sound. "How? You can't even get past the front door. Look, kid, do yourself a favor and go home. You're embarrassing yourself."

He then turned to the guard, flashing a golden invitation card. "We're with Sterling Corporation. Brendan Riley, senior manager."

The guard glanced at the invitation and nodded, his demeanor changing instantly. "Of course, Mr. Riley. Go right in."

Brendan gave me one last smirk, a look of pure triumph, and then he and Kevin walked through the grand glass doors, disappearing into the glittering lobby.

As they left, another woman from my old team, Chloe Davis, walked up. She paused when she saw me. Chloe was someone who had shown a little bit of interest in me when I first joined the company. We'd had coffee a couple of times. But the moment she heard I lived in a small apartment in a modest neighborhood and took the bus to work, her interest vanished.

She looked at me now with a mixture of pity and disgust.

"Liam? What are you doing here?" she asked, not even trying to hide her surprise. "Are you trying to crash the party? That's... really sad."

"I'm on the list, Chloe," I said, my voice tired.

She just shook her head slowly. "Just go home, Liam. It's not worth it."

She walked past me without another word, her heels clicking on the marble floor.

I stood there for a moment, the cool night air feeling sharp against my skin. They all saw the same thing: a jobless loser, a charity case. They had no idea I owned the building they were so desperate to get into.

"Sir, for the last time, I need you to leave," the guard said, his voice hardening.

Just as he was about to put a hand on my arm, a sleek black car pulled up to the curb. The back door opened and an older man in a perfectly tailored suit stepped out. Mr. Henderson. A senior executive at Sterling, and my father's oldest friend.

He saw me and his face broke into a warm smile.

"Liam! I was wondering when you'd get here."

He walked over and clapped me on the shoulder, completely ignoring the stunned security guard.

"Having some trouble?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Just a small mix-up with the guest list," I said.

Mr. Henderson turned to the guard, his smile disappearing. His voice became low and cold. "This is Liam O'Connell. His father owns this company. And this hotel. I suggest you find his name on your list, or you'll be looking for a new job tomorrow."

The guard's face went pale. He started fumbling with his tablet, his hands shaking. "My apologies, sir! I... I didn't know. I'll find it right away."

"Don't bother," Mr. Henderson said dismissively. "He's with me." He gestured for me to follow him. "Come on, Liam. Your father is waiting."

He led me through a private entrance to the side, bypassing the main doors entirely. As we walked into the grand ballroom, a wave of music and chatter washed over us. The room was dripping with crystals and gold. Hundreds of people were mingling, holding champagne glasses.

Across the room, I spotted them. Brendan, Kevin, and Chloe were standing in a small circle, laughing. Then Kevin saw me. His smile froze, and he nudged Brendan. Brendan turned, and his jaw dropped. Chloe's eyes went wide with disbelief.

They stared at me as I walked beside Mr. Henderson, a senior executive who barely gave them the time of day. The confusion on their faces was the most satisfying thing I had seen all night.

Brendan immediately marched over, his face red with anger.

"What is this? How did you get in here?" he demanded, pointing a finger at me. "He's not an employee! He shouldn't be here! Security!"

Mr. Henderson stepped in front of me, his height giving him a clear advantage over the fuming little manager.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Riley?" he asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

Brendan faltered, clearly intimidated by Henderson, but his arrogance won out. "Yes! This man, Liam O'Connell, was fired! He's a trespasser!"

I just watched, letting the scene play out. I wanted to see how deep a hole Brendan could dig for himself.

I started to walk away from them, toward the raised platform at the far end of the room where the executive tables were located.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kevin shouted, his voice cracking. "That's the executive section! You don't belong there!"

Chloe grabbed my arm. "Liam, stop it. You're going to get arrested. What are you trying to prove?"

Her touch felt wrong. She had dismissed me so easily, and now she was pretending to be concerned. I pulled my arm away gently.

"I'm just going to my seat," I said, and continued walking, leaving them standing there, bewildered and furious. They thought this was some kind of game. They still had no idea what was coming.

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