Chapter 4

Seeing that I still dared to mock Marcus, Chloe raised her hand to slap me again, but this time I dodged with ease.

"You stubborn bastard! You won't cry until you see your own coffin, will you? Guards! Hold him down and slap his filthy mouth until it bleeds!"

"That mouth of his stinks! Who the hell gave you permission to talk to me like that?"

At Marcus's furious command, a dozen guards closed in around me. Yet my eyes remained calm, without the slightest hint of panic.

Chloe quickly tugged on Marcus's sleeve, whispering in a low voice:

"Marcus, Arthur Sterling is arriving any minute. If there's blood all over the stage, it might ruin his mood. Remember, we spent an entire month begging him just to make an appearance today."

Marcus frowned and held up a hand, stopping the guards in their tracks.

Checking the time, he realized it was indeed about time.

Marcus quickly adjusted his collar and smoothed out his suit. Once he was sure he looked respectable, he waved his hand dismissively at the guards.

"Drag this piece of trash backstage for now. Once my godfather, Arthur Sterling, leaves, bring him back out to deal with."

Hearing Marcus mention that name, I thought for a moment before finally remembering who that irrelevant old man was.

That "industry titan" title was nothing more than an empty, honorary label my family had casually tossed to one of our subordinates.

If I wanted to, I could strip him of that title and ruin his life at any given second.

Suddenly, a group of imposing bodyguards in sharp black suits marched into the venue. A long, luxurious red carpet was rolled out across the floor in a massive display of grandeur.

Marcus grabbed Chloe's hand and sprinted toward the entrance. Right at that moment, Arthur Sterling, the revered mogul of the industry, walked through the double doors.

Arthur cast a cold glance at Marcus, but when his eyes landed on Chloe, a warm, polite smile appeared on his weathered face.

"You must be Chloe, correct? I've heard your name before. Seeing you in person, you truly are exceptional. A young woman with a very bright future."

Chloe froze in shock. This top-tier mogul actually knew who she was?

Arthur then raised a hand, signaling for everyone in the room to bow and show proper respect.

Instantly, every single guest, crew member, and venue guard lowered their heads and bent at the waist, showing supreme reverence toward Arthur Sterling.

Just then, Marcus glanced around and spotted me standing alone in the distance, completely upright and refusing to bow. I stuck out like a sore thumb.

Marcus instantly bellowed in fury:

"You insolent bastard, get on your knees right now! Who gave you the guts to stand upright in front of Arthur Sterling? Do you want me to break both your legs?"

Terrified that Arthur would take his anger out on them, Chloe immediately chimed in, shrieking:

"Julian! Drop to your knees and beg Mr. Sterling for forgiveness this instant!"

Seeing that I still didn't move a muscle, Chloe became hysterical.

"Security! What the hell are you waiting for? Break his legs!"

Arthur’s eyes followed their furious pointing and landed directly on me.

The moment our eyes met, Arthur's heart skipped a violent beat. His face drained of all color, his knees turned to absolute jelly, and he crashed straight onto his knees before me.

I met Arthur’s trembling gaze and smiled faintly.

"Arthur Sterling. Since when does a little errand boy like you deserve a bow from me?"