Chapter 1: The Heir Who Was Cast Aside

The banquet hall was filled with laughter, champagne, and the quiet excitement of witnessing the Fullerton family's succession ceremony.

I stood among the guests with a wine glass in my hand, watching the man who had just taken everything I had spent twenty-six years earning.

"Do you see how pathetic he looks? Does he really think he's some kind of big shot?" said Marcus Lund, the heir of the Lund family.

He swaggered over with two women by his side, looking completely pleased with himself.

"I guess I shouldn't address you in such a respectful manner now, huh? What am I supposed to call you now?"

I barely spared him a glance.

"Who are you again?"

Marcus's expression twisted with anger.

"Why, you! You're getting kicked out any minute now! Who are you trying to act all high-and-mighty for?"

I looked at his distorted expression and suddenly recalled who he was.

He had been the one kneeling outside my office the previous night, groveling and begging me to choose the Lund family for a partnership.

I had rejected them outright then, thinking that the Lund family was too insignificant for me to bother with.

Yet now, Marcus actually had the nerve to push me around.

It turned out Marcus really knew how to hold a grudge.

I let out a sigh.

It wasn't worth wasting my time on a nobody like him.

I was certain that Simon Fullerton, my adoptive brother, had orchestrated this.

I had seen enough of the father-and-son performance, so there was no point staying any longer.

It was honestly a disappointing outcome.

I ignored Marcus, turned on my heel, and walked off.

"Hold it right there, Daniel! You're just going to leave?"

"It seems like the once-untouchable Mr. Daniel can only tuck his tail and run away pathetically now!"

Marcus stepped in front of me, blocking my path with a nasty grin.

"Didn't that worthless company of yours make more than ten million dollars, Daniel?"

"You might as well just hand it over to me. You're getting kicked out of the Fullerton family, after all."

"You see, I might just throw you a bone if you bring me something good to curry favor right now—like being my personal pet."

The man beside him immediately chimed in.

"You only made ten million dollars? That's peanuts to the Fullerton family! Mr. Simon's allowance alone is worth more than that!"

"Do you actually want someone like him by your side, Marcus? You've got a pretty weird taste! I wouldn't want him even if someone paid me!"

Laughter spread through the group.

Then I heard the chatter of a few women nearby.

One of them rolled her eyes.

"If I knew he was going to end up a nobody, I wouldn't have busted my ass working for him back then."

"I genuinely thought he was going to take over the company."

The woman beside her sneered.

"You can only blame yourself for backing the wrong heir."

That woman shot me a displeased look.

"I know, right? I'm off to find Mr. Simon right now to see if he's recruiting."

I remained silent.

Then Peter Jacobson, one of the businessmen present at the scene, walked over with a champagne flute in hand.

He was swaying slightly and smelled strongly of liquor.

He raised the glass at me, then casually poured the champagne onto the floor by my feet.

I looked down at my stained pant leg in distaste.

Mr. Jacobson flashed me a malicious smirk.

"Oops! I didn't mean to spill it!"

"You should know that the banquet organized by the Fullerton family isn't an event any riffraff can waltz into."

"You don't have to be discouraged, though, Daniel. You're so capable, so you can just hit up some random company and maybe make a comeback someday…"

He glanced at the people around him and deliberately left his sentence unfinished.

The crowd immediately burst out laughing.

Peter turned around and clinked glasses with the others.

"Do you really think an adopted son can establish a company worth tens of millions of dollars?"

"He probably used his own money to inflate the numbers and make himself look good! His profits are so trash they wouldn't even cover the act."

"He might have already lost everything he had. He should honestly worry about whether he can even leave this room unscathed."

The mocking laughter grew louder.

I stood there without any change in expression.

"Get out of my way."

"Why are you in such a hurry, Mr. Daniel? Mr. Simon still has something to discuss with you."

The crowd immediately swarmed around me.

Then Simon finally made his way down from the stage.

The crowd cleared a path for him as every pair of eyes turned toward the new heir of the Fullerton family.

His leather shoes clicked against the marble floor with every step.

He stopped directly in front of me.

His gaze was cold and distant.

The entire hall fell silent.

Simon finally spoke.

"You should be eliminated, stripped of your status in the Fullerton family, subjected to our ultimate family law, and dumped into the black market to survive on your own, Daniel."

He raised his hand and placed it on my shoulder.

His thumb pressed down harder and harder until it felt as though he were crushing my bone.

"You and I have been brothers for so many years, so I can't bring myself to watch you live on the streets, Daniel."

He withdrew his hand and took a step back.

A mocking smile appeared on his face.

His gaze slowly swept from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes before settling on my eyes.

"You should just stick with me from here on out and do as you're told, Daniel."