The Rise of the Disgraced Heir

"Willa! I'll ask you one last time, are you sure you want this divorce? Even if it means putting your precious Baker Group on the line?"

Before Willa could respond, Jacob jumped in again, adding fuel to the fire. "Of course, she does! With Mrs. Baker's status, she can find a man a hundred, no, a thousand times better than you!"

"Jacob, who the hell do you think you are? You're just her assistant. Do you really think you have the right to make decisions for her?"

As soon as I finished speaking, Willa's face darkened with anger. "Enough! Stop talking! Frederick, let me make this clear: you were never anything to me. To me and the Bakers, you've always been a burden. You're nothing but dead weight."

"Jacob, who the hell do you think you are? You're just her assistant. Do you really think you have the right to make decisions for her?"

As soon as I finished speaking, Willa's face darkened with anger. "Enough! Just stop it! Frederick, let me be perfectly clear. I've never had any feelings for you. To me and the Bakers, you've always been a burden. You're nothing but dead weight."

I let out a quiet sigh, disappointment flickering in my eyes. "So, you've already made up your mind, huh?"

Willa frowned, looking at me like I was something disgusting. "That's right! I never loved you, not in the past, not now and not in the future!"

The moment she finished, Jacob immediately started clapping. The crowd followed suit, showing their support for Willa. I scanned the room out of the corner of my eye and the smirk on my lips deepened. "Fine. Have it your way."

I gave Willa a long, meaningful look. "I just hope you won't regret this decision later."

When Willa heard me agree to the divorce, her face lit up with excitement. "Good! Since you're willing to end this, let's settle things quickly. Tell me, do you want money or property? I'll try to meet your demands."

I waved my hand dismissively, my expression turning icy. "Forget the money. Baker Group is going bankrupt soon anyway."

Then, my voice turned even colder. "But there's one thing I need to know. Besides all the reasons you've already given, is there another reason you're pushing for this divorce? Or let me be more direct, who's really pulling the strings behind today's events?"

I knew Willa well. She cared too much about her reputation. If no one was manipulating her, she would never have aired our private matters in front of so many people. Something was definitely fishy. Willa's reaction confirmed my suspicions. She avoided my gaze, unable to meet my eyes.

Before she could say anything, Jacob stepped in again. "You're not even qualified to know his name, but I will tell you this. He's from the Capital. He's someone you can never afford to cross."

At that moment, everything clicked. So, Jacob had been stirring the pot all along. No wonder he kept cutting in at the most crucial moments. Too bad for Willa. She didn't even realize she was just a pawn in someone else's game. Despite the constant provocation, I didn't lash out. Instead, I kept my composure, giving them chance after chance.

After all, everyone here was a big name in the business world. I didn't want to cause an unnecessary scene, but my patience had only been met with endless ridicule. "Enough!"

My voice cut through the noise like a blade. "This so-called business summit might as well end right now. So, here's how it's going to go. You all have two choices: leave now and I'll let you walk away unharmed. Or stay and you can go down with Baker Group."

As soon as I finished speaking, the business elites in the room exchanged amused glances before bursting into laughter. "Kid, you sure have a big mouth for someone so young. Do you think you can threaten us?"

"Do you believe that with just a word from us, you won't have a place to stand in the entire Stormford?"

"I advise you to just leave quietly, otherwise, no one will be able to save you later."

I suppressed my anger and slowly opened my mouth. "I used to keep a low profile, but today, I really want to make a scene."

As I spoke, I slowly walked towards the stage. "Today, whoever stays, I, Frederick Larkin, will take on all of you."

I looked at the provocative faces below the stage, feeling a little disappointed. So, was this the business world in Stormford like? Driven by profit, colluding with officials and businessmen, a complete mess!

"Frederick, get the hell down from there! That's not where you belong!" Jacob's voice rang out as he waved his arms, riling up the crowd.

I simply chuckled. "Alright, enough playing around. You've done your part. Now, why don't you tell your boss to come out? Hiding behind others and pulling strings from the shadows, does he not even have the guts to face me himself?"

As soon as I finished speaking, the door of the venue suddenly opened. A man about my age swaggered in. "You're Frederick Larkin, right? I've taken a fancy to your wife. Name your price."