My father stood there in a perfectly tailored suit. His graying hair combed neatly back, with my mother, dripping in jewelry, right behind him.

When they saw it was me on the ground, their faces showed nothing but shock and disgust. There was not even a trace of concern. After hearing the employees eagerly list off my so-called crimes, the disgust on their faces deepened, along with undisguised contempt.

“Hmph. Figures. Grow up poor long enough, and all you care about is money.” My father shot me a harsh glare and waved a hand at Joanna. “Forget it. It’s just a watch. I’ll get Clive ten better ones later. Get him up!”

Joanna hesitated for a moment. “No! Lance stole the watch I gave Clive. I’m going to find it in front of everyone and clear his name!”

She signaled the guards to continue. The guards had no choice but to obey when my parents did not object. After checking me again and again, they still found nothing and shook their heads.

“Mr. Lewis, Ms. Lewis, we’ve searched him thoroughly. There’s no watch on him.”

At that, everyone in the Lewis family, except Clive, looked surprised—especially Joanna. She stared at me blankly with a flicker of guilt in her eyes.

However, Clive spoke up again. “I know. Lance must’ve hidden it somewhere in the company ahead of time, planning to sneak it out later! We’re already at this point. Lance, aren’t you going to tell the truth?

“I promise, as long as you hand over the watch, I’ll convince Joanna not to hold you responsible.”

As he spoke, pretending to be reasonable, he pressed his knee harder into my neck.

With several guards pinning me down, there was no way I could move at all. The suffocating pressure grew stronger, and my vision started to blur. Still, in my parents’ and sister’s eyes, it only made me look guilty, and too scared to argue.

Joanna trembled with anger. “So this is who you really are, Lance. I thought you just made a mistake at the moment, but you’ve been planning this all along, even hiding the stolen item!

“If you won’t confess willingly, I’ll have you beaten until you tell us where it is!”

My mother glanced at the clock and frowned. “Dr. Collins is arriving soon. Take him to the janitor’s room and question him there. Don’t ruin our guest’s mood.”

My father nodded. “Dr. Collins is a top expert in our field. If we secure a partnership with him, our year-end profits could easily double again. Becoming the richest family is just around the corner for us.”

After Joanna gave the nod, Clive quietly lifted his knee from my neck. As the guards helped me up, he used the moment to drive a punch into my stomach.

Pain exploded through me. My vision went black, and a metallic taste flooded my mouth. While I could not even speak, he clapped his hands lightly and gave the guards a subtle look.

“Have a nice talk with Lance. If fists work better than words, go with fists. You’ll be rewarded.”

The guards got the message. They dragged me roughly into the janitor’s room and tied me tightly to a chair.

“Mr. Lance, we’re all just employees. Why’d you have to be stupid enough to go and piss off Mr. Clive? Now you’re in his hands. He told us to teach you a lesson, and we don’t have a choice but to do it.”

The fake sympathy had barely left his mouth before he slammed a heavy punch into my face.

My head snapped to the side. Stars burst in my vision. Blood filled my mouth, and a few teeth came loose. That was just the beginning. They took turns beating me, each one putting their full strength into it. I curled up in pain. My ears were ringing.

Just as they were about to keep going, hurried footsteps sounded outside. The next second, the door was kicked open.

“Lance, I’m here to save you!”