The Lombardos' long-lost son turned out to be some "scam-busting" influencer.

He stormed into the company with my fiancée, cut me off mid–quarterly report, pointed straight at me, and went live.

"Drop a comment if you're watching. Blow this up. I'm exposing a fake heir who stole someone else's life!"

His crew dragged me offstage, ripped my suit, and shoved me into a neon vest stamped with "FAKE."

"A fake's always fake. Never real. I'm ripping off your mask. If you're smart, get on your knees, hand over the CEO seat, and get lost!"

I glanced at his parents—faces drained—and gave him one warning. "You don't get to call me a fraud. For their sake, apologize now, and I'll let it go."

The room buzzed. Everyone thought I'd snapped, waiting for the "fake heir" to crash and burn.

They had no clue.

I wasn't the fake.

I was the one the whole family answered to.

"Everyone watching—this is the fraud who stole over twenty years of my life!"

Philip Lombardo shoved his phone at me, camera locked on me. His voice dripped hate. "Luca, you took my spot as Lombardo Corp's CEO, slept with my fiancée, lived in my mansion. After all these years... do you feel no shame?"

The insults hit out of nowhere. I held it in. "I'm not a fake heir. You've got it wrong."

Didn't matter. The live chat tore me apart.

[This streamer is wild. We really got front-row seats to rich family drama. First time seeing a fake heir get exposed live.]

[They all say "you got it wrong" at first. Give it a sec, he's gonna start begging.]

[Yeah I've seen enough. He looks fine but he's def a fraud.]

[Look at him. Dude's pathetic. Kinda deserved. Wait—the streamer's the real Lombardo heir? Aight my bad, respect.]

More comments kept flooding in, all hyping Philip.

Even the Lombardo Corp employees started whispering, throwing me looks full of disgust.

"Has Luca lost it? The Lombardo family already confirmed Philip as the long-lost heir, and he still won't admit it."

"Wait, isn't that Clara Holt next to Philip? She's the CEO's fiancée. Why is she all over him?"

"CEO? He's just a fraud who stole someone else's life. Give it time—he'll end up picking trash."

My eyes slid to Clara.

She clung to Philip's arm, smiling.

Then she caught me looking.

No guilt. She tipped her chin up and sneered. "What are you staring at? Still think you're the CEO? Keep looking and see what happens."

My chest tightened, but I kept it in.

Clara was my fiancée. Two years together. We'd been solid.

I gave her one last chance.

"Clara, come here." My voice stayed low. "You're my fiancée. You shouldn't be standing next to another guy."

She pressed closer to Philip. "My fiancé is the Lombardo family's real heir. Who do you think you are? A fake like you thinks you're good enough?"

Her hand slid over her stomach. She looked at me and smirked. "I'm not letting my kid grow up in the slums, fighting stray dogs for scraps."

It hit like a shock.

Clara was pregnant. I'd barely even held her hand.

She cheated.

I looked straight at her. "You're going to regret this."

Philip scoffed and yanked Clara in by the waist. "That's called having standards. Who do you think you are, making threats? Once Mom and Dad kick you out, you're nothing."

He flashed a grin at the camera. "Alright, guys. Since this fake won't cooperate, let's move on."

He pulled out a board covered in my so-called crimes and turned to the employees. "Come sign it. Back it up. Let's peel off his fake skin together."

People were already stepping forward, eager.

I swept a cold look across the room.

"If you've got the guts, do it."

I'd run this company for two years. I still had some pull.

They glanced at each other. For a second, no one moved.

"Does Luca still have something up his sleeve?"

"Now that you say it... I saw him at a banquet with the chairman and his wife. They treated him like royalty."

"And he's actually good at this. In two years as CEO, the stock more than tripled..."

Philip's face darkened. He pointed at me. "You got here by sucking up to my parents! Now that I'm back, you think they'll protect a fake like you?"

I ignored him and looked at Clara. "End the pregnancy. Leave him. I'll act like none of this happened."

She smiled and walked over.

For a second, I thought she'd come to her senses. Something warm hit my chest. I reached for her—

She slapped me. Hard.

"How are you still not getting it?" She blew on her palm, disgust all over her face. "I got fooled, that's why I ended up engaged to a fake like you.

"The fact I'm not asking for compensation is already generous. And you think I'd struggle through life with you? Keep dreaming."

Then she turned to the crowd, voice raised. "Did you know? This guy's completely useless. Two years together, and he didn't even dare touch me."

The room burst out laughing. The live chat went feral.

[This fake's not just fake—he probably can't even get it up.]

[Philip, hurry it up. Get to the next part. Strip him and check if it's real.]

[Not gonna lie, the fake's got a decent face. Send him my way, I'll have some fun.]

I stared at her, stunned.

My chest went cold.

Clara was my first love. I liked her the second I saw her. She was exactly my type.

I didn't touch her because I respected her. I wanted to wait for our wedding night.

Never thought that would turn into her weapon.

So all that softness was fake.

I watched Philip pull her in, heard him brag, "See? I'm the real man."

The way they played around snapped something in me.

"You trash!"

I tore free, lunged forward, grabbed him, and slammed my fist into his face.

He folded in my grip like nothing. I trained regularly—one punch was all it took.

I lost it, pounding him without holding back.

Clara screamed. That finally snapped everyone out of it. They rushed in and dragged me off.

Philip's face was wrecked—blood smeared everywhere, already swelling and bruising.

"You're dead, you hear me? Kill him!" he screamed, eyes full of hate.

The others shifted, ready to prove themselves.

I swept a cold look over them. "I'm still the CEO. Who's got the guts to touch me?"

My voice stayed low, but no one moved.

It was true. Lombardo Corp hadn't officially removed me.

I flicked the blood off my hand, fixed my collar, and looked at Philip. "Take that as a warning. Leave now, and for your parents' sake, I'll let it go."

Philip snapped at the way I looked at him.

"You're just a fake, and you still act tough? If I don't kill you today, I'm not Lombardo!"

Philip's eyes were bloodshot, wild like a rabid dog.

He kept cursing. I frowned.

I'd heard about him. The son Chairman Nicolo Lombardo and his wife, Martina Jacini, had just brought back—their long-lost heir. He used to run the streets. Then he went online, calling himself a scam-buster, a fraud hunter. No limits. That's how he blew up.

Anyone he targeted got wrecked. Even if they made it out, they were never clean again.

But this time, he picked the wrong target.

I wasn't some fake heir.

I was the youngest heir of the Lombardo dynasty—the richest man in the world.

The Montavian Lombardos? Just a junior branch under my family. Even Lombardo Corp Montavia answered to me.

I rotated through our overseas branches, two years at a time, running them as CEO to see how they really operated.

These past two years, it'd been Montavia.

I was a Lombardo, so they all assumed I belonged to the Montavian branch.

I let them.

"I'll say this one last time. My identity isn't something you get to question."

Philip's face went cold. "You still playing pretend? Fine. I'll make sure you stop for good."

He pulled out a document and shoved it at the phone. "See this? My parents transferred everything to me. That includes this company."

He flashed a smug grin at the camera. "Watch closely. I'm ending this guy."

He flung the document at my face. "You're fired. And..." His grin turned nasty. "You're not getting paid. Call the last two years free labor for our family."

The chat instantly erupted in praise.

The employees switched up fast. They crowded around Philip, greeting him.

A few got bold, pointing right at me, yelling—

"Where's that attitude now? The Lombardo family dropped you. If you know what's good for you, beg our new CEO to spare you!"

My expression darkened. Something felt off.

Under Lombardo rules, a junior branch couldn't move major assets without approval from the main family. It had to be reported—and signed off by me.

So Nicolo and Martina made moves behind my back. Planning to betray us?

Before I could sort it out, Philip—patched up—swaggered over.

He reached out and tapped my face. "What's wrong? Scared now? Get on the floor and beg—make it good—and maybe I'll spare you."

A sick grin spread across his face.

I slapped his hand away. "Keep your filthy hands off me."

He staggered back, almost falling.

Clara caught him fast and snapped at me, "You ungrateful jerk! How dare you touch Philip!"

She spun on the others. "What are you waiting for? You still think he's the CEO? Beat him!"

They rushed in and pinned me down.

"You fake. I've hated you for a while. Always acting cold, making me work overtime. Today you're getting what you deserve!"

"You think just anyone can be CEO? You're a delusional idiot!"

"Lombardo Corp belongs to Philip now. Who do you think you are?"

Fists and kicks came nonstop. Blood filled my mouth.

But looking at their smug faces, I started to laugh.

Enjoy it while you can. You won't be laughing in a minute.