On my father’s sixtieth birthday, I was overseas, negotiating an energy contract. I deliberately told my wife to throw a huge banquet for him.

That day, I watched the mansion’s security footage with a smile.

Unexpectedly, I saw my nine adoptive siblings surrounding an unfamiliar old man. That old man wore my dad’s class ring as he happily pulled my wife onto the stage.

“Thank you for coming to my birthday banquet. This is my daughter-in-law, the president of the Viapent Group. She’s the absolute best! She spent three million dollars on this banquet! It’s all thanks to my eldest son for finding such a capable wife.”

In one corner, my actual father was in tattered clothes, washing dishes with my son.

He accidentally splattered some water. One of the guests kicked him in disgust, causing him to cough up blood.

The security footage was cut off.

How dare these people mistreat my father and son?

I called a special number. “I’m putting a stop to the negotiations. My father and son are being abused back home. I am returning to them now.”

The voice on the other end of the line was deep and firm. “Mr. Ford, your return is approved. You’ve been granted the highest level of authority. You can mobilize the forces of the nearest military installation, and you have absolute discretion.”

My knuckles went white as I gripped the phone. I only made a single utterance of affirmation.

The moment I hung up, my assistant, Charlie Baker, pushed the door open and came in with a report.

“Mr. Ford, the private jet is on the runway awaiting you, and the flight path has been approved. You can take off at any time.”

“Alright.”

I took my seat in the private jet and called my butler, Mr. Jeffords.

The call was promptly answered. Mr. Jeffords asked deferentially, “Have you finished your negotiations, sir?” There was a smile in his voice.

“Yes.” I managed to suppress my rage and answered calmly. “How are the plans for Dad’s birthday banquet going? Is he happy with them?”

“Yes, very much so!” The cheer in Mr. Jefford’s voice rang hollow. “The master is overjoyed today. He’s been talking about you all morning. He’s even invited his old neighbors over.

“The mansion is so lively with all his family around. Your son is around him, and your adopted siblings are all home as well. They’re all with the master and singing him the birthday song. We’re just about to cut the cake. It’s most joyous!”

My grip tightened around the phone.

They were going to cut the cake, were they?

If I had not been watching the security footage, I would have even believed it. But with my own eyes, I had witnessed my father and son get mistreated and made to wash the dishes.

Mr. Jeffords had been working for our family for nearly two decades. He had been with us since I was a child. He had always been diligent, honest, and respectful. I had never suspected him one bit.

I never imagined that he would betray the Ford family.

I shoved down the rage and said in an even tone, “That’s good. Tell Dad not to drink so much. I’ll be back soon.”

“Of course! I will tell him that immediately!”

After ending the call, I called the caregiver I had hired for my father, Anderson Ford.

A year ago, Anderson had been complaining about how quiet the mansion was and had insisted on moving back to his old neighborhood home. He said that he missed the neighbors and that it was more lively over there. He would always have friends with him.

Since I could not talk him out of it, I let him go.

I had even hired a caregiver to look after his wants and needs.

The phone rang for a long while before it was picked up. A sharp and cruel voice came through the line. “Who is this?”

I frowned. “I’m Mr. Anderson Ford’s son. Mrs. Talbot, I just wanted to ask about my dad’s current health. What time did he go out today? Who did he go with to his birthday banquet?”

“Oh, you’re the useless wretch who keeps skipping out on paying me!”

Mrs. Talbot’s voice turned shriller, becoming taunting and angry.

“How dare you call me? What kind of an employer are you? All you do is make me work without paying me! You owe me months of pay, but you still have the gall to call me to ask about your father?

“Who knows when he went out? I quit a month ago! You’d better pay me the two months’ pay you owe me! I’ll call the police if you don’t!

“Are you still making yourself out to be a rich guy? You’re just a rubbish collector. What makes you think you can hire a caregiver? Did you know that the man who lives next door is the president of the Viapent Group? Now, that guy’s a generous one! You poor sod, you still think you’re rich, don’t you?”

Mrs. Talbot kept her tirade going. Before I could say anything more, she hung up.

I was furious.

I had only gone overseas on a business trip, but somehow my father’s identity had been stolen?

“Take off immediately. Also, look into the matter of Mrs. Talbot.”

I wanted to know who dared to try a scheme on me.

When I landed, it was already dark out.

When the car arrived outside the entrance, it was stopped by the guard.

“Hold it! What are you doing here?”

The guard glanced sideways at me and assessed me. He arrogantly said, “This is the private mansion of the president of the Viapent Group, and we’re having a birthday banquet for Old Mr. Ford today. You can’t enter without an invitation!”

I looked at his unfamiliar face, wondering when we had changed guards for the entrance.

“I own this property. Are you sure you want to block my way?”

The guard reacted as if he had just heard a joke. His gaze swept up and down over me. He taunted, “Bro, you should take a closer look at yourself before you lie. This property belongs to Ms. Croy of the Viapent Group. She’s celebrating her grandfather’s birthday.

“Personally, I’d say that you just want to sneak in to get some free food and drink. Forget it. Don’t you know who Ms. Croy is? There’s no way you’d be able to just get into this place.”

I laughed. When did this mansion become Madison Croy’s property?

I called her right away.

Madison answered the call very quickly. Her voice was soft and coquettish. “Honey? Why are you calling all of a sudden? I’m busy preparing dinner for Anderson. The banquet’s still going.”

She paused before continuing, and her voice got sweeter. “How did your business negotiations go? When are you coming back? Anderson and Lucas miss you.”

Madison was supposed to be the closest person to me. She was my partner in life, but when I heard her voice, I recalled the security footage from earlier. I could only think about how Anderson and Lucas were both suffering at home.

I said in a frigid tone, “Come outside. I’m at the entrance.”

I could hear Madison’s breath stutter.

Obviously anxious, she said, “W-Why did you come home so suddenly? I thought you were still abroad. Are you playing a trick on me, Conway?”

“You’d better be here in five minutes, or I’m cutting off your credit card.”

“Don’t! I’m coming! I’m coming right now!” Madison’s voice was frantic. “Wait for me, honey. I’m going outside right now!”

When I hung up, the guard next to me was still laughing.

“Wow, you’re really putting on a full show. Who did you call? I’ll kindly remind you that the cleaning staff wouldn’t have the power to let you in.”

I ignored him.

Three minutes later, Madison came tottering out in her high heels, jogging frantically over. Behind her was Mr. Jeffords.

When she saw me, there was a flash of fear in Madison’s eyes before it vanished.

She neatened up her hair and smiled before she came to hug me. “Honey, why didn’t you tell me you were coming home? I’d have gone to the airport to meet you!”

I tilted my head to one side to evade her. Then, I looked Madison up and down. I had not seen her in months.

Since she lived in the lap of luxury, she looked very well.

The only thing that was different about her was the plain ring on her finger. It stood out especially from the branded clothes she wore from top to toe.

Why was she wearing a plain band instead of her ruby wedding ring?

I refused to believe that nothing was going on.

My hand whipped out to grab her wrist and pull it before my eyes.

“That’s an exceptionally ugly ring.”

Madison immediately tensed as her gaze evasively flitted from side to side.

I looked down at her and assessed her. “Why are you wearing this when it’s Dad’s sixtieth birthday? It’s an embarrassment to me. Where’s your wedding band?”

Madison pulled her hand back. She hurriedly pulled the ring off. She stuttered out an explanation. “I saw this when I went out with some friends a few days ago. I thought it looked new, so I bought it. I’ll change it right now. I’ll just go…”

I looked away. Evenly, I said, “No need. If you don’t like your wedding band, you can just throw it away.”

After saying that, I walked past her and headed toward the mansion.

When Mr. Jeffords saw this, he hurriedly followed a couple of steps behind me.

“Sir, you’ve just only returned, so there are a few urgent work matters that require your attention. I’ve already prepared them in your study…”

Before he finished speaking, Charlie blocked his way.

“Mr. Jeffords, please start on the paperwork to fire the door guard. He doesn’t even know who owns this mansion. There’s no point in keeping him on.”

The guard’s face immediately went pale.

Mr. Jeffords wanted to say something, but he noticed the dark look on Charlie’s face and could only smile. Then, he went off.

Seeing that no one could stop me, Madison quickly followed me. She reached out to take my arm.

Her voice was charming as she said, “What’s up with you today, honey? You’re so mean. You haven’t even looked at me properly after coming home. Did I do something to make you mad?”

I did not stop walking. I did not even look up.

“Where’s Lucas?”

At the mention of our son, Madison replied in forced calmness, “He’s playing with the other kids in the garden. Lucas is getting naughtier. He even said he missed his grandfather. I told him to be patient and to wait for Anderson to finish up before coming to play with him…”

She suddenly changed the subject and complained, “Speaking of Lucas, he’s learned to lie. He stole a piece of cake yesterday, but he kept denying it. You have to tell him off when you see him. If you don’t, we’ll never be able to get him to do what we want.”

I scoffed to myself. Something was definitely up with Madison.

Lucas had only ever been good and obedient. He would never lie.

Besides, the security footage had shown me the truth. Lucas was already being subjected to abuse.

Madison kept up with her fibbing. Clearly, she was doing her best to hide the truth, terrified that I would learn what was truly going on.

“Is that right? I’ll go and tell him off right now.”

I did not stop walking and kept moving forward.

Madison became more anxious. She grabbed my arm and intentionally shoved her bosom at me. Softly, she said, “Forget about Lucas for a moment, honey. It’s been a long time since we’ve been together. I want you.”

Did she think I was such a base and uncouth man? How dare she try to charm me with her feminine wiles at that juncture?

Scowling, I shook her off and kicked the living room door open with a loud bang.

In an instant, the noisy mansion went deathly quiet.

My younger sister, Alexa, who had been dancing with an old man I did not know, was the first to speak up. “Which rude heathen dares to kick our door open?” she burst out.

She angrily turned around. When she met my gaze, her face went white.

“C-Conway…”

“And here I was wondering who it was. The great negotiator is back.” My second brother, Jonah, stood up languidly with a false smile on his face. “It’s our father’s birthday today. Are you here to celebrate as well? But it’s exceptionally rude to enter by kicking down the door.”

Everything became clear to me when I saw his reaction. Instantly, I realized that every single member of my family was an ungrateful wretch.

The surrounding guests all began to turn distasteful glances at me.

“It’s bad enough that he came to Mr. Ford Senior’s birthday without a gift. How dare he kick down the door? Which company does this supposed negotiator belong to? He’s much too rude.”

“Exactly. He must be trying to get attention because he’s late to the Ford family’s banquet.”

“Ah, Mr. Ford Senior is so unlucky to encounter this jinx on his big day.”

I swept my gaze over the guests. They were all unfamiliar to me. None of the important or influential people of Brushcove were present.

However, based on their manner of speech, these people were neighbors from Somerset.

Did these people think my home was some community center?

My eyes narrowed as I looked at the person sitting in the place of honor.

“Who are you?”

The old man’s expression darkened. He banged his hand on the table and stood up. The hideous, gaudy class ring on his finger glinted.

“Where did this punk come from? Who do you think you are? How can you not know who I am when you’re here for my birthday banquet? I’ll tell you who I am. I’m the chairman of the Viapent Group’s board! I’m Anderson Ford!”

The guests agreed immediately and started to add their voices.

“What an ignorant sod!”

“Hurry up and apologize! Stop causing a fuss at Mr. Ford’s banquet!”

The old man glared at me.

“And where’s your present? Show it to me. Everyone here is someone important. You’d better not have brought some cheap trinket.”

I chuckled.

“You’re Anderson Ford? In that case, where’s your son, Conway?”

The old man snickered, his expression disdainful. “You’re just a poor sod. You didn’t even bring a gift, but you want to see my son? Please take a look at yourself in the mirror!

“My son is the president of the Viapent Group! He’s a powerful man whose time is worth a lot of money! Do you think you can see him whenever you want?”

I put a black card on the table and slowly pushed it forward. Casually, I said, “What if I’m willing to pay 200 million dollars to see him? Could that be arranged?”