The Billionaire’s True Heir
The grand ballroom of the Valemont Palace glittered beneath a thousand crystal chandeliers.
The city’s wealthiest elites stood in tailored silk, holding champagne flutes and whispering.
At the center of the floor stood Giulia De Luca, her diamond necklace catching the brilliant light.
She stared down at Marco, who wore a simple, unbranded black suit amid the sea of luxury.
A cruel, mocking smile spread across her face.
"I thought you couldn’t even afford a coffee here, Marco," she announced loudly.
The surrounding guests immediately smirked, hiding their snickers behind pristine white gloves.
Two of Giulia's high-society friends burst into quiet, cutting laughter.
"Look at him," one whispered. "He clearly snuck past the service gate."
Marco didn't argue.
He didn't flinch or look down at his shoes.
His hands remained relaxed at his sides, his expression completely unbothered.
He only smiled.
A calm, deep, and terrifyingly steady smile.
Giulia mistook his quietness for utter humiliation.
She stepped closer, her expensive perfume filling the narrow space between them.
"Take your cheap suit and get out of my sight before security throws you into the street," she hissed.
Then, the massive gold-leaf double doors of the ballroom swung wide open.
Silence.
The music ceased instantly.
An elderly man with an unmistakable posture walked through the entrance, flanked by six uniform bodyguards.
It was Chairman Marcus Vance—the reclusive billionaire who owned the entire financial district.
The crowd instinctively parted, breaths catching in throats as the tycoon marched straight down the center aisle.
Giulia’s eyes lit up with sudden ambition, quickly smoothing down her designer gown to greet him.
"Chairman Vance, welcome to our family's—"
Marcus Vance completely ignored her, passing her by as if she were a ghost.
He stopped directly in front of Marco.
The billionaire took a deep, respectful breath and extended his hand to the young man.
"We have been waiting for your arrival at the headquarters, sir," the Chairman said, his voice carrying clearly across the silent hall.
The laughter vanished into a heavy, freezing vacuum.
Giulia’s smile shattered into absolute pieces.
Her wine glass slipped from her fingers, hitting the marble floor and smashing into dark red pools.
CRACK!
The color completely drained from her face, leaving her a sickly, hollow pale.
The same guests who had mocked Marco moments earlier now lowered their heads in profound respect.
For the first time, sheer terror replaced the arrogance in Giulia’s wide eyes.
Marco smoothly shook the billionaire's hand, his platinum signet ring catching the light for the briefest second.
He turned his gaze back to the trembling heiress, his voice dropping into a razor-sharp register.
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"Leaving you was the wisest decision of my life."
He walked away, leaving her ruined in front of the entire city.
