Abandoned Heir: You Bet on the Wrong Horse

"Do you see how pathetic he looks? Does he really think he's some kind of big shot?" said Marcus Lund, the heir of the Lund family. He swaggered over with two women by his side, looking completely pleased with himself.

"I guess I shouldn't address you in such a respectful manner now, huh? What am I supposed to call you now?"

I held my wine glass, barely sparing him a glance. "Who are you again?"

Marcus bellowed, "Why, you! You're getting kicked out any minute now! Who are you trying to act all high-and-mighty for?"

I looked at his distorted expression and suddenly recalled who he was. He had been the one kneeling outside my office the previous night, groveling and begging me to choose the Lund family for a partnership.

I rejected them outright then, thinking that the Lund family was too insignificant for me to bother with, yet now he actually had the nerve to push me around. It turned out Marcus really knew how to hold a grudge.

I let out a sigh, thinking that it wasn't worth wasting my time on a nobody like him. I was certain that Simon Fullerton, my adoptive brother, had orchestrated this.

I had seen enough of the father-and-son performance, so there was no point staying any longer. It was honestly a disappointing outcome.

I ignored Marcus, turned on my heel, and walked off.

"Hold it right there, Daniel! You're just going to leave? It seems like the once-untouchable Mr. Daniel can only tuck his tail and run away pathetically now!" Marcus blocked my path with a nasty grin on his face.

"Didn't that worthless company of yours make more than ten million dollars, Daniel? You might as well just hand it over to me. You're getting kicked out of the Fullerton family, after all. You see, I might just throw you a bone if you bring me something good to curry favor right now—like being my personal pet."

In that instant, the man beside him chimed in. "You only made ten million dollars? That's peanuts to the Fullerton family! Mr. Simon's allowance alone is worth more than that!

"Do you actually want someone like him by your side, Marcus? You've got a pretty weird taste! I wouldn't want him even if someone paid me!"

I then heard the chatter of a few women on the right carrying over.

I noticed one of the women rolling her eyes. "If I knew he was going to end up a nobody, I wouldn't have busted my ass working for him back then. I genuinely thought he was going to take over the company."

The woman beside her sneered. "You can only blame yourself for backing the wrong heir."

That woman shot me a displeased look and said, "I know, right? I'm off to find Mr. Simon right now to see if he's recruiting."

It was then that Peter Jacobson, one of the businessmen present at the scene, walked over with a champagne flute in hand, swaying slightly and smelling strongly of liquor. He raised the glass at me, then casually poured the champagne onto the floor by my feet.

I looked at my stained pant leg in distaste, feeling completely disgusted.

Mr. Jacobson flashed me a malicious smirk. "Oops! I didn't mean to spill it! You should know that the banquet organized by the Fullerton family isn't an event any riffraff can waltz into.

"You don't have to be discouraged, though, Daniel. You're so capable, so you can just hit up some random company and maybe make a comeback someday…"

He glanced at the people around him and deliberately left his sentence unfinished, prompting them to burst out laughing.

He turned around and clinked glasses with the crowd. "Do you really think an adopted son can establish a company worth tens of millions of dollars? He probably used his own money to inflate the numbers and make himself look good! His profits are so trash they wouldn't even cover the act.

"He might have already lost everything he had. He should honestly worry about whether he can even leave this room unscathed."

Those around broke into mocking laughter right in front of me again.

I stood there without any change in expression. "Get out of my way."

"Why are you in such a hurry, Mr. Daniel? Mr. Simon still has something to discuss with you."

They immediately swarmed around me.

Simon finally made his way down the stage, prompting the crowd to clear a way for him as they turned their attention to him. He sauntered across the room, his leather shoes clicking against the marble floor and making everyone tense.

He stopped in front of me and looked down, his gaze looking as cold as ever.

Then, he finally spoke up. He wasn't loud, yet the whole hall turned silent in a second from its earlier commotion.

"You should be eliminated, stripped of your status in the Fullerton family, subjected to our ultimate family law, and dumped into the black market to survive on your own, Daniel."

He raised his hand and placed it on my shoulder. He pressed his thumb down, digging deeper and deeper until it felt like he was crushing my bone. "You and I have been brothers for so many years, so I can't bring myself to watch you live on the streets, Daniel."

He withdrew his hand and took a step back, smiling as he looked at me. He acted as if he were doing me a favor. His mocking gaze lazily swept from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes, finally settling on my eyes. "You should just stick with me from here on out and do as you're told, Daniel."