Chapter 2 The Evidence Speaks

The entire room fell silent.

Landon's expression froze.

According to the script in his head, everyone should have turned against me once the fake heir was exposed. Everyone should be doing their level best to kick me out and leave me to fend for myself.

So, he couldn't understand why I was still acting like I owned the place.

Landon shouted in outrage, "You're a fake heir! Where did you get the money to buy this mansion? You must've stolen it from Mom and Dad!"

Julianne wasted no time adding her two cents, "Louis, I never knew you could be so cruel!"

I stared at them, utterly speechless at their stupidity. "I'm Rivers Group's largest shareholder and chairman. I'm merely spending my own money. Why would I need to steal?"

Landon refused to listen to a word I said. He threw himself at Logan and Joanna, desperation written all over his face.

"Mom! Dad! Did Louis steal money from the family? You can't let him get away with this!"

Logan and Joanna stiffened. Their eyes darted around as they fell into an uneasy silence under Landon's unrelenting questioning.

The Rivers family's success and prestige were all built on my efforts alone.

They knew that better than anyone.

However, they never acknowledged my contribution for the sake of appearances. They even let outsiders believe that Logan was responsible for the family's success.

I had never bothered to argue.

Still, I wanted to see how shameless they could be now that all eyes were on them.

Landon grew increasingly frantic under our parents' silence. He grabbed Joanna's hand and shook it repeatedly.

"Mom! Dad! Say something!"

Finally, Logan could no longer withstand Landon's relentless urging. So, he raised his head and looked at me for a long moment.

His hand trembled as he pointed at me, his face full of anguish.

"Louis, the Rivers family has never mistreated you. How could you steal from us? I should've known. Blood will always be thicker than water. Those who aren't blood will never be blood. After all these years, you've turned out to be nothing but an ungrateful bastard!"

Joanna immediately clutched her chest, her eyes reddening. "Louis, you've really disappointed us. How could you…"

Julianne had been somewhat intimidated by my presence, but her confidence returned full force once she saw Logan and Joanna stand against me.

She stepped in front of Landon protectively, looking at me with righteous indignation.

"Louis, I was going to spare you some dignity for the sake of our families' long-standing relationship. However, I never expected you to be so vicious and so dishonest."

She pulled out her phone, her threat unmistakable.

"Get on your knees and apologize to Landon right now. Then, get out of the Rivers family! Otherwise, I'm calling the cops and making sure you spend the rest of your life behind bars!"

The guests around us began whispering.

"You really can't judge a book by its cover. You never know what an adopted son might be capable of."

"Louis is doomed. He's already crossed Ms. Brooks, and now his own adoptive parents have declared to all sundry that he's a thief. He'll never have a place in Kingsbridge's high society ever again."

Logan and Joanna avoided my eyes, clearly feeling guilty. Yet, they couldn't hide the smugness on their faces.

I'd never bothered to fight against their wishes for more than 20 years.

Unfortunately, it seemed that they had mistaken my indifference for weakness.

I turned to my assistant. "Chester, turn on the projector."

The giant screen in the ballroom flickered to life a moment later, displaying a detailed ownership chart and a series of bank statements.