Chapter 1

With the holiday season coming up, I decided to return home after being on a business trip for the last six months, wanting to give my wife, Zara Hudson, a surprise.

I was shocked by the scene I was greeted with when I stepped through the door.

The originally simple but upscale decor of my villa had been replaced with an old-fashioned and overly luxurious style. However, what shocked me even more was how my wedding photo with Zara had been replaced with an intimate photo of her with a young man.

Zara was lounging on a big bed in the photo. She was dressed sexily as she embraced the man, kissing him as if she never wanted to leave him.

There was a party going on in my villa. The attendees drank my expensive champagne as they celebrated while pouring my rare, branded red wines into the pool.

The man who was the center of attention was the same man in the photo.

Everyone turned their gazes on me when I entered the villa. They regarded me with disdain in their eyes, and their tones were colored with mocking when they spoke.

"Where did this pauper come from? You're not supposed to be here. Scram!"

I was born into a prestigious family, and I had been taught to avoid flaunting my wealth since I was a child. They probably assumed that I was a poor man who had accidentally wandered into the villa when they saw my simple clothes.

I swept my gaze across the crowd of unfamiliar faces. "The ones who should be leaving are all of you. This villa belongs to me," I said, pointing at the floor.

I pointed at the photo of Zara and the young man and continued, "That woman is my wife."

The crowd fell silent for a moment before they burst into laughter.

"Where did this crazy pauper come from? Did he go insane from thinking about money too much?"

"Are you blind? That woman is Mr. Alan Barrington's wife. She's the CEO of Apex Group! She would never be attracted to a pauper like you. Stop dreaming!"

What was going on?

I was the CEO of Apex Group.

The young man, Alan Barrington, sauntered toward me and gave me a once-over.

"I was wondering where the stench of poverty was coming from. A damned pauper accidentally wandered into the premises. Looking at the tattered clothes that you're wearing, I bet that they cost even less than a box of cigarettes. You've got some nerve trying to claim that this villa belongs to you."

I was rendered speechless by his words, refusing to believe that a box of cigarettes could cost 600 dollars.

I frowned and patiently explained, "I'm only going to say this one last time. This villa is mine. All of you are trespassing on private property right now. I'm willing to sweep this incident under the rug if you apologize and leave now."

The attendees began laughing even harder. They chortled until they ran out of breath and slapped their thighs.

"Have you lost your mind from greed? He's so funny, Mr. Barrington. He's accusing us of trespassing on private property when he's the one who's doing it. What a joke."

As I looked at Alan, I couldn't shake the feeling that his name sounded rather familiar. I looked down and sent a message to my assistant, Oliver Daniels, asking him to investigate Alan.

Alan swept his gaze across the crowd before addressing them smugly.

"This pauper is acting completely out of line. Who wants to teach him a lesson for me? You'll be rewarded handsomely!"

Greedy expressions immediately crossed everyone's faces.

"Let me do it, Mr. Barrington! I'll definitely discipline him to your heart's satisfaction."

"I'm willing to teach him a lesson, Mr. Barrington. But I'm not doing it for the money. I just can't stand his outrageous claims."

"I don't need the money, Mr. Barrington, but I'm an employee at Apex Group. I'll definitely work myself to the bone for you and Ms. Hudson if you can give me a leg-up over everyone else."