Chapter 4

Serena was unwilling to give up.

I knew she had contacted the person in charge of the competition committee privately, hoping to fight for another chance to resubmit her business proposal.

I didn’t stop her.

Before a person reaches true despair, they sometimes have to make their own mistakes before they can finally see what those people are really like.

That afternoon, the preliminary selection announcement for the International Youth Business Competition was being held at the convention center.

I had just finished a meeting when I received a call from one of Serena’s colleagues.

Her voice on the other end was clearly trembling with tears.

“Ma’am, please come quickly!”

“Isabella deliberately knocked Serena down at the back entrance of the venue just now. Now Matteo and the others have joined forces with the Group’s Legal and Human Resources departments to discipline her in front of everyone!”

My expression immediately darkened.

The driver sped all the way there.

Less than twenty minutes later, the car stopped outside the convention center.

I got out and headed straight for the back entrance.

But as soon as I reached the entrance, I found that the passage leading backstage had already been blocked by several men wearing the Group’s security uniforms.

The security captain clearly froze when he saw me.

But soon, he still forced himself to stand in my way.

“Ma’am.”

“Mr. Matteo instructed us that the press conference is currently underway, and no one is allowed backstage.”

I looked at the arm blocking my path and let out a cold laugh.

Very good.

They were using my own company’s security guards to stop me—the true person in charge of the Group.

I didn’t argue with them.

Instead, I turned around and walked straight toward the equipment control room on the second floor.

The control room door was locked tightly.

I kicked it open.

The staff inside were startled when they saw me and were just about to stop me when I had already walked up to the control console.

Through the enormous one-way glass window, the entire venue was laid out before me.

Serena stood alone in the center of the stage.

Her hair was slightly disheveled, and there was a noticeable scrape on the back of her hand.

In the very center of the front row below the stage, the four adopted sons sat in a line.

Isabella was sitting beside Matteo.

Her right leg was wrapped in an exaggerated cast, and there were still a few tears clinging to the corners of her eyes.

Matteo held the microphone, his voice gentle but carrying an unmistakable pressure that left no room for argument.

“Serena, I’ll ask you one last time.”

“Were you the one who caused Isabella’s injury?”

Serena clenched her fists, her back perfectly straight.

“No.”

“She saw me walking over and deliberately rolled down the stairs.”

“Liar!”

Lucas slammed his hand against the table.

“When we arrived, she was in so much pain that her face had gone completely pale!”

“You were standing right beside her, yet you didn’t even show the slightest concern.”

“Serena, when did you become so heartless?”

Enzo pushed up his glasses, his expression cold.

“The security cameras at the back of the venue just happened to malfunction.”

“Did you think that without footage, no one could prove what happened?”

He paused.

“The four of us can testify.”

“Today, in front of the Group’s executives and every contestant here, you must apologize to Isabella and publicly admit that you violated the Group’s competition regulations.”

Alessandro leaned back in his chair, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

“Of course, if you insist on refusing to apologize…”

“Then don’t blame the Group for reconsidering every partnership related to this project.”

The project director sitting nearby wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and hurriedly spoke up.

“Miss Serena, just apologize for now.”

“It won’t do anyone any good if this gets blown out of proportion.”

The crowd below quickly began to stir.

Whispers came one after another.

“I heard she’s from the Moretti family. Is she using her status to bully people?”

“She was the one involved in that business proposal incident too, right?”

“I heard Isabella is the one who actually has the ability.”

“She should just apologize and stop disrupting the competition.”

One voice after another.

Those unfamiliar gazes gradually turned into suspicion and contempt.

With Matteo and the others pushing things along, every accusation was ruthlessly dumped onto Serena.

Serena slowly looked around the entire venue.

Finally, her eyes settled on Matteo and the other three.

The brother who had once held her in his arms and sworn to protect her for the rest of her life.

The brother who had once run all over the city just to buy her a dessert she liked.

Now, they were standing against her.

They had even personally pushed her into the center of everyone’s condemnation.

Serena slowly clenched her fists.

“I won’t apologize.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was exceptionally firm.

“I won’t admit to something I didn’t do.”

Matteo’s expression darkened completely.

“Looks like you really aren’t willing to cooperate.”

He raised a hand.

Several bodyguards immediately stepped onto the stage.

They grabbed Serena by both shoulders.

Serena struggled desperately.

“Let me go!”

But she was no match for the strength of grown men.

Matteo watched her coldly.

“If you refuse to bow your head on your own, then don’t blame us for making the decision for you.”

“Hold her down.”

“Make her apologize to Isabella in front of everyone.”

Serena was forcibly pushed toward the floor.

She gritted her teeth, her knees slowly moving toward the cold marble floor.

Just as her knees were about to touch the ground, “BOOM!”

A deafening roar suddenly came from above the convention center.

The enormous blast instantly drowned out the commotion throughout the venue.

Even the lights hanging from the ceiling began to swing violently.

Everyone looked up in terror.

The next second, The tightly sealed metal doors at the back of the venue suddenly flew open.

A fierce wind swept inside, carrying clouds of dust with it.

Then, several black helicopters appeared in the sky outside the convention center.

Their rotors whipped up enormous currents of air.

Everyone instinctively took a step back.

Different emblems belonging to elite business families were emblazoned on the helicopters.

Behind every emblem stood a vast business empire powerful enough to influence an entire industry.

The venue descended into complete chaos.

And just then, Eight men in tailored suits strode in from outside.

The presence of each man instantly silenced the entire venue.

The man leading them was Alexander DiLuca.

The moment he stepped inside, his eyes locked onto the bodyguards on the stage.

When Matteo saw who had arrived, he froze for a moment.

Then, a smile reappeared on his face.

He quickly straightened his suit and hurried forward to greet him.

“Mr. DiLuca.”

“I didn’t expect you to come personally today.”

“Are you here because of the West District development project?”

In Matteo’s eyes, the sudden appearance of these powerful business leaders could only be because of the project resources controlled by the Moretti family.

After all, he had spent all this time thinking of himself as the Group’s true decision-maker.

However, Alexander DiLuca didn’t even spare him a glance.

He walked straight toward the stage.

The next second, Bang!

He raised his leg and kicked the bodyguard holding Serena, sending him flying.

The man slammed into the wall behind him before crashing heavily to the ground, losing consciousness on the spot.

The entire venue fell into complete silence.

The smile on Matteo’s face slowly froze.

“Mr. DiLuca…”

“What are you doing?”

He stared at the scene in disbelief.

“He’s one of the Moretti family’s men.”

Alexander finally turned around.

His deep-set eyes were terrifyingly cold.

He didn’t answer Matteo.

Instead, he slowly swept his gaze across the entire venue.

Finally, His eyes passed over the crowd and landed precisely on the one-way glass window of the control room on the second floor.

Matteo followed his gaze.

But he couldn’t see anything.

The next second, Alexander DiLuca and the seven other leaders of the elite business empires behind him all turned around at the same time.

Eight deep, perfectly synchronized voices rang out together.

“Welcome back, Boss.”