C5 Mr Stewart

Emmie was seething. Royse had the audacity to bring a woman to her birthday party who was even more beautiful than she was, despite his obvious lack of wealth.

It was her birthday celebration, yet she was being overshadowed!

She was determined to reveal his charade! After all, he was nothing more than a garbage collector!

"Sweetie, Royse is known around our school as the 'Rubbish Prince.' He spends his days wallowing in stinky trash and hardly has a dime to his name. Don't let him deceive you!" Emmie warned Tracy.

Axel's interest was piqued. He mused to himself, "How did I not see it before? Royse is just a penniless nobody. What kind of top-tier beauty would waste her time with him?

She's clearly an actress he's paid off. She won't be getting away tonight!"

He then confronted Royse, "So, Royse, is what Emmie's saying true? Which website did you find this beauty on, and how much did you shell out for her?"

Everyone expected Royse to deny it and offer up some explanation.

But to everyone's surprise, Royse nodded and unabashedly confirmed, "Yes, I did hire her, for over six million."

How much?

Everyone was convinced they had misheard.

"I always took you for a straight shooter, Royse. I never pegged you for a braggart," Axel scoffed, his laughter quickly turning to a scowl as he sensed Royse was mocking him.

Young Mr. Turner was a figure of renown in Minston. Why was Royse being so brazen?

Axel's face twisted with malice as he pressed, "Royse, we're all classmates here. You're claiming six million? Cut the act."

Royse remained unfazed by Axel's hostility, his demeanor cool and collected. "I can't compete with you, Axel. You're the real actor here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Axel barked, incensed.

"You invited me here today just to embarrass me, didn't you? But I'm not interested in secondhand goods. Actually, I should be thanking you. Seems you have a penchant for picking up trash too!"

Royse's retort left the room momentarily speechless. As the implication sank in—that Emmie had a history of many boyfriends and that Axel had taken Royse's ex-girlfriend—the laughter began to ripple through the crowd.

His words had struck a nerve, and Emmie, infuriated, banged the table. "Mr. Axel, he's insulting us!"

Axel, a beat behind in the exchange, slammed his wine glass down onto the table in a fit of rage.

He seethed with anger, "No one in Minston has ever dared to speak to me like that. You've got nerve!"

Axel strode over to Royse, towering over him. "Listen up, there are two kinds of people you don't want to mess with in this world: those with power and those with money. I've got both. Believe me when I say I can make sure you don't set foot outside this hotel today."

Royse rose to his feet, meeting Axel's gaze with a cool detachment. "So you've got money and power. Impressive! Well, I'll let you in on a little secret—there are two types of people you can't afford to cross: those with more money and more power than you."

Axel couldn't help but laugh. There was no need to waste his breath on Royse.

"I've already made it clear you're not leaving the hotel tonight. However, if you kneel and bow your head to me three times right now, I might just be in a generous mood and let you off the hook."

Royse let out a scoff. "You know, if you hadn't broken things off, I was all set to surprise you today. But I guess there's no harm in spilling the beans now. I'm done pretending—I'm a billionaire."

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances. What was Royse rambling about?

Royse grinned cheekily at Axel. "So you're saying I can't leave the hotel? Fine by me!"

He whipped out his phone and made a call. "Mr. Wensel, I need you to handle something immediately."

Wensel's voice came through the line, deferential as ever. "What do you require, Young Master?"

"Purchase the Stars Hotel in Minston for me, instantly! And then, assemble all the staff in the lobby!"

"Understood!"

Royse ended the call, casually sitting back and sipping his tea.

The call had been on speakerphone, and everyone had heard every word.

The same thought crossed their minds: Royse had lost his mind.

What was the Stars Hotel? It was Minston's sole five-star establishment, a jewel in the Fang Group's crown.

Since its inception, the hotel's profits had been nothing short of spectacular. Without the Fang Group's backing, it would be a coveted prize for many.

Even Axel wouldn't dare to overstep his bounds here.

And Royse? Buying the Stars Hotel? The man must be out of his mind!

Axel wasn't rushing to confront Royse; instead, he bided his time, anticipating Royse's embarrassment.

After about ten minutes, a series of knocks echoed at the private room door. A man exuding authority, clad in a bespoke suit, strode in.

This was Clive, the hotel manager and the person in charge of the Fang Group's assets in Minston. With ties to the underworld and considerable clout, he was a prominent figure in the city.

Even Axel's elders had to approach Clive with deference. To Clive, Axel might as well have been an insignificant ant.

Axel was familiar with Clive and was taken aback with excitement upon his entrance. He wondered, "What brings Mr. Clive here? Could it be that he's come specifically to see me?"

Seizing the potential opportunity, Axel thought he should impress him. Perhaps a pleased Mr. Clive would allocate a few lucrative projects to his family, each worth hundreds of millions.

Eagerly, Axel rose to welcome him, "Mr. Clive."

But Clive paid Axel no mind, his gaze locked onto Royse.

He made a beeline for Royse and bowed deeply. "Young master, I am Clive, manager of the Stars Hotel. I am at your service for anything you require."

The room fell into a stunned hush.