Robert remained kneeling before the man whose name he did not know, or even if he liked men. Yet whose presence had irrevocably captured his attention. Without fear, without hesitation, he seized Levis's stunned, rigid hand and slid a heavy, engraved Stuar signet ring onto his finger. It wasn't a jeweler's engagement ring; it was a distinctive, antique signet ring—a symbol of the Stuar Family itself..
Gasps were swallowed by the horrified silence of the onlookers. Even Stofia could only manage a choked, "OMG?!"
Levis finally snatched his hand back, staring at the ring—a golden handcuff to a life he couldn't comprehend—then at the man still kneeling. Fear, confusion, and a sudden, sharp panic seized him. He didn't wait to be detained or questioned. He turned and bolted, running straight out of the hotel.
"Levis! Wait up!" Stofia scrambled after him.
Steven started to move, intending to give chase.
"It's alright, Steven. Let him go," Robert commanded, his voice deep and serene. He stood, adjusting his elegant suit. He had placed his mark. The wedding was over—the real business had just begun.
Robert and Steven returned to the grand Stuar mansion. The grim expression on the face of Rov, the assistant manager to King Stuar, signaled immediate trouble. Robert and Steven quickly entered the main study.
Master King Stuar sat calmly, impeccably dressed, facing a man whose expression was rigid with violent rage: Lion Stan Stuar.
"Dad?" Robert asked, sensing the explosive tension.
King Stuar addressed Stan with cold formality. "So, Stan, what business brings you here?"
"You're asking me why I'm here?!" Stan roared, raising his voice at the King.
"Excuse me, Sir Stan," Rov warned, stepping forward. "This is not your place for such behavior."
"See! See this lackey!" Stan spat. "He's just a worker, and he dares order me around! Is this the respect I get?"
King Stuar smiled faintly, his eyes chilling. "At least they still offer you some respect."
"King Stuar!" Stan roared.
Instantly, every bodyguard in the room pulled their weapons, aiming at Stan. A terrifying silence descended.
The silence was shattered by the rhythmic, sharp click of high heels.
Miss Nova Stuar, Robert's mother and the Queen of the family, entered. She was wearing impossibly high heels and a dress that cost more than most people's homes.
"Why is this ridiculous little brat causing a scene in front of you, my darling?" Nova cooed to her husband. She didn't wait for an answer, turning her attention to Robert. "Oh, my baby. Let your father handle the business. Come, let me get you something food." She went straight to Robert, completely dismissing Stan.
"Yes, feed him!" Stan sneered at Nova. "But his death is in my hands, Nova!"
Nova paused, her expression hardening. "Is there a servant in here?" she called out softly.
A young man, a house attendant, nervously stepped forward.
SMACK. Nova backhanded the servant hard across the face. The sound of her hand connecting with his face was deafening in the suddenly quiet room.
"How dare you?" Nova hissed at the boy. "Did you forget who you serve? Know your place! My husband, in his boundless tolerance, allowed this filth a seat. Had it been me, a bullet would already have ended his life. Now, leave."
The terrified servant stumbled out. Nova pivoted, her fury now solely directed at Stan.
"Did you think I slapped him because he did something wrong?" Nova asked Stan, her eyes burning. "No. I couldn't bring myself to slap you, so he paid the price."
Her attention moved to Robert. "And for your son, Stan, how dare he try to ruin our business? My son did nothing wrong. I am proud of him."
"Just because you come from the royal line, don't put others down! It shows—" Stan started, but Nova cut him off with a swift, powerful slap across his face.
"How dare you talk about our family?!" Nova was terrifying now. "Putting you down? You are sitting here talking like absolute trash only because my husband granted you the right to talk!"
She continued, her voice gaining venomous power: "Let me enlighten you, Lion Stan. We own 27 casinos total—7 here, 20 abroad. Right now, we only have 26. Why? Because someone corruptly robbed and sold one at a cheap rate. My husband, in his foolish generosity, allowed you and your son to engage in these dirty little deals because you are blood relatives.
Everyone—Robert, Steven, Rov—watched in stunned silence as Nova delivered this cold-blooded, detailed history lesson. King Stuar merely watched, elegant and unconcerned.
Nova did not stop. She had the floor, and she wielded history like a weapon. "You are the son of a mi*tress—a woman who murdered my own mother-in-law to usurp her place! When your father discovered her crime, you were both stripped of everything! You only grew up near King Stuar out of pity. He gave you a pittance of his personal shares. And yet, you and your son prove the treachery is bred into your bloodline!"
Stan was shaking with impotent fury.
"And that stupid brat," Nova hissed, referring to Stan's son, "tried to mingle with our pathetic enemy, the gutter Mars Group, who aren't even close to our status! He tried to mess up our gold mining business! My husband called him in to warn him, but the stupid boy challenged my husband and tried to take the throne! My son, today, simply delivered the punishment that all traitors deserve. That is all!" Nova concluded, her chest heaving slightly as she glared triumphantly at Robert.
King Stuar finally rose to his feet. Every person in the room—guards, Steven, Robert, Rov—snapped to attention.
"It is time to make a decision," the King said, his voice calm, dismissing the entire dramatic confrontation. Rov, "Get the official announcement ready now."
He looked directly at Stan. "The Big Stuar Family officially dethrones the Minor Family. They are cut off from all business dealings and shares."
Rov stepped forward, his expression cold. "Excuse me, Mr. Lion Stan. You may go now."
Stan's face was a mask of violent intent. He looked at every face in the room—King Stuar, Nova, Robert—and then walked out slowly.
"I will take the King's position. No matter what," Stan vowed silently to himself as the heavy doors closed behind him.
Meanwhile, in Levis's humble apartment, the atmosphere was one of quiet care.
"Mom, why are you up?" Stofia asked her mother, Nora, near the bedroom of Levis's mother.
"I need to prepare Stella's medicine," Nora whispered.
Stella, Levis's mother, had been paralyzed for fifteen years. Nora, Though Stella and Levis were not blood relatives to Nora, she treated them both as her own family.
Levis emerged from the bathroom, his mind still a thousand miles away, fixated on the image of the powerful man kneeling before him.
"Ah, the fifty-seventh proposal," Stofia said, writing in a small notebook. "And the thirty-sixth one who actually went down on one knee!"
"What is that?" Nora asked, confused.
"Mom, don't you remember? This is the official list of Levis's proposals! That was just the latest official one, but so many people crush on him!"
Nora got up and gently took a towel, drying Levis's hair. "Don't think too much. Look at your dull face. It doesn't look beautiful," she chastised gently. "Where is the ring he gave you?"
"It's in the cash box," Levis mumbled.
"Good. We must return it. But we cannot let Bright know about this," Nora stressed.
"How do we even find him? We don't know his name!" Stofia pointed out.
"I overheard they said he's the son of a very prominent mafia figure, and his mother is from some European royal line," Nora whispered, fear in her voice.
"Mafia's son?!"
Bright Aro stood in the doorway, his Deputy Director status radiating professional sharpness.Nora and Stofia exchanged quick, panicked glances, trying to signal silence.
His eyes went straight to Levis, landing on the tiny, scratched-up area of Levis's hand—a minor injury from the chair smash.
"Hey, Levis! What's this?" Bright rushed to him, concern clouding his eyes.
Stofia jumped in quickly. "Ah, that! He fell so hard this morning, rushing to the event. He's such a child sometimes, you know!"
Bright's eyes softened, a trace of tears appearing. "Levis, please don't hurt yourself. I can't take it easily." He rubbed Levis's hand against his cheek.
"I came to share some wonderful news," Bright announced brightly.
"What is it?" Stofia asked curiously.
"My father finally talked about me and Levis getting married!" Bright announced.
Nora and Stofia tensed instantly tensed, but Levis's expression remained utterly blank—null.
Bright continued excitedly, "He said we can get engaged now, and then after five years, when I have the best experience as Deputy Director, we can marry. It's been one year already, so we only have four years left!"
Bright looked eagerly at Levis. "Are you happy?"
Levis forced a small nod. He remembered the promise—made when he was only eight years old, right before his mother became paralyzed—that he would marry Bright, the son of his mother's best friend. It was a promise made out of a child's desperation and a mother's last wish for her son's safety.
"So, tell me now, when should we get engaged?" Bright pressed.
Levis struggled for words, but Nora intervened smoothly. "Sorry, Bright, let me give you a suggestion. Marriage is still four years away, so why rush to engagement? Give Levis a little time to progress in his business. You know, after what happened with the Deputy Director position..." Nora trailed off delicately, referring to the political maneuvering that gave Bright the job Levis had aimed for. "This is just a suggestion."
"Yes, exactly!" Stofia agreed quickly.
Bright watched Levis's expression, which was still quiet and withdrawn. Why was Levis always silent when he talked about their future?
"Okay, okay, that's a great idea!" Bright said, hiding his disappointment. "After your business progresses, we can get engaged. I agree!"
Levis nodded. "Yes."
Bright stood up and pulled Levis into a hug. "Okay, bye! See you soon." He said goodbye to the others and left for his home.
It was morning. Robert, still in his expensive silk night robe, was sitting in his study.
"Excuse me, Prince," Steven said, entering quietly.
"Ah, Steven?"
"Prince, I have the information you requested about the guy. His name is Levis Heart."
Robert smiled, a genuinely happy, soft expression Steven had never seen before.
"Heart, you say? Hmm. The one who has already successfully robbed my heart," Robert mused, his eyes darkening with a possessive intensity. The chase had officially begun.