Chapter 2

Sophia and Kevin were absolutely floored.

They whipped their heads around and gawked at me.

I gave them a knowing smirk.

Then, seeing their horrified, shell-shocked faces, I spoke up, "Yeah, my three-year trial period is officially over."

*****

The room was dead silent.

Sophia and Kevin looked like they'd just been struck by lightning, their faces frozen in shock.

Their eyes were wide as saucers, their mouths hanging open, and all that came out were these weird, choking noises.

"Mr. Drake?" Kevin stammered, his voice shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.

All that family pride he used to brag about meant nothing now. In front of those ten Rolls-Royce Phantoms, he was like an ant facing a mountain.

Sophia went deathly pale, the world tilting beneath her.

She looked at me, her eyes filled with shock, terror, and bewilderment.

For three years, I was just a loser in her eyes, a husband who did nothing but cook and clean. And now, those guys downstairs were bowing and calling me... Mr. Drake?

But I didn't spare them another glance.

The game was over. It was time to start living for real.

I grabbed my suitcase, brushed right past their shell-shocked figures, and headed straight downstairs.

That so-called 'home'? I didn't feel a shred of attachment.

Downstairs, Thomas, the butler, was already waiting respectfully by the car door.

When he saw me come down, his eyes were a little red, and his voice carried a hint of excitement. "Mr. Drake, you've been through so much."

I patted his shoulder with a smile. "Mr. Ellington, thanks for everything you've done for me."

"Not at all, Mr. Drake. Bringing you home is my greatest honor," he said, his voice trembling with emotion.

Thomas held the door open, and I slid into the back seat.

The soft leather seats enveloped me, sealing me off from the rundown world outside like I'd just crossed into another universe.

The convoy eased forward, gliding away from the place I'd spent the last three years, quietly leaving it all behind.

In the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of Sophia and Kevin, frozen at the window, just standing there like they'd turned to stone as they watched the cars pull away.

I could make out the faint shimmer of tears on Sophia's face.

Regretting it now? Too late.

Inside the car, Thomas handed me a brand-new, sleek black phone.

"Mr. Drake, your new identity, bank cards, and all your assets are already loaded up on this phone. It's custom-built by the Drake Consortium, locked down with global satellite encryption. No one's cracking this thing," he said with pride.

I nodded and took the phone.

When I powered it on, a dragon stood frozen on the screen, wings folded, claws at rest, authority radiating in silence.

This was my family's crest, the mark of the Drake Consortium.

A power that stayed out of sight, yet could move the world whenever it chose.

Three years ago, as the future head of the Drake Consortium, I was given one final trial. I had to live at rock bottom as an ordinary man for three years, just to see what I was really made of.

Not a dime from the family, and I couldn't let anyone know who I really was.

So I ended up as the so-called loser son-in-law everyone loved to mock—Joey Smith.

Now, my three-year trial was finally over.

I was Charles Drake, the future boss of the Drake Consortium.

A notification popped up on my phone.

[Dear Mr. Charles Drake, your card has been unfrozen. Balance available.]

There were more zeros than I cared to count.

And that was only my personal spending money.

Thomas handed me a custom-tailored suit.

"Better get changed first, Mr. Drake. Your grandfather is waiting for you at Sanctum," he said.

Sanctum was the city's most exclusive private club. It was closed to the public and accessible only to a handful of the world's elite.

Admission was rumored to require a net worth in the billions, and even that was merely the starting line.

To the Drake Consortium, however, Sanctum was insignificant. It was nothing more than one of our countless side businesses.

*****

Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Sophia finally came back to her senses, her legs buckling as she dropped to the floor.

"No way... This can't be happening..." she stammered, her face as pale as a sheet.

The guy she'd been dismissing for three years, the one she just sent packing with 15 grand, turned out to be such a big shot. That seemed surreal.

But the Rolls-Royce Phantoms...

Dozens of bodyguards in black suits...

And that deafening "Time to go home, Mr. Drake."

Every scene was like a hammer blow, smashing straight into her heart.

Kevin finally snapped out of it, swallowing hard, his face twisted with terror and a creeping sense of dread.

He called him a loser.

Just thinking about it made his legs turn to jelly. A cold chill crawled up his spine, making his whole body go numb.

"Who is he really?" Kevin managed, his voice barely steady.

Sophia shook her head, tears falling uncontrollably down her cheeks.

She honestly had no clue.

All she knew was that she'd just made a colossal, stupid mistake.

The man she'd just dumped might have been a once-in-a-lifetime existence, something far beyond anything she could have imagined.

Her hands trembling, she grabbed her phone and shakily dialed Claire's number.

"Claire... I... I think I really screwed up..." Sophia whispered, her voice quivering with regret.

Claire's voice came through, sharp and impatient. "What are you talking about? Divorcing that loser was the smartest move you've ever made. I've told you a hundred times. He's nothing but a burden."

"No... Claire, you really don't get it..." Sophia stammered.

Sophia broke down, sobbing as she recounted everything that had just happened.

On the other end, there was a long, heavy silence.

After what felt like ages, Claire finally spoke, her voice dry and impatient, "Have you lost your mind? That loser is just conning you. He's flat broke. Those cars are definitely rented. He's just putting on an act to mess with you. He just wants you to regret it, to beg him to take you back. Don't let him fool you."

Sophia clung to them like a lifeline in her swirling, confused mind.

That was it. It had to be. Joey was a loser, not some big shot.

It was all just an act. He must've known she was going to divorce him, so he went all out and hired a bunch of actors to stage this ridiculous spectacle.

With that thought, Sophia felt a bit relieved, but she still couldn't shake off this weird feeling in her gut.

She wiped away her tears, her gaze hardening into icy resolve.

"Joey, I'll unmask you for the fraud you really are. Just wait," Sophia spat.