But now? Their faces turned deathly pale. If demanding the return of Rose’s lavish spending had pushed them into a crisis… Then this lawsuit and business severance were the final nail in their coffin.
“W-We’re finished…!” Harold staggered, his breathing growing erratic. This wasn’t just a simple financial hit. This was a full-scale corporate execution.
Before Harold could even process the nightmare unfolding before him… The true consequences arrived.
The moment the other business executives realized what Alex had just done. Their instincts kicked in immediately.
“If Alex is cutting ties with the Winters family…”
“Then we have to distance ourselves too from them now unless you wanna get yourself involved with Reid Industries!”
A wave of business elites surged forward, their expressions filled with panic and urgency.
And just like that all the people who had the business with Winters family and their payment weren’t still done, stuck with a realisation.
They will not get their payment if not now. And just like that. One after another, they surrounded Harold, their voices overlapping chaoticall.
“Mr. Winters, my company is experiencing some cash flow issues—let’s settle the balance on our last order now.”
“Harold! You still owe me my money on the payment of another order! If Alex moves to freeze your company’s assets, I’m going to suffer losses too!”
“Winters! Pay me back my money NOW!”
“Mr. Winters, my company is small, we can’t afford instability! I need my payments settled immediately!”
Fury and desperation filled their faces as they grabbed onto Harold’s suit, their demands escalating.
In the span of seconds, Harold Winters had gone from an esteemed businessman to a desperate debtor, surrounded on all sides.
And yet, even amidst the chaos, the real horror had yet to unfold. Because Harold Winters didn’t have the money to pay them back.
….
“Everyone, please calm down!” Harold Winters frantically raised his hands, trying to soothe the growing mob around him.
His forehead was drenched in sweat. His voice trembled as he forced out a weak reassurance.
“Even if Reid Industries cuts ties with us, I swear—we will settle all outstanding debts on time. There’s no need for this chaos!” But his words fell on deaf ears. No one believed him.
“Do you take us for fools? Without Reid Industries backing you, this Winters family is nothing!” Came a hurling insult straight at Harold’s face.
But it wasn’t the only thing… another and another came one after another.
“That’s right! If we don’t get our money now, who knows if we’ll ever get it!”
“Harold, come on, we’re old friends—just pay me first, will you?” As the crowd’s aggression intensified, Harold felt his chest tighten. He was being crushed from all sides, and he knew… If he didn’t find a solution immediately, the Winters family was finished.
And so, in his desperation, he turned to Alex. His expression was one of pleading, frustration, and disbelief.
“A-Alex… isn’t this too much?!” He gritted his teeth, his voice carrying an undercurrent of desperation. “After everything, we’re still family. Do you really have to push us our family to this point?”
The reaction he was expecting… he didn’t get it. He was hoping for pity if it could aolve his problem at this moment.
But Alex? He didn’t even blink. His expression remained completely indifferent.
Instead, he turned, And cast a mocking glance toward Ethan Carter.
“Mr. Winters…” Alex’s voice was smooth, almost lazy. Yet every word cut deep.
“Didn’t Mr. Carter here promise to save your family?” He let out a soft chuckle, tapping his fingers on the table. “Why aren’t you turning to him for help?” The moment Alex finished speaking—
Harold froze. Then, his eyes widened. ‘That’s right! Ethan Carter had promised to save them!’ Harold whipped his head around, eyes locking onto Ethan.
His voice rose in urgency, “Ethan! Just earlier, you swore you’d help my daughter! That you would support our family! Are you really going to just stand there and watch?!” The moment Harold shouted, the entire banquet hall’s attention shifted.
One by one, the creditors, suppliers, and business associates all turned toward Ethan.
Their expressions sharpened with realization.
“Wait… didn’t this guy just promise to help?”
“Yeah! He said he would ‘save’ the Winters family!”
“Isn’t that basically admitting responsibility?”
Voices of mutual understanding spread through the guests. And suddenly, all those angry creditors redirected their focus. They closed in on Ethan.
“Young man, you said you’d help, didn’t you?”
“Does that mean you’ll be paying Winters’ all debts?”
“Yeah! If you’re so capable, why not prove it now?!”
At that moment… Ethan’s face turned visibly stiff. His back tensed, his hands clenching involuntarily. He had been so caught up in proving himself, so obsessed with gaining Rose’s and other admirations… That he never considered the real-life consequences of his empty promises.
And now? It had come back to bite him. “T-This…” Ethan struggled to find words, his confidence visibly cracking under the weight of so many eyes.
The murmurs grew louder. The guests, who had once admired his charisma, now looked at him with doubt and suspicion.
“So he was all talk after all…”
“I thought he was some genius, but he’s just bluffing his way through.”
“If he can’t even settle this, how can anyone trust his so-called Fortune skills?”
“Looks like Alex was right not to give him any respect.” The admiration—gone. The trust… shattered. Now, they saw him for what he truly was—an arrogant fool who had overestimated himself.
Harold’s expression twisted in horror as he realized the truth. Ethan had nothing. His voice trembled with rage.
“You—!” Even Rose’s admiration wavered, her idolized view of Ethan faltering as she processed what was happening. This was the man she thought could replace Alex? This was the man she thought could save her family?
Her fingernails dug into her palms as her face flushed with shame and disbelief. With no way out, Ethan gritted his teeth, forcing himself to speak—
“Mr. Winters, Fortune Skills isn’t some magic trick! It takes time! Opportunities! The right conditions!” He answered calmly and then continued, “Even if I wanted to help right now, there’s no way to fix things instantly!” His voice grew weaker with every word, as if he himself was struggling to believe his own excuse.
But the creditors? They had no patience for excuses.
“Bullshit!”
(A/N: Soon! Some Golden tickets guys!!!)
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