Chapter 3

3

I grabbed the mic from the stunned MC and addressed the entire room.

"Attention, everyone. Today, I am officially cancelling my wedding to Vivienne Sterling. From this moment on, we have nothing to do with each other!"

"You bastard! Who gave you the right to say that?"

My father finally snapped out of his shock and ran over to grab the mic.

I dropped it on the floor before he could reach me.

The feedback screeching through the speakers made everyone wince.

"You said it yourself―you don't have a son anymore. So you have no right to tell me what to do. As for the company, my lawyers will be in touch."

I didn't wait for a response. I walked out of that ballroom without looking back.

Before I even got home, the news of the wedding disaster had spread across the city.

People were talking.

Once word got out that I'd been kicked out of the family and dumped by Vivienne, the gossip turned nasty.

"Imagine being kicked out by your own parents and dumped at the altar. I'd be too ashamed to show my face."

"Everyone knows Silas chased Vivienne for over a decade. Talk about a pathetic loser."

"He's nothing compared to his brother. He's a disgrace to high society."

I didn't give a damn about the rumors.

The people talking were just trust-fund kids like my brother who had never worked a day in their lives.

The next morning, I went straight to the office and called a board meeting.

I officially declared my status as the majority shareholder.

The majority owner has the power to remove the current Chairman.

I didn't hesitate. I fired my father right then and there.

The other board members didn't even argue.

They only cared about profits, and since I was the one making them money, they trusted me more than my father, who only showed up twice a year.

When the termination notice reached the Vance house, the gossip changed.

The insults turned into flattery and desperate phone calls.

I was sitting in the Chairman's office when my father called.

"Silas, you ungrateful wolf! How dare you fire me?"

My voice was flat.

"The majority shareholder has the right to remove any personnel. Those were your rules, remember?"

He was speechless for a moment.

"Silas, listen... we're family. Your mother and I were just stressed yesterday. We can talk this out. There's no need to be so dramatic."

I smirked. He was trying to play the "family card" because bullying didn't work.

"Dad, you were very clear about disowning me. I'm just following your wishes. We'll settle the rest on your birthday."

"You little prick! I should have killed you when I had the chance! You―"

I hung up before he could finish.

But a doubt started to grow in my mind.

Why did they hate me so much?

Even if they favored Caleb because he was sick, their hatred for me felt personal, almost primal.

I decided to hire a private investigator to dig into the past.

Just as I was finishing work, the door to my office slammed open.

Vivienne and Caleb marched in.

My secretary followed them, looking panicked.

"Mr. Vance, I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop them."

I waved her off.