"Bang!"

The gold-trimmed mahogany door flew open with a thunderous crash.

A man in cheap casual clothes stood awkwardly in the doorway, clutching a gift bag. The entire hall fell instantly silent as dozens of contemptuous gazes locked onto their target—

Sean Anderson.

Today was his mother-in-law Lana Zachary's fiftieth birthday celebration, held in the Lawrence family's million-dollar villa. And Sean, the most unwelcome son-in-law of the Lawrence family, wasn't supposed to show his face.

"Who the hell invited you? How dare you show your face here?" a sharp voice cut through the silence.

It was his brother-in-law, Thomas Lawrence. Dressed in designer clothes with slicked-back hair, he glared at Sean with disgust, as if examining something he'd scraped off his shoe.

Sean ignored him, his gaze moving through the crowd until it found his wife, Luna Lawrence. She stood in an elegant moon-white haute couture dress, her makeup flawless, her demeanor cold—beautiful as a goddess.

When her eyes met Sean's, that cool demeanor instantly hardened into icy disgust. She didn't bother to speak; a single glance was enough to make his heart plummet.

"Mom, look at this loser!" Thomas turned to the bejeweled Lana Zachary beside him. "Didn't I say we shouldn't let him come and embarrass us?"

Lana frowned, not bothering to hide her contempt. Her eyes traveled from Sean's faded white T-shirt to his cheap canvas shoes, finally settling on the tacky gift bag in his hand. She sneered:

"You worthless piece of trash, who let you in? Get out!"

Suppressed snickers rippled through the guests. For three years, the name "Sean Anderson" had been nothing but a punchline in Cloud City's upper circles.

Sean clenched his fists, nails digging deep into his palms. He took a deep breath, swallowed his humiliation, and walked deliberately into the hall. He could ignore everyone else's mockery, but Luna's coldness cut deeper than any insult.

"Luna, this is the birthday gift I prepared for your mother." He held out the gift bag, his voice hollow.

Luna stepped back as if he were contagious, refusing to touch it.

Thomas snatched the bag, tore it open roughly, and pulled out a small wooden box. Inside lay an exquisitely carved wooden hairpin with a lifelike orchid on its head.

"Pfft!" Thomas doubled over with laughter. "Sean, are you serious? For my mother's 50th birthday, you bring this wooden piece of crap? What, are you wishing her to become as useless as you?"

The hall erupted with laughter.

"A ten-dollar flea market trinket? How pathetic!"

"The Lawrence Family must have pissed off the gods to end up with such a son-in-law."

Sean's face turned pale, his lips pressed into a thin line. For this hairpin, he had spent a month selecting the finest Nanmu wood and stayed up for several nights carving that orchid.

This wasn't about money; it was about his last shred of dignity and sincerity.

And now, it was being trampled underfoot, crushed to pieces.

"Enough!"

A commanding male voice cut through the laughter. All eyes turned to see a distinguished young man striding toward them. This was William Hayes, the only son of another prominent family in Cloud City, Thomas's best friend, and Luna's most promising suitor.

William elegantly presented a gift box. "Auntie, knowing your love for jade, I specially commissioned this ice-type imperial green jade bracelet from Myanmar. May your fortune be as vast as the Eastern Sea and your life as enduring as the Southern Mountains."

When the box opened, a brilliant green light seemed to fill the room. The bracelet was a perfect emerald green with flawless translucency—clearly worth a fortune.

"Imperial green jade! That must be worth millions!" a guest gasped in awe.

Lana's eyes lit up, her face crinkling with delight as she slipped the bracelet onto her wrist. "William, you're such a darling. This gift is absolutely exquisite!"

She shot Sean a smug, contemptuous glance.

"I'm delighted you like it, Auntie." William said gracefully, then turned to Sean, his tone gentle yet dripping with condescension. "So this is the famous Mr. Anderson? I've heard the Lawrence family's son-in-law is quite... unique. Now that I see him, indeed... he's quite... economical."

He emphasized "economical" with mock politeness, triggering another round of laughter.

Thomas stepped forward smugly, knocked the wooden hairpin box to the ground, and crushed it under his heel.

"Crack!"

The crisp sound of splintering wood echoed through the hall.

The wooden hairpin shattered into fragments.

Sean's body went rigid, his blood turning to ice. He slowly lowered his head, staring at the broken pieces, the last trace of warmth in his eyes dying out completely.

Three years ago, when the Lawrence family patriarch lay on his deathbed, he had entrusted his beloved granddaughter Luna to Sean, asking him to silently protect her for three years and help the Lawrence family through their crisis. For three years, Sean had hidden his true identity, buried his talents, and endured endless humiliation. He had believed that sincerity would eventually earn understanding and respect.

But he was wrong.

His patience had only invited more humiliation; his devotion had only earned him contempt.

"Sean, I want a divorce."

Luna's icy voice cut through him like a blade, piercing his already wounded heart.

She pulled a document from her designer handbag and threw it in his face. The edge of the paper grazed his cheek, leaving a thin red line.

"Divorce papers. I've already signed them. Sign them now, then get out. I don't want to see your pathetic face for another second." Her voice held no emotion—only relief.

Sean slowly raised his head, studying her quietly. The woman before him was still breathtakingly beautiful, yet terrifyingly unfamiliar.

"Alright."

Just one word.

No plea to stay, no questions, not even a hint of sadness. His calmness made Luna inexplicably uneasy.

Sean bent down—not to pick up the divorce papers, but to silently collect the broken hairpin pieces one by one, carefully placing them in his pocket. As if they weren't mere fragments of wood, but priceless treasures.

After finishing, he calmly pulled the Mont Blanc fountain pen from Thomas's suit pocket.

The guests leaned forward, eager to see this loser kneel and beg for mercy.

Instead, Sean walked to the coffee table, smoothed out the agreement, and signed his name without even glancing at the text.

His handwriting was bold and powerful, revealing a glimpse of something dangerous beneath the surface.

"It's done," he capped the pen and tossed it onto the table.

Turning around, he gave Luna one final look, his eyes as deep and still as an ancient well.

"Luna Lawrence, remember today. You will regret this."

His voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable weight that sent chills down her spine.

Regret?

Luna felt like she'd heard the joke of the century. The best decision of her life was divorcing this worthless nobody!

"Get out!" she hissed through clenched teeth.

Sean didn't say another word. He simply turned and left, his back straight, his steps steady, without a trace of hesitation. He walked out the main door under everyone's watchful eyes and vanished into the night.

Inside the villa, after a brief silence, cheers erupted.

"Congratulations, Luna! You've finally ditched that useless parasite!"

"Congratulations, Mrs. Lawrence! You've finally cut off that dead weight!"

Lana was grinning from ear to ear, clutching William's hand with increasing satisfaction. Thomas excitedly popped open champagne to celebrate. Luna held her wine glass, displaying a smile that had been absent for too long, as if a massive burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

Yet somehow, Sean's calm gaze and his words—"you'll regret this"—stuck like a thorn in her heart, causing a flicker of unease she couldn't quite shake.

Outside the villa.

Sean walked a considerable distance before stopping. He took out the pile of wooden fragments from his pocket, studied them quietly for a few seconds, then casually tossed them into a roadside trash can.

Like discarding a ridiculous marriage and a humiliating past.

He pulled out an old phone and dialed a number. The call was answered instantly.

"Sir?" A respectful, steady voice answered immediately.

"Old Zhou," Sean spoke, his voice suddenly deep and commanding, carrying the unmistakable authority of someone accustomed to power—completely different from moments ago. "The three-year agreement has expired."

There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by an excited, almost reverent voice: "Sir! You've finally decided to return?"

"Yes." Sean looked at the distant lights of the Lawrence family villa, his gaze ice-cold. "Spread the word. Activate the Genesis plan. I want Cloud City to know within three days who its true master is."

"Yes, sir!" The man responded with barely contained excitement. "All Genesis Capital businesses and our global teams are standing by! We've waited far too long for this day!"

Sean ended the call and tossed the old phone into the trash bin.

A black Rolls-Royce Phantom silently glided to a stop beside him. The door opened, and the driver bowed deeply.

Sean slid into the car, the buttery leather seats forming a stark contrast with his cheap canvas shoes. He closed his eyes.

That submissive, humiliated live-in son-in-law, Sean Anderson, was already dead.

In his place stood the mysterious emperor who had once shaken the world and made international giants tremble in fear—

Genesis.

A storm was about to tear through Cloud City.

The Hidden Billionaire — Chapter 1

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