Surviving In This Filthy World As A Novel Villain

Ethan’s heart swelled with pride. Everything was falling into place. The recognition. The respect. The admiration of everyone in this room.

But despite the excitement building inside him, he kept his face calm, as if it was no big deal. With a casual wave of his hand, he signaled Lily to lower her voice.

"Don’t jump to conclusions." He chuckled softly. His tone was light, but his eyes gleamed with confidence.

"Maybe someone else helped JoySync too." He smirked slightly. "It would be embarrassing if we got ahead of ourselves." But deep inside, he had already convinced himself. It had to be him. There was no other explanation.

Back on stage, Liam took another deep breath. His gaze swept across the audience, his tone becoming even more solemn.

"Since we’ve reached this point…" His voice echoed through the hall. "I won’t keep it a secret any longer." He straightened his posture, his presence commanding the room.

"I sincerely hope… that the person who helped me during my hardest times…" He paused. The tension in the air was suffocating. Even the reporters had stopped taking pictures, completely focused on his next words.

"Will honor my request, which is I’m about to make.." Liam lowered his head slightly, his voice filled with gratitude.

"In front of everyone here today including the media and reporters… I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart… personally thank them for getting me out of the hell hole I was in..." The entire room froze. Every pair of eyes darted around, searching for a clue.

Executives whispered among themselves, trying to guess the answer. Journalists clutched their pens, ready to write the headline of the century.

And at the center of it all, Ethan Carter clenched his fists. His heart pounded in his chest.

’It’s me.’ He was sure of it. This was his moment. All he had to do was stand up. But before he could move, Liam spoke again. And his next words sent a shockwave through the entire room.

….

Liam Jensen didn’t hesitate for even a second.

With a composed yet commanding air, he raised his hand slightly, signaling the crowd to settle down.

The murmurs that had filled the hall slowly died down as all eyes turned toward him, waiting for his next words.

The atmosphere grew tense with anticipation, everyone knew something important was about to happen.

Liam’s sharp gaze swept over the audience as he spoke.

"For the next thing," he announced, his voice firm yet carrying an air of casual confidence, "I would like the person I’m about to thank to stand up."

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he let his words sink in.

"I want everyone here to see you clearly," he added, scanning the room once more. "Alright?" His tone was inviting, but beneath it was a subtle weight—an expectation.

….

"Ethan, come on! Stand up already!" Lily whispered from the side of Ethan.

Lily, who had been sitting beside Ethan the whole time, gave him an excited nudge, practically bouncing in her seat. Her eyes were bright with eagerness, and her voice carried an almost impatient energy.

"Mr. Liam is calling for you!" she urged, lowering her voice just enough so only Ethan could hear her.

She could barely contain herself. This was the moment she had been waiting for… the moment Ethan would stand and take his rightful place in the spotlight. She could already imagine the envious looks from the crowd, the respect, the admiration.

She wanted…no, needed…to see it happen.

Ethan couldn’t help but smile while looking at the energetic Lily as she urged him to stand up.

"Well," he said, shaking his head slightly as if he had no choice in the matter, "I was planning to keep things low-key. You know, avoid too much attention."

He let out a light chuckle, playing it off like he wasn’t entirely thrilled about this situation, but his expression told another story.

"But since Mr. Liam insists…" he continued, pausing just for effect, "I guess I have to go along with it." With deliberate slowness, he pushed back his chair and rose to his feet.

The moment he stood up, the atmosphere in the hall shifted. A ripple of murmurs spread across the crowd, like a sudden gust of wind stirring still waters.

People turned their heads, eyes locking onto Ethan as if drawn by an invisible force. Some were surprised. Some were impressed. And some… were jealous.

"Wait… what’s going on?" a voice whispered from somewhere in the crowd.

"Are you serious?" another person responded almost instantly. "It’s obvious, Mr. Liam is talking about him!"

"Damn… this is huge! JoySync’s retinal-iris technology is a groundbreaking invention, and Ethan Carter is a part of it?"

"A part? Are you kidding?" someone else cut in, voice rising with disbelief. "Did you hear how the CEO of JoySync spoke? It sounds like he might just hand the whole thing over to him!"

A wave of shock spread through the audience, and within seconds, dozens of hushed conversations were breaking out across the hall.

Ethan could hear every single word. And he loved every second of it.

’I knew it. That Hundred and Fifty million wasn’t just a smart investment, it was the best decision I’ve ever made.’ It was a huge sum, way more than what he had initially intended to put in. But now?

Not only was he about to make a fortune, but he was also regaining something far more valuable.

His pride. The pride he had lost to Alex Reid. The thought alone sent a deep sense of satisfaction coursing through him. This is beyond perfect.

The thought of Alex made Ethan instinctively glance in his direction. He was expecting to see something—shock, frustration, maybe even quiet rage.

But instead… Alex just sat there. Calm. Still. Expression unreadable. Completely unbothered.

Ethan’s smirk faltered for just a moment. ’What the hell? Things had already reached this point. Shouldn’t Alex be reacting? Shouldn’t he be worried? Did he not realize what kind of impact this would have on his company?’

A flicker of doubt crept into Ethan’s mind, but before he could dwell on it further, Liam Jensen spoke again.

"You, sir." Liam’s voice rang through the room, steady yet carrying an undeniable edge.

"I was in the middle of thanking someone…" Liam said in a microphone while looking at him and clearly displeased as someone had just interrupted him at the most important moment.

"So why did you stand up?"

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(A/N: Next Chapter Soon! Some Golden tickets guys!!!)

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