Surviving In This Filthy World As A Novel Villain

"Any losses during the investment period must be shared equally between investors and the company."

Ethan’s heartbeat quickened at those words… the word ’losses.’

Liam kept his gaze steady, his words cutting deeper and deeper.

"During the development of the retinal-iris technology…" He let the words hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "We invested heavily—both in manpower and funding."

His smile didn’t waver, but his words sliced through Ethan’s remaining hope like a blade.

"In total, we spent a hundred and forty-nine million, nine hundred thousand and fifteen thousand dollars." The color drained from Ethan’s face. "That leaves us with about eighty five thousand in liquid funds."

Liam gave him an almost sympathetic look, as if he truly felt sorry for him.

"But I’m not an unreasonable man." He chuckled, the sound light and amused, as if they were discussing pocket change. "I’ll round it up for you."

A pause.

"One hundred thousand dollars." For a moment… Everything stopped. Ethan’s mind went blank. He stared at Liam, unmoving, his lips parted slightly—as if he was about to say something, but his brain refused to process what had just happened.

Then… The entire conference hall erupted. Laughter. Deafening. Unstoppable. People doubled over, clutching their stomachs.

"Oh my God! Did I just hear that right?"

"Hundred and fifty million… and he’s left with one hundred thousand dollars?! In a single month!?"

"No, no, he should be happy! He didn’t lose everything! Liam was generous enough to round it up!"

"A single month. Hundred and fifty million. Gone. This is historic!"

Ethan’s body shook. His face turned scarlet, his breathing uneven. A mix of rage, humiliation, and disbelief surged through his veins.

How? How could this happen?! He had always been the one in control. He had always been the one laughing at others’ misfortunes.

But now… He was the joke. His pride… shattered. His reputation… torn apart. And worst of all… He had no one to blame but himself.

Or so he thought. A desperate thought struck him. No. No, this wasn’t his fault. Someone must have sabotaged him. His eyes darted wildly… searching, hunting.

Then… He landed on Liam. Yes. It had to be him. Ethan’s hands trembled as he pointed a finger, his voice shaking with rage.

"It’s you, isn’t it?!" Liam barely acknowledged him. Ethan took a stumbling step forward, his chest heaving.

"You must be working with someone!" His voice grew louder, his desperation thickening.

"There’s no way you could have fooled me like this alone! You had help, didn’t you?!" He was yelling now, drawing even more attention.

"Tell me! How many people are behind this?!" Etha shouted qith the top of his lungs, wanting to blame someone so he could understand it better.

But Liam? Liam didn’t even look at him. He simply… Remained calm. As if Ethan Carter… Wasn’t even worth a response.

And as the crowd watched… confused, intrigued, shocked… Liam’s path became clear.

Alex Reid remained seated, his expression calm, as if everything happening around him was nothing more than background noise.

Even as Liam Jensen spoke with intensity, even as murmurs of curiosity and excitement spread through the crowd, Alex didn’t move.

But Liam wasn’t going to wait any longer.

Before the entire audience, under the watchful gaze of reporters, CEOs, and countless cameras, he took a step forward.

His stride was firm. His presence, unwavering. His eyes locked onto one man. A ripple of confusion spread through the hall.

"Wait… why is Liam walking toward Alex?"

"Wasn’t he supposed to be thanking someone else?"

"What’s happening?"

The whispers grew louder. The tension in the air was palpable.

Then, right in front of Alex, Liam came to a halt. He took a deep breat, his shoulders trembling slightly, not from fear, but from emotion. And then, his voice rang out.

"Mr. Alex." Liam’s voice was steady, but there was a weight behind every syllable.

The crowd instinctively fell silent.

"There was a time when I had nothing. Not even enough money to pay for my mother’s medical bills." The room felt like it had frozen in place.

A sharp intake of breath rippled through the audience.

Even the journalists, who had been rapidly jotting down notes, paused for a split second, as if the gravity of his words had hit them as well.

But Liam wasn’t done. His eyes, burning with raw sincerity, never left Alex.

"And then, you appeared." His fingers curled into tight fists, as if trying to hold back emotions that threatened to spill over.

"You didn’t just pay for my mother’s treatment." His voice wavered for the first time, but he pushed forward.

"You gave me the funds to pursue my research. You believed in me when no one else did." For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, Liam let out a soft, almost self-deprecating chuckle.

His next words carried both admiration and deep apology.

"I know you don’t like attention." His tone softened. "I know you never wanted recognition." He took a step closer. His eyes shone with unwavering determination.

"But… please forgive my selfishness." His expression grew more resolute. "Because this is the highest form of gratitude I can offer. And I beg you to accept it."

And then… Before the eyes of thousands of people, Liam lowered himself into a deep bow.

And he did not rise. The entire venue held its breath. For a moment, it was as if time itself had stopped. No one spoke. No one moved. Even the sound of cameras clicking had ceased.

The sight before them, Liam Jensen, the genius behind a world-changing breakthrough, bowing so deeply before Alex Reid, was simply too shocking to process.

And then, realization crashed over the audience like a tidal wave. A collective gasp spread through the hall.

Then, the whispers began.

"So that’s the truth…"

"Liam wasn’t working alone."

"Behind him was Alex Reid… the true mastermind!"

The shock quickly turned to awe. The murmurs became exciting.

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Bonus Chapters on: 500, 1000, 1500 Power Stones.

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

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