The Rise of the Billionaire

Deceiving the enemy

For a few seconds, Frederick was stunned, caught between shock and disbelief that Bella was now right in front of him. Bella was not alone; she was with Paul, who was hugging her tightly from behind.

That's right! Bella and Paul were showing off their intimacy in front of Frederick to make him emotional, just like a few days ago.

However, Frederick remained silent. His body straightened in greeting, with a fake smile on his lips, just for Bella and Paul.

"Hi! How are you two? Is there anything I can help you with?" Frederick asked. Slowly, he stepped forward, approaching Bella and Paul, who were surprised by Frederick's positive response.

"We have no business with human trash like you, Frederick! So leave now, before the owner of this building comes!" Bella said angrily.

"I am the employee assigned by Mr. Michael to meet you two. I am grateful that you have come. I'm sure you're looking forward to owning this house. Let me show you the rooms of the house," Frederick said very kindly, although inwardly, he was trying to suppress his emotions, especially towards Paul, who kept kissing Bella's cheek.

Meanwhile, Paul didn't stop being affectionate. On this day, Paul would make Frederick feel even angrier and more jealous watching the person he loved the most making out with his own enemy.

"Well, my future wife and I would like to see the rooms in this house. We can't wait to have a cozy home for our little family. Isn't that right, dear?" Paul's words ended with a question that he directed at Bella. Then, Paul kissed Bella on the lips and gave her a little bite under the lips.

"Your lips are so sweet! I'm addicted," Paul said, winking and teasing his lover.

"Aww... it hurts, baby!" Bella nodded. "Weren't you satisfied with biting my lip a few minutes ago in the car? Must it be here too?" Bella was no less spoiled than Paul. She leaned her head against Paul's shoulder.

"I don't want to meet that human trash, Paul. I'm so disgusted. Shouldn't we just go home and find another house? I'm really sick of seeing Frederick," Bella said clearly, with no regard for her ex-husband's feelings.

"No, Bella! This house has been a dream of yours for a long time. I won't let you continue to dream of having a house like this. You've suffered enough with your ex-husband in a shabby, rat-infested house. I can't bear to see you bury your dreams all these years!" Paul quipped as he glanced at Frederick, laughing to himself, sensing that his opponent had entered the vortex of his evil game.

"You need to calm down, Paul! Luckily, that ugly house has been bought by someone, and we don't have to bother with it."

"Yes. You're finally free from suffering."

Look at that! Frederick's face is red. Several times, his eyelids closed in an attempt to suppress his anger. He would have exploded if he hadn't remembered his promise to Michael that Frederick would never let Michael down.

"Please, we will start from the family living room. This room is perfect for living in, especially for couples with children or other close relatives. In addition to being a place to chat, it is also a comfortable space to discuss or exchange ideas when you are together. This room is deliberately arranged to have a larger area than the other rooms, with the aim that many people can be accommodated together at one time."

Paul was disappointed that Frederick was still calm. "Frederick should have cussed me out or given me a dozen beatings! But what's happening now? He's calm even when I bring up his house! This can't be allowed! I must make him even angrier."

Frederick continued to talk about the advantages of the house while Paul and Bella looked bored listening. They both hated the man named Frederick with a passion.

"How about it, ladies and gentlemen? Are you very interested in a house like this?" Finally, Frederick closed his speech politely. His lips spread into a smile, even though his heart felt uncomfortable.

"Dear! Can't we just go home and find another house?" Bella whined, her lips pursed forward.

"What's wrong, Bella? Don't you like it?" Paul glanced sarcastically at Frederick, who was still smiling falsely. "Or maybe you're not comfortable with this man in front of us."

"Yes. I'm not very comfortable around him."

"The same. I also don't like to see his behavior pretending to be good in front of us. You just wait, dear! I'll report Frederick to Mr. Michael soon for his unfriendliness in serving customers. Let Frederick be fired rather than him becoming a piece of trash in Mr. Michael's office."

"Paul!" Frederik shouted loudly. His eyes suddenly closed tightly; he was about to get angry and give Paul a beating before remembering Mr. Michael.

Bella gasped, then looked away from Frederik. "You scum!"

"What are you shouting at me for? That's rude!" Paul said, a sardonic smile gracing his lips. "Looks like I'm going to be the winner," he thought to himself.

"Sorry. I just didn't mean to say that." Frederik took another step, this time to a room close to the living room. He continued talking even though his client was completely indifferent to his explanation.

"This bedroom is quite spacious and comfortable. It can be used as a guest room, the owner's room, or a child's room. The lighting in this room is also quite good. There are windows here too. It's a comfortable place to unwind or honor guests who come to visit."

Elsewhere, Michael had just gotten out of the car. He intended to secretly look at Frederick's work to ensure the quality of Frederick's work was good. Moreover, Michael remembered Angela's message not to let Frederick go so easily before Frederick was really agile in his property business.

The door was not closed, so Michael walked in and saw that the house was empty. "Where are they?" he asked himself.

"Sorry! Is there anything you'd like to ask about the house?"

Michael's ears picked up Frederick's voice, and he hurriedly followed the direction of the voice, which seemed to be coming from the balcony. Michael walked very slowly, as he had originally planned, wanting to secretly see how Frederick worked.

Michael saw two people sitting on chairs, while Frederick stood beside them with a friendly smile.

"Are Mr. and Mrs. interested in owning this residential house? Besides being comfortable, the neighborhood here is also very safe and strategic, near shops, public places, and, most importantly, close to educational facilities. This is very beneficial for parents with young children and teenagers. We also have a discount if Mr. and Mrs. are willing to buy this house in cash this month."

"Quite attractive," Bella admitted silently. Her eyes looked around; indeed, this residence fit the criteria of a dream home. But the problem is, if she buys through Frederick, then what about the fate of her pride? Since the beginning, Bella had continued to reject and belittle Frederick, so if Bella agreed to buy, she was sure that Frederick would laugh inwardly at her victory.

"I don't like it! I want to leave right now!" Bella stood up. Her movements were so fast and hasty that she accidentally fell down.

"It hurts!" she screamed.

"Bella! Be careful, baby! I've repeatedly told you not to be hasty when walking! If you do, you'll be the one in pain." The words did not come from Paul's lips, but from Frederick's.

Frederick spontaneously gave a caring gesture to Bella, as if his memory went back to the past, to the time when Frederick and Bella lived in a household that, for Frederick, was very beautiful.

"Don't touch me!" Bella was angry and immediately moved her foot away from Frederick's hand.

"No! Your leg hurts now. Let's go inside! I'll treat your wound!" Frederick invited gently.

"No need! I don't need your help, Frederick!"

Paul was burning with jealousy. Then, deliberately, he threw a vase filled with decorative flowers onto the floor. The vase that was originally intact, in an instant, became scattered debris.

"Hey, Frederick! Don't you ever touch my lover, or I'll kill you!" Paul threatened. His hand pointed at Frederick, who had now stood up and taken a few steps back.

"I apologize. I didn't do it on purpose, sir. I just purely wanted to help Mrs. Bella." His head was erect, putting on a stern face even though his voice sounded regretful. Yes, regret for being carried away by past memories. Frederick should have quickly forgotten instead of harboring feelings.

"Fool!" Frederick inwardly mocked himself.

"Lies! You are a perverted man, Frederick!" Paul mocked.

Frederick closed his eyes again. He didn't know how many times he had tried to hold back his anger at Paul's treatment. "That's right, sir. I'm not lying!"

"Let's go, Bella! Don't go near that pervert!" Paul pulled Bella's hand. The two of them prepared to walk away before Frederick's warning voice finally rang out.

"Sir! What about this vase?" Frederick just wanted to be held accountable. He then picked up some broken pieces. "This belongs to Mr. Michael."

"Are you so poor? You can't even afford a new vase! Shame on you!" Paul mocked, and Frederick remained casual.

"I can replace a hundred flower vases, especially since it's only one. However, I think it's important that you apologize, sir."

"What a nag you are!"

Michael heard the argument and appeared from behind the wall. "What's wrong? Why are you making a fuss in my house?"

Paul looked in the direction from which the voice came, staring at the dashing man in the black suit. "Mr. Michael?"

"Yes. I'm Michael, Mr. Paul."

Paul approached Michael. Whispering, he did not hesitate to act like someone who had been familiar for too long.

"That's the story, sir," Paul said at last. His tone of voice was weak, in stark contrast to the harsh words he had hurled at Frederick.

"Is what Mr. Paul said true, Frederick?" said Michael. "Is it true that you were so rude to Mrs. Bella that she got a cut on her leg?" he added.

"No! That's not true!" Paul replied firmly.

"Lies, Mr. Michael!" Paul pointed to the broken vase. "That's proof that Frederick threw it at my lover. He was jealous that his ex-wife was with me."

"Yes. He threw that vase at me. I didn't expect that the violence I used to receive back then would continue even now that we're an ex-couple. Really, being in prison won't make you change for the better." Bella smiled slyly. This was the perfect time to inflict a huge loss on her ex-husband.

Michael's face took on a surprised look. He looked back at Frederick with an angry gaze. "Is it true what Mr. Paul and Mrs. Bella are saying, Frederick? Answer me!"

"No!" Frederick stood his ground. As long as he was right, Frederick would not back down.

Both sides felt the most righteous. Paul and Bella worked hard to keep Michael believing what they were saying, while Frederick could only say, "No! I never did it. Believe me, sir!"

"Let me check Mrs. Bella's wounds." Michael unhesitatingly squatted in front of Bella's legs. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I have to do this to prove the truth. If Frederick is wrong, then I will report him to the police. However, if Frederick is right, then it is you two who must languish in an iron cell."

Both Bella and Paul were stunned, but it wouldn't be Paul if he didn't have a way of making excuses, even if they didn't make sense.

"I can't, sir!" Bella was pulled forcefully by Paul behind her. "I will not allow you to touch my lover's feet. I would be jealous to see it."

"Then how do I prove the truth? I have an idea! I will check the CCTV in this house. That won't make Mr. Paul jealous of me, will it?"

Paul and Bella's faces were both pale. They remained silent as they continued to hold hands tightly.

"You trash! Let's get out of here, baby! We don't need their crappy housing! I can find you a better one and a more professional service than these two! It's weird! Employees are at fault; we're the ones being threatened! Let's go!" Paul sounded disappointed, and Bella followed behind him, resigned. Bella admitted that she was afraid of what Michael had said.

"I'm scared, Paul!" Bella whispered. Her voice was weak, on the verge of tears.

"Shut up!"

After Paul and Bella left, Michael and Frederick got into a conversation.

"People like them are a waste of your time. Don't think about it too much because it could hinder your success!" Michael said, advising Frederick like a father advising his son. Michael did not tell Frederick that he had secretly seen what had happened between Frederick, Bella, and Paul.

"Thank you for your advice, sir. I am grateful that Mr. Michael does not believe what they say."

"Yes," Michael replied briefly.

"Sorry, sir. I don't see any CCTV around this house. Is it possible that you are lying to them?" asked Frederick, unable to contain his curiosity.

The atmosphere, which was initially tense, slowly changed for the better. Michael laughed loudly, while Frederick was stunned, not understanding.

"Sometimes we have to lie to people like them, Frederick. Never mind! Forget about people who can only hinder your success. Let's get to the next client. I hope you bring me some happy news this time."

Frederick's spirits were back and rising. Michael was right; it was better for Frederick to focus on the main goal and get rid of all the obstacles.

"I will bring happy news to you soon, Mr. Michael."