The Billionaire Behind the Mask

Two pieces of divorce document papers were thrown onto the glass table. "Sign it, after that I am leaving my house," Harper snapped. Her tone was harsh, her eyes glaring cynically. Hayes stared at the woman who had held the status of his wife for three years. Harper stood with her arms crossed. She was only wearing maroon silk lingerie, very thin with a low cleavage. That outfit was clearly not meant to welcome Hayes home. The scent of men's perfume—which was clearly not Hayes's—wafted strongly from her body. From the direction of the kitchen, a man appeared with a casual style, then immediately wrapped his arm around Harper's waist. He was Jace. The damn Marketing Manager at Harper's family company. Jace pulled Harper tight against his chest, then his hand without hesitation squeezed the woman's ass right in front of Hayes's eyes. "Just do what your wife wants, Hayes," Jace chuckled. His gaze was condescending, full of mockery. "Three years of freeloading, eating, and sleeping here for free is enough, right? Now it's time you realize your place and get out, Bastard." Harper laughed softly. Instead of brushing him off, she deliberately leaned her head on Jace's shoulder. "Sign it quickly. Get out of my penthouse tonight. Don't bring anything. Even the clothes stuck to your body were bought with my money." Hayes wasn't angry. There was no use wasting emotions. For three years he had held himself back, becoming a servant in this apartment, and swallowing all this family's insults purely just to keep a promise to his grandfather. But tonight, seeing Harper blatantly bringing her pet dog into the house, that agreement was officially over. Hayes picked up the pen on the table. "If I sign this, everything is truly over," Hayes said flatly, looking directly into Harper's eyes. Harper snorted loudly. She leaned her body forward, challenging. "That's what I want, Asshole. Did you think I'd be willing to keep a poor parasite like you? Sign it quickly and get out of here." Without any more nonsense, Hayes scribbled his signature on the document. He took off the cheap wedding ring on his finger, throwing it onto the table until it made a soft 'clink' sound next to the divorce papers. Then, he turned around. He walked out without looking back. Right as he passed through the front door, Harper slammed the door from the inside. The sound of Jace's mocking laughter could still be heard before the door closed tightly. Hayes walked along the city's asphalt sidewalk. The rain was falling quite heavily, making his shirt completely drenched and sticking to his skin, but his pace didn't slow down or look pathetic at all. Just a few hundred meters from the penthouse building, a black Rolls-Royce Phantom drove up soundlessly and stopped right next to him. The driver's door opened. A neatly suited middle-aged man—Gideon—stepped out carrying a large black umbrella. He walked over to Hayes through the rain, then bowed respectfully. "Your trial period is over, Mr. Carmichael," Gideon said, his voice calm but firm. Hayes looked at his family's right-hand man. "Is Grandfather satisfied seeing me live in poverty like a tramp for three years, Gideon?" "He greatly appreciates your patience," Gideon replied while shielding Hayes with the umbrella and opening the back door. "The board of directors is already waiting. Starting tonight, all assets of Carmichael Capital and full control of the company officially return to your hands." Hayes stepped into the warm car cabin lined with expensive leather. Gideon closed the door, returned to the driver's seat, and immediately drove the car away. Hayes glanced briefly at the wet window glass, staring coldly toward the street he had just walked past. "Prepare my office tomorrow morning, Gideon," Hayes said. His eyes glared sharply. "There is one trash company that we have to destroy." That morning, the top floor of the Carmichael Capital Building in the financial district was incredibly busy. But all the sounds of typing and chatting suddenly died down when the exclusive elevator doors opened. Hayes stepped out. His appearance had completely changed. The worn-out shirt he usually wore had been replaced by a bespoke black Tom Ford suit that perfectly wrapped his well-built body. His expensive leather shoes marched firmly on the carpet. There were no longer any traces of the poor man who had been the subject of insults for three years. What existed now was purely the aura of a big boss ready to step on anyone. The executives and managers who were gathered in the lobby immediately bowed respectfully. Hayes didn't care. He strolled right into his main office, followed by Gideon from behind. "The investment report you requested is ready, Boss," greeted a woman who had just entered, following them. It was Piper, Hayes's executive assistant. She was wearing an overly tight black pencil skirt and a white silk blouse. Her top two buttons were intentionally left undone, clearly flaunting her cleavage when she bent down to place the iPad Pro on Hayes's desk. Deliberately baiting the man's attention. Hayes stared at the iPad screen without glancing at Piper's chest in the slightest. His eyes were immediately drawn to the row of financial figures for Vance Media, Harper's family company. "That trash company is actually about to die," Piper explained in a casual tone, even though her eyes kept tracing Hayes's sharp jaw. "The only reason they can still breathe today is just because they're waiting for the disbursement of fifty million dollars in funds from our subsidiary this afternoon." Hayes swiped his screen to the next page. There, clearly displayed, was the name of the person in charge of the project from Vance Media: Jace. The bastard who had squeezed Harper's ass in front of him last night. Hayes smiled cynically. "Fifty million dollars?" he snorted softly. "These assholes don't even deserve fifty cents from my company." Hayes tossed the iPad onto the desk and leaned back in his leather chair. "Cancel their funding. Withdraw all investments that have gone into Vance Media. Block all their access to our portfolio this very second," Hayes ordered flatly, but lethally. Piper was a bit surprised. "But Boss, if we cut their funds unilaterally this afternoon, Vance Media will instantly collapse. Their bank debts have piled up and are due this week." "Let them drop dead, Piper. Do it now," Hayes cut in coldly. "And make sure you spread a warning to all the banks and our connections on Wall Street. Anyone who dares to give a loan or help Vance Media will deal directly with Carmichael Capital." "Understood. I'll handle it right now," Piper answered obediently. She turned around and walked out of the room, deliberately swaying her hips to the rhythm of her high heels clicking. Gideon, who had been quiet in the corner of the room all this time, finally spoke up. "Do you want to destroy them in a matter of hours, Mr. Carmichael?" "It's no fun if it's too fast, Gideon," Hayes replied casually while loosening his tie. "Let them panic first like cornered rats. I want to see how far Harper and her pet dog are willing to beg when they realize their company's life is in my hands." Hayes's phone on the desk suddenly vibrated. One message came in. The number wasn't saved, but he knew very well it was Harper's number. [Meet my lawyer at the law firm at ten tomorrow morning. Don't make excuses, you bastard. I want our business over with quickly.] Hayes stared at the screen for a moment, then turned off his phone with no intention of replying. He gazed out the giant glass window behind his desk. Harper was surely smiling arrogantly in her office right now, completely unaware that the countdown to her life's destruction had just begun.