THE DISABLED HEIRESS, MY EX-HUSBAND WOULD PAY DEARLY.
Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Chapter 13

At that moment Gasps rippled through the hall like a tidal wave.

All eyes turned as William Victor the eldest son of the Victor family stepped into the golden light of the room, flanked by his younger brother Oliver and their father, The Patriarch of the Victor family himself.

The entire Victor entourage followed, dressed in clean-cut suits, each man and woman carrying an air of authority that made the already grand event hall feel small.

The guests stood instinctively, many bowing their heads, others clapping lightly in welcome. Even the host of the event paused mid-sentence, stepping aside to allow the most powerful family in South Caden their rightful presence.

James froze where he stood, his heart pounded as if it would rip through his chest.

They’re here? Now? And Cora was still on stage.

His face went pale, In a burst of panic, he rushed down from the podium, ignoring the whispers behind him, moving fast to intercept William before anyone said anything he couldn’t control.

He forced a nervous smile, his hands half-raised in explanation. "Mr. William, sir, I’m so sorry you had to walk into... this," James said, throwing a quick glance back at Cora. "She’s insane. A mad woman. She came here to ruin the event your event! You know how these bitter ex-wives are. she just—"

"WHIP!"

William’s arm moved, but his hand stopped midair, just inches from James’s face.

The sharp movement alone was enough to make James flinch and stumble backward, nearly tripping over his own polished shoes.

William’s jaw was clenched so tightly it looked like stone. His voice, though low, cut through the air with steel.

"Don’t you ever call that woman mad again," he said coldly.

At that moment James gulped.

William’s eyes flicked toward the security men who had been summoned earlier. "Nobody touches her. No one. Ever."

The guards those privately called by other families immediately stepped away, their stance dissolving into stillness. Tension left their faces as they fell into a neutral position.

The moment the threat was gone, William’s voice rose slightly, now addressing the crowd.

"Now," he said, "I want to know—who were the families that took it upon themselves to call private security in our event?"

Immediately the hall went still again.

Three men slowly raised their hands, faces pale with fear, their wives gripping their arms in silent regret.

Then William turned to face them, his eyes filled with fire and disdain.

"Effective immediately," he said, "you are all placed on blacklist status by the Victor family. For publicly insulting our ability to provide security and for indirectly mocking our family as incompetent in our own house."

At that moment the entire hall held its breath as the heads of the three families dropped to their knees with a loud thud, begging shamelessly for forgiveness.

"Please, Young Master William!"

"We meant no disrespect!"

"It was a misunderstanding!"

Their voices overlapped in panic. Sweat dripped from their foreheads. Their wives were in tears, clasping their husbands’ arms, whispering frantic prayers that this wouldn’t be the end for their legacies.

But William didn’t spare them another look.

Without hesitation, he tilted his head toward the guards and said coldly, "Escort them out."

Immediately the security men stepped forward. In less than a minute, the three once-revered families were forcefully dragged out of the event hall, their cries and pleading echoing down the corridor like a bitter wind.

The sight was enough to silence every whisper in the room. No one dared even blink too loudly now. All eyes turned to James, who stood frozen near the stage, his face pale and expression unreadable.

James’s heart pounded.

He wasn’t sure anymore what this was turning into. He believed the Victor family might be acting out of anger perhaps they were ashamed the ceremony had been disturbed, and the fact that the cause was connected to him could ruin everything. If they considered him part of the embarrassment, it could cost him everything.

At that moment James swallowed his fear and composed himself.

He gave a small, nervous chuckle before clapping his hands loudly. "Alright, everyone!" he said with a strained smile. "Let’s all take our seats now. The Victor family is here. The evening is still young, and we have a long way to go."

He clapped again louder this time trying to signal to the crowd that things were under control.

Slowly, hesitantly, people followed his lead and sat down.

But the air had changed, It was no longer James’s moment.

When the room had finally settled, William pulled up his cuff slightly and checked the time on his diamond-encrusted wristwatch. The soft tick was almost audible in the tense silence.

Then he raised his voice calmly and firmly.

"For those of you expecting immediate disbursement of the benefits associated with tonight’s recognition," he said, "we’ll need to clarify a few things."

Hearing what he just said Murmurs started.

William continued, "This event was originally intended to be a public acknowledgment of promising businessmen. However, due to several recent developments... the final decision regarding the exclusive contracts with the Victor Group will not be announced tonight."

At that moment the whispers turned into stunned gasps.

William’s expression remained composed. "The contract on our end remains open for one more month. During that time, we will carefully evaluate each candidate’s business integrities."

Upon hearing what William just said, James felt like the floor beneath him had just cracked open, dragging his entire world down into a dark, bottomless pit.

This wasn’t how tonight was supposed to go.

This was supposed to be his night. His rise. His grand step into the light of power, more money, and glory. But now, everything was shifting too quickly—slipping out of his hands before he could grasp what was happening.

At that moment he couldn’t take it anymore.

Trying to hold onto the one thread of hope he had left, James cleared his throat and asked in a strained voice, "Since I won the award tonight... that means I’ll be getting the Victor family contract, right? I mean... I have only a month to claim it, yes?"

His voice tried to sound confident, but it cracked halfway.

William, who had paused near the side of the stage with his entourage, turned around calmly. His eyes met James’s.

"No," William replied bluntly, his voice cold and merciless. "The Victor family never promised a contract to the winner of this public award."

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.