Chapter 121: A dangerous man
Tessa’s face drained of color. ’What? Is he actually the heir to the Rowan family? How is that possible?
She refused to believe it.
The murmurs among the guests grew louder and louder.
"Oh, my God! He really is Mr. Rowan. She actually offended him."
"She is finished."
"Not just her. That man humiliated him too. I can’t imagine what Mr. Rowan will do to them."
"The Sinclair family is doomed."
"They brought this upon themselves. They deserve whatever happens next."
Every word reached Tessa’s ears, and her anger flared once more. She turned toward the crowd.
"Don’t let him fool you," she shouted. "He is not Mr. Rowan. He just happens to share the same surname. That’s all. He is using it to impersonate the heir of the Rowan family."
The guests exchanged uncertain glances. Doubt crept into their expressions again.
"Maybe she is right. What if he is lying?"
Before anyone could say more, the chief security officer’s thunderous voice echoed through the hall.
"Enough. One more person insults Mr. Rowan, and I’ll personally throw them out."
The hall instantly fell silent.
Tessa flinched. She hurried back to Noah and grabbed his arm tightly.
"Noah, you can’t let them humiliate me like this. Say something."
Noah couldn’t allow Elias’ lies to deceive everyone, especially Elena. He stepped forward.
"He is not the man you think he is," he said firmly, looking at the officer. "He is not a member of the Rowan family. If he told you otherwise, he lied."
The officer frowned. Instead of answering Noah, he looked at Elias.
The only thing he saw was that familiar, faint smirk playing on Elias’ lips. His eyes narrowed.
Although they had spent only a few months together years ago, he knew Elias well. He had seen that exact smile before.
Whenever Elias smiled like that, someone was about to suffer.
’What is he planning this time?’ he wondered.
Just then, another voice rang through the hall. "I heard someone is causing trouble."
A middle-aged man in a tailored suit strode into the banquet hall, his expression grim. He was Vincent Carter, the general manager of the Royal Hotel.
Standing in the middle of the hall, he looked around sharply. "This is a banquet hosted by the Rowan family. I am responsible for everything that happens here. Who had the audacity to cause trouble under my watch?"
"Mr. Carter," the officer immediately walked over. "I’ve already identified the troublemakers."
He pointed directly at Noah and Tessa. "They created this disturbance. They even insulted Mr. Rowan."
"What?" Vincent’s expression changed immediately. "Mr. Rowan is here already?"
Ryan had informed him earlier that Mr. Rowan and his wife would be attending the charity gala. He had even instructed Vincent to personally receive them and ensure they were treated with the utmost respect until he arrived.
Unfortunately, an urgent matter at the hotel had delayed him. He hadn’t expected Mr. Rowan to arrive before he did.
His face paled. "Where is Mr. Rowan?"
"There." The officer pointed toward Elias.
Without another thought, Vincent hurried over. His forehead was already covered with a thin layer of sweat.
"Mr. Rowan..." He lowered his head apologetically. "Please forgive me for arriving late. I failed to welcome you personally. My deepest apologies."
He glanced at Elena before bowing again. "I’m terribly sorry that Madam was humiliated. I promise those responsible will pay for this."
Straightening up, he turned toward Noah and Tessa. "If either of you has even a shred of shame, apologize to Mr. and Mrs. Rowan immediately."
"Apologize?" Tessa laughed mockingly. "Why should we apologize to an imposter?"
She looked directly at Vincent. "He is not Mr. Rowan. He is pretending."
Then she pointed at the officer. "And this officer is lying for him. Maybe he accepted a bribe."
"I did no such thing," the officer barked. "I know exactly who he is."
"Really?" Tessa folded her arms. "If he is truly Mr. Rowan, why is he working as the CEO of AscendCore Finance?"
She glanced around at everyone. "Do you really think the owner of a multi-billion-dollar empire would work for a tiny finance company?"
The guests exchanged uneasy looks. No one could refute her logic.
Even the officer hesitated. For the first time, a sliver of doubt entered his mind.
Vincent’s expression also changed.
She did have a point. The heir to the Rowan family shouldn’t need to work for another company.
Had the officer made a mistake?
He immediately turned toward Elias. "This does seem suspicious."
He took a deep breath before making a decision. "Officer," his tone became firm again. "Remove them from the banquet."
The officer stood rooted to the spot. His heart sank. He couldn’t disobey his employer. But neither could he bring himself to offend the man who had once saved his life.
Seeing him hesitate, Vincent’s patience snapped. "What are you waiting for?" His voice thundered through the hall. "Throw them out immediately."
Left with no choice, the officer slowly walked toward Elias.
"I’m sorry," he said quietly. "But... you’ll have to come with me."
"Graham," Elias’ calm voice stopped him. "You know me. I don’t lie."
Graham’s throat tightened. He stared silently at Elias, unable to decide what to do.
"Don’t let him manipulate you," Tessa shouted. "He is only trying to fool you again."
"Enough," Vincent roared. "Guards. Throw them out."
He glared at Graham. "And you... Come to my office after this."
The two guards rushed forward and grabbed Elias by the arms. Before they could drag him away, Elias moved.
With a swift twist of his body, he broke free from their grasp.
Then, with a single shove, both guards were sent stumbling backward.
They crashed onto the marble floor with loud thuds.
The entire banquet hall gasped.
"What the..."
"Did you see that? He threw them aside."
"He is crazy," Tessa cried dramatically. "He could hurt any one of us. He is dangerous."
Her words instantly enraged Vincent. He pulled out his phone and made another call.
"Send every security guard to the banquet hall immediately." His eyes remained fixed on Elias. "A dangerous man has forced his way into the hotel."
"Who are you calling dangerous?" A calm voice interrupted him.
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
Owen walked in. Without sparing anyone a glance, he headed straight for Elias.
"Sir," he bowed respectfully. "Are you alright?"
"I’m fine." Elias’ gaze shifted toward Vincent. "But this manager is creating unnecessary trouble. Who appointed him? Remove him."
"Yes, sir."
Owen nodded without hesitation and immediately made a phone call.
Vincent burst into laughter. "You?"
He laughed again. "Remove me? Who do you think you are? You don’t have the authority to fire me. Enough with this ridiculous act."
At that exact moment, his phone rang. Still laughing, Vincent answered the call.
"Hello?"
Before he could say another word, an enraged voice exploded from the other end. "You idiot. You offended the big boss himself! You are fired."
"W-What?" Vincent’s smile vanished instantly.
Before he could ask another question, the call disconnected. His hand trembled as he slowly lowered the phone.
Cold sweat rolled down his forehead. He slowly lifted his head and looked at Elias.
The color drained from his face.
At last, the horrifying truth dawned on him. ’He wasn’t lying. He really is... Mr. Rowan.’