Cassandra pointed down at her expensive designer shoes with a cruel smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd make sure that little brat cleans them off completely,\u201d Cassandra added maliciously. \u201cThat way she will finally learn not to touch things she can never afford.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nearby high-society guests stopped and watched the scene in utter horror.<\/p>\n
Gwen simply beckoned to the head of hotel security with a slight gesture of her finger. The security director rushed over instantly and bowed deeply to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Crawford, please accept our deepest apologies for letting these individuals bother you,\u201d the security director stated respectfully.<\/p>\n
Spencer stood completely speechless as he watched the interaction unfold.<\/p>\n
Gwen raised her hand calmly to stop the guards from intervening just yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet them inside,\u201d Gwen instructed softly. \u201cI want them to hear every single word.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inside the grand ballroom, absolutely no one greeted Spencer as he tried to network. The prominent executives intentionally kept their distance from him as if he carried a contagious disease. Feeling desperate, Spencer blamed Gwen for his social ruin and began shouting loudly for security to remove her.<\/p>\n
Little Hazel, completely overwhelmed by the booming voices around her, suddenly broke free from her mother\u2019s grip and ran toward a pair of private double doors.<\/p>\n
The massive doors swung open before the station security guards could stop the girl.<\/p>\n
Samuel Crawford stepped into the light, possessing sharp silver hair, immaculate posture, and a stern expression.<\/p>\n
Hazel bumped right into him, lifted her tear-stained face, and burst into heavy tears.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrandpa!\u201d Hazel sobbed loudly. \u201cCassandra hit me\u2026 and Daddy just stood there and did nothing!\u201d<\/p>\n
Samuel quickly picked up the little girl in his arms. Upon seeing her swollen cheek and missing front teeth, his eyes filled with rage as he looked up directly at Spencer and Cassandra.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho dared to lay a hand on my granddaughter?\u201d Samuel demanded in a voice that shook the room.<\/p>\n
And in that singular moment, both of their lives completely collapsed into ruin.<\/p>\n
The word \u201cgranddaughter\u201d echoed through the vast ballroom like an electric shockwave.<\/p>\n
Spencer instantly collapsed onto his knees in sheer shock. Cassandra frantically scanned the room for an exit, but the heavy security team had already sealed every glass door.<\/p>\n
Samuel held little Hazel with unexpected softness and warmth. The young girl already knew his face well from the secret video calls they shared every year on her birthday. Gwen had consistently refused her father\u2019s massive wealth, but she had never denied her daughter the loving affection of her grandfather.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dear child, you are completely safe now,\u201d Samuel whispered tenderly to Hazel. \u201cNo one is ever going to hurt you again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he turned his icy gaze back toward Spencer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked a clear question,\u201d Samuel said coldly. \u201cWho hit my granddaughter?\u201d<\/p>\n
Spencer pointed frantically at Cassandra in utter desperation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was her!\u201d Spencer stammered, his voice trembling violently. \u201cShe did it! I had no idea she was going to strike the child, Mr. Crawford. I swear to you, I am just as outraged as you are!\u201d<\/p>\n
Hazel hugged her grandfather\u2019s neck tightly as she spoke up.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaddy saw everything,\u201d Hazel whispered loudly enough for the crowd to hear. \u201cHe told me that I was completely good for nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Samuel\u2019s expression hardened into pure iron as he glared at his son-in-law.<\/p>\n
Spencer opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, unable to utter a coherent response.<\/p>\n
Gwen walked down the main hallway toward them with absolute grace. She was no longer the quiet woman who had to ask for permission just to buy simple household goods. Each measured step she took seemed to reclaim a piece of the six long years she had sacrificed.<\/p>\n
She stopped right in front of her father.<\/p>\n
For a few heavy seconds, neither of them said a word.<\/p>\n
\u201cFather,\u201d Gwen said softly. \u201cI am finally back home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Samuel closed his eyes briefly as the terrifying financier took a shaky breath. With Hazel still held securely in his left arm, he reached out his right hand toward his daughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour home never once stopped waiting for your return,\u201d Samuel replied softly.<\/p>\n
Spencer suddenly scrambled to his feet, his face red with panic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is all a massive lie!\u201d Spencer shouted out loud. \u201cGwen explicitly told me she was an orphan! She claimed she never finished college, and she did not have a single penny to her name when I met her!\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas Cardenas, the chief legal advisor of the Crawford family, stepped onto the elevated stage.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Gwen Crawford is the sole primary heir to the Crawford Global Financial Group and the original founder of the North Horizon Private Equity Fund,\u201d Thomas announced loudly for the entire room to hear. \u201cSix years ago, she publicly renounced her inheritance rights to marry you. Her father strongly objected and temporarily suspended her access to family accounts, but she remained the sole legal owner of her private assets that discreetly funded the growth of Albright Enterprises.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas paused briefly before continuing his detailed report.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe multi-million dollar contracts you boasted about securing through your own talent only occurred because Mrs. Crawford personally requested the opportunities for you,\u201d Thomas explained calmly. \u201cThe massive bank loans that saved your failing company on three separate occasions were fully guaranteed by her private capital fund. Even the grand estate in Bel Air, which you constantly call yours, actually belongs to a private Crawford family trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
The remaining air completely left Spencer\u2019s lungs as the truth sank in.<\/p>\n
He suddenly remembered every single insult he had thrown at her, every meal he forced her to serve like a servant, and every early morning he stumbled home smelling of Cassandra\u2019s perfume. Absolutely nothing he had bragged about actually belonged to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had no idea,\u201d Spencer stammered, taking a step toward her. \u201cGwen, my love, you really should have told me the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at him without a single trace of emotion.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you exactly who I was every single day,\u201d Gwen answered calmly. \u201cI told you I was your wife. I told you I was the mother of your daughter. I told you that I deserved basic respect. That alone should have been more than enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spencer dropped back down onto his knees on the carpet.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can start everything over again,\u201d Spencer pleaded desperate tears. \u201cCassandra completely manipulated me! I was confused, Gwen. Please give me just one more chance for Hazel\u2019s sake.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gwen looked gently down at her young daughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is precisely for Hazel\u2019s sake that I will never, ever return to you,\u201d Gwen stated firmly.<\/p>\n
Cassandra stepped forward slowly, her hands shaking.<\/p>\n
\u201cGwen, this entire situation just got way out of control,\u201d Cassandra stammered frantically. \u201cWhat happened with the child was an absolute accident! She pulled on my dress and I simply reacted out of surprise. I can easily pay for her dental bills.\u201d<\/p>\n
Samuel let out a short, harsh laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith what money are you going to pay?\u201d Samuel asked coldly.<\/p>\n
The massive display screens around the ballroom suddenly lit up with official documents.<\/p>\n
Cassandra\u2019s real identity was immediately displayed for the public to see: her real name was Roxana Perez, born in a small town in Texas, who dropped out of high school and worked under fake names at private events. After undergoing extensive cosmetic procedures, she invented a wealthy family persona, purchased millions of fake social media followers, forged official documents, and presented herself as the heiress to an oil fortune.<\/p>\n
Gwen stepped up to the podium microphone.<\/p>\n
\u201cCassandra convinced Spencer that her fake family uncle would invest one billion dollars into Albright Enterprises,\u201d Gwen revealed clearly. \u201cIn exchange, Spencer granted her unlimited access to corporate credit lines, bought her expensive jewelry, paid for international trips, and gave her an elite membership. He also permitted her to sign corporate documents as an external advisor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spencer turned his head and stared at Cassandra with pure hatred.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou explicitly told me your family was going to buy thirty percent of my company!\u201d Spencer yelled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were going to do it!\u201d Cassandra panicked, her voice cracking. \u201cThey just needed a bit more paperwork processed!\u201d<\/p>\n
A legal promissory note for forty million dollars immediately appeared on the big screens.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose specific papers,\u201d Gwen continued smoothly, \u201cactually represent a massive debt owed to an illegal predatory loan ring currently under federal investigation. Cassandra forged your legal signature and put your primary office building up as collateral. They attempted to collect the debt earlier today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spencer placed both of his hands over his head in absolute horror.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo\u2026 that simply cannot be true,\u201d Spencer whimpered.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, it is entirely true,\u201d Thomas added from the stage. \u201cFurthermore, our audit revealed that you illegally siphoned funds from your employees\u2019 retirement pensions to pay for your personal lifestyle. The Federal Prosecutor\u2019s Office has already received the certified bank statements.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two federal agents in dark suits immediately walked through the crowd toward Spencer.<\/p>\n
Spencer backed away in sheer panic.<\/p>\n