Chapter 2: The Man No One Dared to Challenge
Matteo stopped beside Anna.
Without a word, he removed his overcoat and gently draped it over her trembling shoulders.
Only then did he bend down and pick up the uneven lock of hair lying on the marble floor.
He held it for a moment.
His fingers closed slowly around it.
When he finally looked at Ethan Marlo...
...the temperature inside the ballroom seemed to drop.
"You cut her hair."
It wasn't a question.
Ethan forced a laugh.
"She ruined my suit."
"So?"
The single word echoed louder than shouting.
Richard Marlo finally stepped forward.
The billionaire developer smiled politely.
"I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding."
"My son simply lost his temper."
"We'll write your wife a generous check."
Matteo looked at him as though he had spoken another language.
"You think this has a price?"
Richard's smile weakened.
"I think reasonable people settle accidents."
Matteo slowly turned toward the dozens of guests.
"So every person here watched?"
Nobody answered.
Phones quietly disappeared into pockets.
Eyes fell toward the floor.
Then Matteo looked at Anna.
"Did you apologize?"
Anna nodded.
"Three times."
"Did you offer to pay?"
"Yes."
"And he still cut your hair?"
A tear rolled silently down her cheek.
"Yes."
Matteo inhaled once.
That was all.
He removed his phone.
Dialed a single number.
"Begin the acquisition."
Nothing more.
He ended the call.
Ethan smirked.
"What acquisition?"
Matteo slipped the phone back into his pocket.
"The Marlo Group."
Laughter exploded across the ballroom.
Someone actually applauded.
Richard smiled confidently.
"You can't buy my company in the middle of dinner."
Matteo checked his watch.
"No."
"I bought enough of it this morning."
Silence.
Richard's phone vibrated.
Then vibrated again.
His face slowly lost its color.
Board members.
Lawyers.
Investment banks.
Emergency notifications flooded his screen.
His largest institutional shareholders had just accepted a hostile takeover offer.
Voting control had changed.
The Marlo Group...
...no longer belonged to the Marlo family.
Richard whispered,
"No..."
Matteo calmly answered,
"Ten minutes ago...
...it became mine."
The ballroom erupted into shocked whispers.
The billionaire who had entered as the most powerful man in the room...
...was now unemployed.
And everyone knew it.