A Wealthy Man Humiliated My Mechanic Son, Not Knowing Who I Was — Part 2

Previously: When a wealthy snob assaults a humble young mechanic to stop him from dating his daughter, he has no idea the boy's powerful father is watching.

The Tables Turn

Marcus let out a short, mocking laugh, completely unfazed by Robert's warning. He stepped closer, looking down his nose at the older man.

"And who exactly are you supposed to be? His lawyer?" Marcus mocked. "Listen, old man, I don't care who you are. This grease monkey has been sniffing around my daughter, Clara. I am Marcus Vance, CEO of Vance Logistics. I own half the commercial real estate in this district. I can have this pathetic garage shut down by tomorrow morning."

Robert didn't blink. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number, keeping his cold, calculating eyes locked on Marcus the entire time.

"William," Robert said into the receiver. "Cancel the acquisition of Vance Logistics. Pull all our capital from their commercial projects. Yes, effective immediately. And call the police to Apex Auto Care. I want to report an assault."

Marcus's smug smile faltered for a fraction of a second, but he quickly forced a laugh.

"You're bluffing," Marcus sneered, though a seed of doubt had clearly been planted. "You think you can play games with me? You're just a guy in a nice suit."

Before Robert could reply, Marcus's phone began to ring loudly in his pocket. He pulled it out, his eyebrows furrowing as he saw the caller ID. It was his chief financial officer.

"What is it, Harold?" Marcus snapped.

The voice on the other end was frantic, loud enough for both Robert and Leo to hear.

"Marcus, we have a massive crisis! Our primary investor, the Sterling Group, just pulled all funding! They've cancelled the acquisition deal! We are going into default within the hour if we can't reverse this!"

Marcus's face drained of all color. His hand began to tremble as he stared at Robert, the realization hitting him like a physical blow. The Sterling Group was owned by Robert Sterling, one of the most powerful, reclusive billionaires in the state.

"You..." Marcus whispered, his voice cracking. "You are Robert Sterling?"