The Waiter Who Inherited the World - Part 2
The older man’s gaze remained fixed on Daniel, his sharp eyes cutting through the heavy silence of the restaurant. As he stepped closer, his eyes drifted from the bright red handprint on Daniel’s cheek to the nape of the young man’s neck, where a small, distinctive flame-shaped birthmark was visible.
Arthur Vance’s breath hitched. The legendary billionaire, a man notorious for his ruthless and unshakeable demeanor on Wall Street, suddenly began to tremble. His eyes welled with tears as he reached out, his manicured hands gripping Daniel’s shoulders.
"Your... your name is Daniel, isn't it?" Arthur’s voice cracked, thick with an emotion no one in the room had ever heard from him before. "Your mother... was she Evelyn Vance?"
Daniel stared at the billionaire in utter confusion, his mind racing. "How... how do you know my mother's name? She passed away years ago when I was just a child."
Hearing those words, a tear finally escaped the old man's eye. Without warning, Arthur pulled Daniel into a tight, fierce embrace right in front of the stunned crowd.
"It is you! Good heavens, I have finally found you!" Arthur choked out, his voice echoing in the quiet room. "My grandson... the sole rightful heir to the Vance empire!"
The entire restaurant went dead silent. The faint whispers and snickers of the elite patrons instantly vanished. People stood frozen, cutlery suspended mid-air, their mouths agape. The boy they had just looked down upon, the disposable waiter who had been slapped in public, was actually the crown prince of one of the most powerful dynasties in the world, born to inherit tens of billions of dollars.
Vivian’s face drained of all color. She stood paralyzed, her knees shaking so violently she could barely keep her balance. The restaurant manager, who just seconds ago was eager to fire Daniel to appease her, was now drenched in cold sweat, realizing he had just offended a titan.
Arthur slowly let go of Daniel, his vulnerable grandfatherly warmth instantly locking away, replaced by the terrifying, cold aura of a ruthless billionaire. He turned his gaze toward Vivian, his eyes piercing through her like ice.
"You mentioned your dress was a limited edition, and that my grandson could never afford to repay you?" Arthur spoke softly, yet the sheer authority in his voice suffocated the room. "By tomorrow morning, I will buy out the entire fashion house that manufactured that dress, and I will shut it down permanently. As for your family... if I recall correctly, your father’s company is currently begging my bank for a multi-million dollar loan extension."
Panic seized Vivian as she began to stammer frantically, "Mr... Mr. Vance, please... I didn't know! I swear I didn't know he was—"
"It is too late for regrets," Arthur cut her off without an ounce of mercy. "Before the sun sets today, your family will learn the exact cost of your arrogance."
The billionaire then glanced at the trembling manager. "As for this establishment, consider it bought out. It now belongs to my grandson. Pack your things."
Arthur turned back to Daniel, his expression softening once more as he placed a protective hand on the young man's back. "Come, my boy. It is time to go home and claim what has always belonged to you. No one will ever disrespect you again."
Daniel looked at his grandfather, then back at the room full of elite snobs who were now bowing their heads, too terrified to even meet his eyes. Walking out of the restaurant side-by-side with Arthur, Daniel left behind a room frozen in absolute terror—and a group of people who had just learned a devastating lesson about power and humility.
Stepping out through the revolving glass doors of Le Petit Jardin, the cool night breeze brushed against Daniel’s cheek, which was still burning slightly from the slap. A sleek, midnight-black Rolls-Royce Phantom was already waiting at the curb. Two bodyguards in sharp black suits immediately opened the door, bowing respectfully as Arthur and Daniel approached.
"Get in, my boy. Today, your days of laboring for others are officially over," Arthur said, his voice returning to a calm but unshakable tone.
Daniel stepped into the vehicle. The opulent interior and the rich scent of premium leather made his head spin. Sitting beside one of the most powerful men in the country, Daniel still could not fully process what had just transpired.
"Sir... what is all of this? Why did my mother never mention you?" Daniel asked hesitantly.
Arthur let out a soft sigh, his eyes gazing out the window as memories from fifteen years ago rushed back. "Your father was my eldest son. To build his own path and protect his love for your mother against the fierce opposition of the family council back then, they cut all ties and left. I spent over a decade frantically searching for them. When I finally learned they had passed away in an accident, I felt like I had lost everything... until tonight, when I saw that flame-shaped birthmark on your neck."
The car eventually pulled up to a magnificent mansion sitting isolated on a hilltop, its massive iron gates opening automatically. At that moment, Daniel understood that his old world—where he had to wake up early, sleep late, and endure humiliating stares just to earn a few pennies—had officially come to an end.
The next morning, at the executive offices of the Vance Financial Group.
Daniel appeared in a custom-tailored suit that fit perfectly, accentuating his tall, elegant frame—a physique that had long been hidden underneath a waiter's uniform. Walking right behind him was Arthur, accompanied by a formidable team of top-tier corporate lawyers.
As they entered the VIP lounge, Daniel immediately spotted two familiar figures trembling on the sofa: Vivian and a middle-aged man with a pale, exhausted face—her father, the real estate tycoon Thomas.
Upon seeing Arthur enter, Thomas immediately dragged his daughter to their knees on the floor, his voice shaking violently. "Mr. Vance! Please, I beg for your mercy! My daughter was foolish and blind to the world, she didn't know she was offending the young master. Please don't withdraw your funds! If your bank freezes our accounts, my corporation will go bankrupt in three days!"
Vivian had lost every ounce of her arrogance. Her face was drenched in tears, and she didn't even dare to look up at Daniel. "Daniel... I mean, Young Master Vance, I am so sorry. I apologize a thousand times. I was completely blind. Please tell the Chairman to spare my family..."
Arthur didn't even glance at them. He pulled out the center chair at the head of the table for Daniel to sit in, standing right behind him like an immovable mountain. "Daniel, from this day forward, all the assets and supreme decision-making power of this branch belong to you. Whomever bullied you, their fate is entirely in your hands."
Every eye in the room locked onto Daniel. Vivian looked at him with desperate, pleading eyes, hoping that the pity of a formerly poor waiter would save her.
Daniel looked at Vivian's trembling hands—the very hands that had slapped him without a second thought over a piece of clothing. He offered a faint smile, a calm yet chilling smile that carried the unmistakable gravity of the Vance bloodline.
"Mr. Thomas," Daniel spoke, his voice slow but heavy with authority. "I am not a heartless man. I will not drive your family to utter ruin."
Vivian and her father let out a massive sigh of relief, about to bow their heads in gratitude, but Daniel raised a hand to cut them off.
"However... arrogance always comes with a price. Your corporation's loan will be extended, but under one condition: you must transfer 49% of your company shares to the Vance Group. And the second condition..." Daniel turned his sharp gaze directly onto Vivian, "Miss Vivian here, starting tomorrow, will report for work as a waitress at the exact same restaurant, Le Petit Jardin. The duration is one year, without pay, and under strict supervision. This is so she can understand the true value of labor and respect for human dignity."
Vivian's eyes widened in sheer horror, completely paralyzed by the verdict. For a high-society heiress who had lived a life of pure luxury, being forced to carry trays, clean tables, and take orders from others was a fate worse than death. But looking at Daniel’s piercing eyes and the approving nod from the billionaire Arthur, Thomas knew this was their only lifeline.
"Yes! Yes! We accept! Thank you, Young Master Vance, for your mercy!" Thomas frantically dragged his stunned, catatonic daughter out of the room.
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As the heavy doors closed, Arthur clapped Daniel firmly on the shoulder, letting out a loud, proud laugh. "Brilliant! Not utterly ruthless to the point of destruction, but knowing exactly how to use power to shatter the pride of the arrogant. You are just like your father."
Daniel stood up, walking over to the floor-to-ceiling glass window that overlooked the sprawling, magnificent city below. His first battle in the world of power had ended, but he knew that his new life as the heir to the Vance dynasty had only just begun.
