"I heard the McDaniel family's Great Demon King is at this party, too. He's in the private lounge, right?"

"Yeah, but not just anyone can get up there. I'd love to see what he actually looks like; there aren't any photos of him online."

"That's the confidence of a winner—doesn't care about the spotlight. He's in a whole different league than Neville."

"But when the Great Demon King first returned to the McDaniel family, you were the one saying he was way behind Neville in terms of resources and skills."

"Don't act like it was just me. When we were all betting on who'd become CEO of the McDaniel Group, didn't you put your money on Neville, too?"

The group fell silent for a moment before someone sighed. "Who could have predicted that Neville, groomed with the best resources from the start, would end up losing...?"

Maeve was just on the other side of a potted plant wall, and it was hard not to overhear their conversation. Swallowing a bite of cake, she casually asked Bonnie, "Why do they call him the Great Demon King?" She thought, Doesn't it sound kind of embarrassing?

Hearing this, Bonnie immediately perked up. "As you just heard, the McDaniel family has two sons, but the eldest was lost for many years and only found a few years ago. I heard he had a tough life before he was found. Even though he got into one of the top universities in the country, he couldn't compare to the younger son, who was showered with resources. Back then, everyone assumed the younger son would inherit the family business. They thought the eldest didn't stand a chance. But the McDaniel Group's chairman was fair. He set a challenge for his two sons: whoever could multiply their startup funds by ten within a year would inherit the group."

Bonnie told the story with such flair that Maeve couldn't help but be intrigued. "And then? Did the younger son win like everyone expected?"

"Nope! Wow!" Bonnie shook her head. "He lost in less than a year. The eldest son not only multiplied the funds by ten, but when the McDaniel Group's supply chain hit some snags, he stepped in with strategies that solved the issues, causing the company's market value to skyrocket. Meanwhile, the younger son, who thought he had a huge lead, looked back only to realize he'd lost everything."

That's why people in their circle started calling the eldest McDaniel son the Great Demon King. Neville had every advantage—top-tier resources, vast connections—yet he lost to someone who'd never had a day of elite education. It wasn't that Neville was lacking; his opponent was simply that formidable.

Maeve was full of admiration. "To grow up in such tough circumstances and still turn out so exceptional, the eldest son is really impressive."

"Impressive as he is, I've heard he's difficult to get along with—cold, unpredictable, and his peers are all afraid of him," Bonnie shivered a little. "But we're not likely to ever cross paths with him."

Maeve nodded, then asked, "What's his name?"

Just as Bonnie was about to answer, someone called out, "Bonnie, what are you doing hiding here? Come on, I need you to greet the elders with me."

"Oh, you're here, too?" Bonnie quickly stood up and apologized to Maeve. "Maeve, I have to go meet the elders. Will you be okay on your own?"

Maeve waved her off. "I'm not a child. Go ahead, I'll be fine."

"Alright, see you later." With that, Bonnie hurried off.

Maeve finished her cake and got up to take a walk in the garden. Since she was already there, it would be a shame not to explore a bit.

Meanwhile, in the lounge, after three rounds of gambling, the young men around the table looked increasingly despondent as their bets ended up in Ray's pocket.

"It looks like no one here is going to win the transfer deed to all my restaurants of the George Group today. What a shame," Ray said with a grin, casually picking up the contract from the table and glancing at the bottom. "Anyone else want to keep going? If not, I guess we're done here."

Jeff sat there, his face pale, staring at the cards in his hand. His legs, still aching from the night before, trembled violently. He had lost again. He thought, This hand is even worse than the last; I've gambled away all the property Father has given me. If Father finds out...

"Wait, Mr. George! I'll keep playing!" Jeff shouted, his eyes gleaming with desperation as he raised his voice to get Ray's attention.

Ray toyed with the deck of cards, smiling. "Mr. Graves, from what I've seen, you're out of things to bet. What do you plan to use for this round? This contract is worth over 20 million dollars, but if you don't have the means to win it from me, it's better not to push your luck."

His casual tone only fueled Jeff's anger. Without thinking, he blurted out, "I'll bet everything I just won, plus my shares in Graves Group! That should be enough, right?" He thought, This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If I can win that contract from Ray, not only will Father start taking me seriously, but the board of directors will also back me. There is no way Nestor will be able to take the company inheritance from me! I have to go all in on this hand—and I have to win.

Ray looked at Jeff's greed-twisted face with a knowing smile. "Sure."

Half an hour later, the game ended. Jeff slumped back into his seat, drenched in cold sweat, clutching his head as he muttered, "Impossible... Impossible..." He thought, How could I lose? I was so close to winning! But now, not only had he lost everything he'd won earlier, but he had also gambled away his shares in Graves Group. He had completely lost his standing in the fight against Nestor. He had nothing left. He thought, Father will never hand over the company to a son who has lost his shares...

"Mr. George, Mr. George!" Jeff scrambled to his feet and begged Ray, pleading desperately, "Take anything else, just please... can I get back the Graves Group shares?"

"Mr. Graves, are you trying to go back on your word?" Ray raised an eyebrow.

Jeff was about to respond when the other young men, who had been watching, spoke up.

"What's this? Can't handle the game and now can't handle the loss either?"

"Mr. George warned you not to push it, but you got greedy. Now you're paying the price. Who's to blame?"

"We usually stop after three rounds, but you insisted on a fourth. Now you regret it? That's just pathetic."

The room buzzed with mocking remarks, and Jeff's face burned with shame. He wanted to snap back, but since it wasn't their shares they had lost, it was easy for them to criticize. But the families of the men in this room were all more powerful than his own. If he dared to insult them, the Graves family's business would be in serious trouble.

"Mr. George..." Jeff swallowed his pride, forcing himself to beg. "Please, show some mercy."

Ray crouched down, his smile unwavering. "Why didn't you think of that before you crossed the wrong person? I'll be keeping your shares. If you want them back, I could be generous and sell them to you—at ten times the price. Think it over and get in touch."