Chapter 532: Pretense and Insincerity

The social gathering at the Four Seasons Hotel was filled with familiar faces. Zachary brought Jonathan, at George's suggestion, to familiarize him with the business world. He glanced down at the small boy. "Brat, remember to call me 'Daddy' later."

Jonathan looked up. "Call you what?"

"Daddy."

"Ugh!"

Zachary was speechless. Playfully slapping Jonathan's bottom, he muttered, "While you're still young, discipline is sometimes necessary." Spanking Jonathan unexpectedly brought a sense of closure to his own childhood, marked by Nathaniel's frequent beatings.

Jonathan, flushed with embarrassment, distanced himself. After perfunctorily introducing Jonathan to a few people, Zachary retreated to a corner to drink, finding the gathering rife with pretense and insincerity. He impatiently dismissed those attempting to ingratiate themselves.

Jonathan, trailing behind, spotted Stella. "Isn't that the bad woman, Stella?" he muttered.

"Just go by yourself," Zachary replied curtly, to Jonathan's request to use the restroom. Jonathan rolled his eyes; Zachary hardly seemed like a caring father figure. He worried about being kidnapped. Nevertheless, he went alone. Zachary, confident in Jonathan's intelligence, wasn't concerned—a decision he would later regret.

Chapter 532: Pretense and Insincerity

Stella, despite Nicholas' reassurances, arrived cautiously, hiding amongst the crowd upon spotting Zachary. Yvette's fiancé, Francis Murdock, immediately noticed her.

"Ms. Ross, it's been a long time."

Stella, her eyes captivating, replied, "Mr. Murdock, it's been a while," forgetting he was her friend's fiancé. Francis, accustomed to female attention, sensed her interest and enjoyed their conversation.

Jonathan, weaving through the crowd, witnessed their intimate exchange. He discreetly snapped photos with his phone-watch, planning a prank on Stella, when he overheard, "Nathaniel has arrived."

Whispers and laughter followed. "Isn't Nathaniel blind? How did he get here?" "Someone must be helping him."

Jonathan, despite his dislike for Nathaniel, bristled at the mockery. He approached the loudest laugher, feigned a stumble, and ripped the man's trousers.

"Oops! Mister, I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional."

All eyes turned. The man, now exposed in lewd anime-themed underwear, was mortified.

"You little brat!"

He raised a hand to strike Jonathan, who fled. The man, hampered by his untucked trousers, nearly tripped in pursuit, to the amusement of the onlookers. He could only bow his head and readjust his clothing.

Nathaniel and his companions noticed the commotion, but Jonathan, small and amidst the crowd, went unnoticed by Mason. Nathaniel's arrival was met with disdain from those who'd once courted his favor—a fact not lost on Mason. He knew their fickle admiration would soon turn to desperate pleas for collaboration.