The Enticing CEO's Chosen Bride novel Chapter 1765

The room was filled with a perplexed silence, underscored by sheer astonishment. They all had a bold suspicion stirring within them. Yet, they dared not believe it.

If their suspicions were true, then the recent actions of Presley, from his press conference to deny any relationship with Damon, to his eviction of Damon from the Harper estate, and his constant attempts to publicly ridicule Damon, were all inexplicable.

They had heard him accuse Damon of being a penny-pinching gigolo, of being unremarkable, and even of becoming a cuckold's . He had even demanded that Damon apologize to Mr. Azriel, using the Harper name as a shield.

Was it possible Presley was simply ignorant of his grandson's true identity?

All eyes turned to the second seat on the left, where Presley sat. His face was twitching slightly, his gaze shifting rapidly between Damon and Azriel, his expression unreadable. "Mr. Azriel, what is the meaning of this? Have you perhaps taken the wrong seat?" he demanded.

Azriel gave a polite, nonchalant smile. "Mr. Presley, surely you jest. Since I am attending this Global Economic Summit, I certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to not know my own seat."d2

Presley's expression changed dramatically, his hand gripping his walking cane tightly. "What are you implying?" he asked, his voice deadly calm.

Azriel simply shook his head, choosing not to answer. He knew that Presley understood the implications, but was simply unwilling to accept them.

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. All eyes turned back to Damon. Dressed in a tailored three-piece suit, his posture was impeccable. His hands rested lightly on the edge of the conference table, a diamond-studded cufflink sparkling at his wrist. His demeanor was one of effortless elegance and commanding presence.

His eyes swept over the room, and everyone present felt an involuntary tightening of their muscles, as if they were facing down a loaded gun.

Gone was their initial perception of him as a mere gigolo. All it took was a change of perspective, and everything was turned on its head.

Even now, they could hardly believe what they were seeing. The man they had dismissed as insignificant, the man they had ridiculed and underestimated, was actually...

Damon slowly leaned into the main seat and gracefully took his place.

A few seconds later, a deep, icy voice pierced the silence of the room, transmitted through the hidden microphone on the table. "I am Damon, the founder of Obsidian."

The room fell into a stunned silence. Despite their earlier suspicions, the confirmation sent shockwaves through the crowd.

He wasn't just the CEO, but also the founder. The mastermind behind the number one ranked global enterprise was so young.

Presley, too, was taken aback, his eyes widened and his lips trembling. "What...what did you say?"

Damon glanced at him coldly. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I am indeed capable of supporting myself."

More than just capable.

"You're the founder of Obsidian?" Presley asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "How is that possible? How could you establish such a large corporation, and ascend to the top of the international market in just a few years? Are you trying to show off in front of me? Do you feel like you're in a movie? Is this some sort of game to you?"

Azriel simply laughed, lounging back in his chair. "Mr. Presley, you seem to be more willing to believe that I could be the founder of Obsidian than your own grandson," he said. "Isn't that a strange attitude? I believe you should be well aware of Damon's capabilities."

Presley's cane tapped against the conference table, making a "thud thud" sound. He lowered his gaze, his expression inscrutable. Eventually, he let out a bitter laugh. "I see...I see."

It was a joke. He had been the butt of the joke from the very beginning.

No wonder Damon had been able to give up the Harper Group without a second thought; he had bigger fish to fry.

His pride and joy, the Harper family, was nothing more than a stepping stone to Damon. It wasn't even worth comparing to the woman he had chosen.

His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and memories, of all the times he had mocked and belittled Damon. Now, the tables had turned, and it was he who was the fool.

There was no more room for embarrassment, only the harsh reality. The room was filled with the same sentiment.

Presley's recent actions had been a series of ill-advised moves, the details of which were well-known to everyone present.

The man who had once held the Harper family on a pedestal had repeatedly used the family name to belittle and coerce Damon and Chloe. This was public knowledge. And now, looking back, it all seemed so laughable and embarrassing.

Robin's expression at the moment was particularly grim. It wasn't until now that he finally understood why the Harper family had been constantly targeted by the Obsidian Group recently, with a series of big and small issues eating away at the company bit by bit. Compared to a swift death, the slow torture was far more terrifying.

When Damon said 'going all out against the Harper family', he really meant it.

He had underestimated Damon.

But who would have thought that the only strong 'opponent' of the Harper family would be Damon, of all people in the entire world?

What a joke! Initially, he was unwilling to hand over the vast Harper family business to his elder brother, then to Damon. After much effort and struggle, he finally took hold of the family business. To his surprise, Damon had already dismissed the Harper family as unworthy.

It was truly ridiculous.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Mr. Asher stepped in to break the ice. "Mr. Harper, why don't you start by telling us about the development history of Obsidian?"

Everyone snapped back to reality, their attention focused on Damon.

"There's nothing special about it," Damon said nonchalantly. "It was just a college project. I didn't expect it to grow to its current scale."

Silence filled the room. His words shocked everyone.

Now, Damon was sitting among the world's elite international businesses, holding the top position, and they thought he would have a heart-wrenching story of struggle and grandeur. But it turned out to be just a college project?

Did he even realize how hard it was for college students to find jobs these days, let alone start a business?

And judging from his attitude, starting a business in college was clearly just a game for him. As a result, he inadvertently created a world-leading corporation.

How could people, who had struggled for decades, even inheriting businesses established by their former generations, accept this?

Chloe raised an eyebrow in surprise. Was that really the case? She had thought he was looking for a good alternative platform for his arms dealing business.

So, Obsidian Group was founded when he was in college? That meant that Obsidian Group had been around for some time.

Everyone gritted their teeth in annoyance. Even Mr. Asher looked rather embarrassed. "So could you tell us what were the key factors that contributed to your group's success? Such as the business scope and direction."