Chapter 68: Tyler Collins’ Plummeting Finances

Soon, dozens of people entered the ballroom, escorted by the young man who had addressed Leonard earlier. The group consisted mostly of men, with only three women ranging in age from twenty to forty.

The young man introduced them. “This is Mr. Collins, and these are his son, Tyler, and his newlywed wife, Hailey Camden.”

The newcomers smiled and greeted, “Hello, Mr. Collins and Mr. Tyler!”

Both Leonard and Tyler straightened their posture, basking in the admiration of the crowd. Tyler, in particular, felt a surge of pride at the sight of so many people paying their respects.

However, as he scanned the faces before him, a sense of unease crept into his mind. Many of them seemed eerily familiar.

Frowning, he strode forward, his tone condescending. “I heard from my father’s chauffeur that you’re all business owners. Tell me, what kind of companies do you run?”

One by one, they responded:

“Enigma Co.”

“Sky Domain Online Games.”

“TriLife Health Technology Co.”

As they listed their businesses, Tyler’s face turned ashen.

He recognized every single company name.

They were the very companies he had invested in—businesses that had all gone bankrupt, costing him millions.

A cold sweat broke out on Tyler’s forehead. “You… You’re the ones who caused me to lose everything!”

Leonard’s eyes narrowed. “Tyler, did you invest in these companies? How much of the seventy-five million dollars I gave you is left?”

Tyler swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper. “Nothing. I lost everything.”

Smack!

Leonard’s hand struck Tyler’s face with a resounding slap. “You wastrel! You squandered seventy-five million dollars!”

Hailey gasped in shock. It seemed like only yesterday that Tyler had boasted about turning that sum into seven hundred and fifty million. Now, he had nothing.

Holding his stinging cheek, Tyler pointed an accusatory finger at Jordan. “Dad, it’s Jordan Steele! He’s behind this! He targeted me!”

As soon as Tyler spoke, the dozens of business owners turned away from him and rushed toward Jordan.

The sheer number of them caused Leonard, Tyler, and Hailey to stumble backward.

“Hey! What are you all doing?” Leonard barked, struggling to keep his footing.

Hailey shrieked in alarm as they were jostled aside.

The businessmen stopped two meters from Jordan before dropping to their knees.

“Mr. Steele! Please spare us!”

“Mr. Steele! Please forgive us!”

Gasps filled the ballroom as the sight of so many business owners kneeling before Jordan sent a ripple of fear through the onlookers.

“It turns out they’re not here for the Collins, but for Jordan Steele!” someone whispered in awe.

“He’s powerful enough to bring down all their companies? That’s terrifying!” another muttered.

“Jordan Steele must be the most formidable businessman in Orlando!”

Sipping his coffee, Jordan finally spoke, his tone casual. “If the Collins stop investing in your companies, I’ll stop targeting you.”

Relieved, the businessmen sprang to their feet and turned on Tyler.

“Tyler Collins, stop investing in our companies!”

“Damn it, I’ve been suffering because of you! Don’t put another cent into my business!”

“You need to compensate me for my losses, Tyler!”

The outburst sent Leonard into a fury. “Get them out of here! Now!”

The Collins had anticipated trouble and had hired security in advance. However, the businessmen were defiant.

“We each paid $1,500 as a gift to attend! You have no right to throw us out!” one shouted.

“Leonard Collins, are you seriously trying to take our money and kick us out? How shameless can you be?” another demanded.

Leonard’s face burned with embarrassment. The Collins didn’t need such a paltry sum, but the humiliation of being called out in public was unbearable.

“Return each of them double what they gave!” he snapped.

Fuming, Tyler gritted his teeth. He would rather waste tens of thousands of dollars than allow his family to be humiliated any further.

Once the businessmen left, Tyler turned back to Jordan, his rage uncontained. “Mr. Steele, I don’t know what my son did to offend you, but making him lose seventy-five million dollars is too much! I’m sure you suffered losses, too!”

Leonard knew that forcing companies to shut down required significant financial backing. It wasn’t something done on a whim.

But Jordan remained unfazed.

“Go ask your son what he’s done,” Jordan said coolly. “And don’t concern yourself with my losses. Hundreds of millions mean nothing to me.”

Hailey felt her breath hitch.

Hundreds of millions mean nothing to him?

She had left Jordan for money. And now, she realized she had betrayed a man whose wealth eclipsed anything she could have imagined.

Leonard’s expression darkened. He had suspected this conflict was somehow tied to Hailey. But now that she was married to Tyler, he had no choice but to stand by them.

Leonard straightened his spine. “Mr. Steele, you’re rich, I’ll give you that. The Collins may not be as wealthy as you, but we’ve been in business in Orlando for decades. We have strong connections here. I heard you only arrived in this city a few years ago.”

His voice turned cold. “I’ve made a lot of friends here over the years—including some with less-than-legal influence. If they find out someone dared to target my son, they won’t stand idly by. They’ll retaliate. And trust me, they don’t follow business ethics.”

A warning.

A threat.

Victoria’s temper flared. “Leonard Collins, how dare you threaten Mr. Steele?!”

Jordan lifted a hand, signaling her to remain calm.

Meeting Leonard’s gaze, Jordan smirked. “I’d love to see what your so-called ‘connections’ can do to me. Who exactly are you referring to?”

Leonard sneered. “You’ll meet him soon enough.”

He pulled out his phone and dialed. “Mr. Dalton, are you here yet?”

A deep voice responded. “I arrived a long time ago. I’m at the entrance.”

Leonard’s smirk widened. “Then why haven’t you come inside? I’ll come out to bring you in.”