The Unshackled King (by David Wu) novel Chapter 105

Stefan smiled to himself. He was a man who appreciated straightforwardness, so after bidding Nina goodbye, he headed out first.

Back at the Stewart Mansion, the West Compound Villa, he found Chuck and his wife entertaining a well-dressed young man.

Chuck was especially enthusiastic, chatting away and bursting into hearty laughter from time to time.

Stefan studied the guest, dressed in luxury brands, wearing a costly Patek Philippe watch and gold-rimmed glasses. Handsome in a polished, almost pretty-boy way.

As Stefan entered, the young man's gaze shifted toward him.

As he saw Stefan's plainly ordinary, bargain-bin attire, the visitor's lips curled with a hint of disdain.

Stefan caught it but showed no reaction, ignoring him entirely.

"Stefan, you're back."

Audrey rose to greet him, her face lit with a warm smile.

Stefan nodded casually. "Mrs. Stewart, we have a guest?"

Audrey replied, glancing toward the young man, "Yes, this is Sara's university classmate, Evan Sterling. He just returned from abroad and stopped by for a visit."

Learning the stranger's identity, Stefan had no interest in engaging further and made to head upstairs.

"So you're Stefan—the one engaged to Sara?" Unexpectedly, Evan stepped forward. "Mind if I ask what you do for a living? Any notable achievements yet?"

His tone carried a faint mocking edge.

During his earlier chat with Chuck, Evan had already pieced together Stefan's background. The question was intentional.

Stefan met his gaze calmly. "Just out of prison. No steady job yet."

"What?" Evan feigned shock, his voice dripping with exaggerated disbelief. "You must be joking, man. Sara isn't just River City's most beautiful woman—she's incredibly talented and capable, practically running parts of the Stewart Group single-handedly. And her fiancé doesn't even have a job? You've got to be kidding!"

"He isn't kidding." Chuck cut in sharply before Stefan could respond. "Right now he's unemployed and utterly useless."

"Mr. Stewart, how can this be?" Evan turned to Chuck, frowning with concern. "A grown man without work—that's unacceptable. You can't expect Sara to support him later on, can you?"

Damn it—a fresh-out-of-jail ex-con with no job. What right did he have to act so cocky in front of Evan?

If not for his engagement to Sara, Evan wouldn't even spare him a glance.

What did Stefan possibly offer that made him deserve Sara?

Just wait—Sara would be Evan's eventually.

A smug smile flickered across Evan's lips. With Chuck taking his side, things were going perfectly.

Audrey had stayed quiet until then. She'd noticed Evan's subtle jabs and mockery earlier, and it had already rubbed her the wrong way.

Stefan was the son-in-law she'd chosen—she couldn't stand Evan's condescending act.

But as a hostess, she'd held her tongue out of politeness.

Hearing Chuck's outburst, though, she finally found an outlet for her rising anger. "Chuck, have you lost your mind, shouting like that? Offering a security guard position—since when does Stefan need to feel grateful for that? If he really wanted to be a guard, we have openings right here in our own company. Why would he go to theirs?"

Chuck was left speechless.

Seeing the tension, Evan quickly interjected, "Mr. Stewart, Mrs. Stewart, please don't argue over this. I meant no harm—just wanted to encourage him. A man really shouldn't drift along without ambition..."

"Evan, don't waste your breath on him. He's hopeless. Nothing gets through to him," Chuck grumbled, his expression sour.

The thought of his daughter being tied to someone with a criminal record—jobless, aimless, utterly unaccomplished—left him seething inside.