“My God, that’s disgusting! The groom smells like a trash can!” Julian’s new bride shouted, and the entire church burst into laughter.
When I reached the altar, I looked at Lando. I expected to see someone naive, but I was surprised when our eyes met. Underneath the soot and tousled hair, his eyes were fearless. They were sharp, calm, and burning with a quiet power.
The Explosion of the Altar
The ceremony began. As the priest read the words, Julian laughed nonstop in the background.
“Before I pronounce you husband and wife,” said the priest, “is there anyone who objects to this marriage?”
“I object.”
A deep, cold, and resonant voice broke through the deafening laughter inside the cathedral. It didn’t come from the guests. It came from the beggar standing in front of me. From Lando.
Julian frowned. He quickly stood up from his chair. “Hey, you famished! What are you doing?! I paid you ten thousand to follow the script! Go ahead with the wedding!”
But Lando didn’t budge. He slowly raised his hands. In front of hundreds of guests and media, he took off his messy and dirty wig. He removed the fake beard that was stuck to his face. He took a wet handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the soot from his cheeks and forehead.
Everyone gasped. Even I recoiled in shock.
The filthy beggar disappeared. What emerged from under the rags was a very handsome, elegant, and feared face throughout the world of business and investment.
“W-What…?!” Julian’s jaw dropped. He turned pale as if he had seen death. His legs began to tremble until he was clutching the chair.
“My name is not Lando, Julian,” the man said coldly, now looking like an angry king standing at the altar. “I am Gabriel Imperial. The CEO and Founder of Imperial Conglomerate —the very company you are now begging to give you a fifty billion peso investment to save your failing business.”
The Truth That Broke the Billionaire
Reporters shouted and cameras flashed. The billionaire guests were in a frenzy, unable to believe that the man they had been laughing at was the richest man in the entire country.
“M-Mr. Imperial?!” Julian stammered, shivering, cold sweat dripping down his face. “W-How… why did you pretend to be a beggar on the street?!”
“Because I know about your dirty game, Julian,” Gabriel thundered back, shaking the cathedral. He pulled a black flash drive from his tattered suit and held it up for all to see. “I received an anonymous tip about your illegal activities in the stock market. I posed as a beggar outside your office and mansion for three months to collect all the evidence of your theft and money laundering.”
“That’s a lie! That’s AI!” Julian shouted in panic, about to run out of the church.
“Lock the doors!” Gabriel ordered.
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