Marilyn became increasingly angrier as she dwelled on what happened.

Brody soon got up from the ground in dismay. He looked exceptionally miserable with a blue nose and a swollen face.

"Impossible! Iris is the Youngs' eldest young lady! She's a very respected person. None of Springfield City's rich and powerful young men ever caught her attention, so how did a piece of trash like Leon do it!"

"Maybe the two of them just happened to know each other..."

Brody covered his face and groaned in pain.

Iris was a goddess in his eyes, contrasting strongly with his low impression of Leon. He would sooner die than believe that there was a special relationship between Leon and Iris!

"You're right! Iris couldn't have taken a liking to him unless she's blind... But on second thought, even if Iris was blind, she'd never fancy some garbage like him!"

Marilyn smiled disdainfully, and his heart became felt a little more at ease.

"Who cares what kind of relationship they have?! It's all Leon's fault that this happened to me. I'm going to get back at him for this!"

Brody had a resentful look on his face.

He could not afford to provoke the Youngs and was afraid of holding a grudge against Iris too.

As a result, he blamed everything on Leon!

The surrounding bystanders could not help but look down in disdain when they saw how shameless Brody and Marilyn were.

Everyone saw how Leon persuaded Iris into letting Brody go.

Brody, however, did not show any gratitude and resented Leon instead!

It was simply too shameless!

Unfortunately, the Sullivans were powerful, and all that the others could do was despise him silently without saying it to his face.

...

Leon was left with nothing after getting a divorce from Marilyn.

He had no belongings, and the most important necessity for him at the moment was a place to stay.

The Sovereign Hotel was one of the most luxurious five-star hotels in all of Springfield City, and Iris planned to have him settle down there for the time being. She could also ask him the exact details of what happened the previous night.

When they arrived at the hotel, Iris motioned for her bodyguards to wait outside while she took Leon in.

"Welcome to The Sovereign Hotel," two attendants smile professionally to welcome them.

When Leon walked on the hotel's red carpet, he looked around and was shocked by how splendid and luxurious the decor was.

He never stepped foot in a place as high-end as a five-star hotel, and he could not help but feel a little uncomfortable to be there.

Furthermore, his tattered clothes were a stark contrast with the hotel.

He took each step with caution for he was worried that his shoes might stain the hotel's high-end red carpet.

"Hold it! This is a high-end hotel. Beggars aren't allowed to enter! Shoo! Beg somewhere else!"

There came a youngish 27- or 28-year-old woman who was dressed in a supervisor's uniform.

She put on an attitude of superiority and yelled harshly at the two attendants who greeted Iris and Leon. "What's wrong with you two? Are you blind? How could you let a beggar in?!"

"Who are you calling a beggar?" Iris was startled and did not know how to respond for a moment.

Moments later, she saw the supervisor walk up to Leon before pointing at him. "Get out of here, you miserable beggar!" the supervisor yelled, stopping short of actually shoving him out.

Leon already felt ashamed of himself, to begin with, and his face turned red as soon as the supervisor scolded him. How he wished he could just burrow into a hole in the ground!

Iris understood what happened and her pretty face immediately turned cold. She pushed the woman's finger away and said, "You're the one who's blind. Does he look like a beggar to you? He's my friend! We're here to book a room..."

"Book a room?"

The supervisor looked disdainfully at Iris from head to toe. "You dress like a rich lady but you're booking a room with a beggar? I suppose you're the same as him then. Now get out of our hotel, both of you!"

Iris was furious. "Only mean people like you can say such things. Where's your manager? Tell him to come out here and meet me!"

"Who do you think you are? What right do you have to ask for our manager?" the supervisor smiled contemptuously.

Iris trembled with anger. Had she not controlled herself for the sake of her identity, she would have slapped the supervisor in the face already.

The hotel staff were already alerted to the commotion there.

A young man about 36- or 37 years old rushed over as quickly as possible, and nametag that wrote 'Lobby Manager - Wendell Dyer' was pinned to his suit lapel.

"What's going on, Cheryl? Tell me what happened!" Wendell asked.

"Cousin! You came at just the right time. These two beggars are causing trouble and it's affecting our hotel's image..."

The supervisor pointed at Iris and Leon with a contemptuous expression.

Wendell looked in the direction of Cheryl's finger and immediately saw Iris.

His first glance elicited awe, for he was captivated by Iris's beautiful face and noble temperament.

On his second glance, his expression changed greatly, and beads of cold sweat began appearing on his forehead!

Iris seldom appeared in public, and few of those who were not within the circle of rich or powerful individuals knew what she looked like.

Wendell was never qualified to know Iris, but since the Youngs' business spanned many industries, they would usually entertain VIP guests or major customers of the company by arranging a stay for them at The Sovereign Hotel.

It was by sheer fortune that Wendell was able to meet Iris once before, so he knew Iris's identity at a glance!

At this moment, Wendell was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he almost fell to his knees.

She was not the kind of person he could afford to offend.

"Where's security? Somebody, call security! Is this how you do your job in this hotel? Aren't you going to hurry up and chase those two beggars away!" Cheryl went so far as to start yelling like nobody's business.

"Enough!"

A furious Wendell slapped her.

Following that crisp slap, Cheryl staggered and fell onto the ground.

"W-w-w-why did you slap me?"

Cheryl covered her cheek with one hand and was stunned by that slap.

"You dimwit! Do you know who this is? This is Iris Young! The Youngs' eldest young lady!"

Wendell glared at Cheryl fiercely and he went to chew Cheryl out!

Cheryl was his distant cousin, which led her to bully some of the lower-ranked attendants in the hotel because she was connected to him by blood.

He turned a blind eye to her transgressions for the sake of their relatives, but Cheryl caused some serious trouble by provoking Iris!

Given the Youngs' influence in Springfield City, he would be made to suffer alongside Cheryl if the matter was not handled well!

"She... She's THE Iris Young?!"

Cheryl was dumbfounded.

She never saw Iris before but knew about Iris's reputation rather well. She knew that Iris was the Youngs' eldest young lady and was also the highest-acclaimed of four famous beauties in Springfield City!

Even if the Youngs did not come for her, Iris's rich admirers would almost certainly rip her to shreds once they found out that she offended Iris.

Cheryl was so frightened that her knees went weak. She knelt immediately and started begging for mercy.

"Miss Young, I'm sorry for not knowing who you were earlier. I didn't mean to offend you. Please find it in your heart to forgive me, rather than take offense with someone like me who is beneath you..."

Cheryl shivered with fright and continued to beg for mercy.

Wendell's heart sank when he saw Iris's expressionless face. He scolded her sharply, "Slap yourself!"

Cheryl hesitated for a moment but eventually gritted her teeth and started slapping herself. She continued to slap herself even harder as she said, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry..."

She slapped herself with each apology until the corners of her mouth started to bleed.

"Apologize to my friend!" Iris ordered coldly.

"Of course, of course... I'm sorry, Sir. I was wrong..."

Cheryl did not seem to care anymore that Leon was a beggar and immediately knelt in front of him to apologize.

Leon was startled and felt a little overwhelmed.

In the past, his daily routine was divided between staying at home and working at the company. He never went anywhere else.

He never even heard about the four beauties of Springfield City, let alone the Youngs.

He also had no idea that the Youngs were an influential family, and he had no clue as to how formidable the Youngs were.

All he knew was that Iris ordered her bodyguards to beat Brody senseless at the Civil Records Office.

Then there was also Cheryl, who was so frightened after knowing Iris's true identity that she knelt and began begging for mercy.

Those two incidents led him to postulate that the Youngs must be a rich and powerful family.

There was no doubt that Leon felt Iris up quite a bit the previous night, but Iris seemed to have acted as if none of that happened, causing Leon to wonder why that was the case...

Leon let his imagination run wild for a moment but quickly brought himself back to reality.

He walked over to Iris and gently pulled her arm, whispering, "Don't worry about her, Iris. I'm used to this kind of treatment anyway..."

Iris felt a pang in her heart. She sensed the bitterness and helplessness in Leon's words, along with a subtle hint of his insecurities.

"Miss Young, this is entirely Cheryl's fault. I will handle her appropriately and ensure she learns from her mistakes. Please consider giving her another chance," Wendell pleaded sincerely.

His growing animosity towards Cheryl became evident. He knew he had to prevent her from causing more trouble in the future. While she may have been spared on this occasion, allowing her to continue with her mischief would eventually lead to his own downfall.

"Get up! Since my friend has chosen to forgive you, I will give you one more chance. I hope you'll learn to improve your behavior in the future!" Iris snorted coldly.

She had the capacity to forgive when the situation called for it.

After all, she disliked using her status to oppress others and had no desire to engage in arguments with insignificant individuals.

"Thank you, Miss Young. Thank you, Sir..."

Cheryl finally found the courage to stand up, though her clothes were already drenched in cold sweat.

Many of the guests became alarmed.

Upon realizing that the noble and beautiful woman before them was Iris, their eyes sparkled with surprise and admiration.

Some discreetly took out their cell phones, hoping to capture Iris's beauty in photographs.

"Let's go, Leon..."

Iris quickly realized that something was amiss and promptly pulled Leon out of the hotel.

Hotels could be tricky places, as it would be inappropriate to book a room with Leon. Any misunderstandings or rumors that may arise would be detrimental to both of them.

While Iris had a clear conscience and nothing to fear, many of her suitors were from influential and affluent families.

A misunderstanding of this nature could easily cause unnecessary trouble for Leon.

That was the last thing Iris wanted.

...

Dragonbay Villas was renowned as one of the most upscale and prestigious residential areas in Springfield City. Surrounded by mountains and rivers, it boasted breathtaking scenery.

Only the wealthy and famous, the muses of business tycoons, and those whose reputations were synonymous with elegance and luxury could afford to live there.

Iris purchased two sets of high-end clothing for Leon from a nearby mall before returning to her villa with him.

"I don't think it's wise to book a hotel room for you to stay in. You can stay at my place for a few days, and tomorrow I'll help you find a rental house. Once all the formalities are taken care of, you can move into your new home," Iris said, her cheeks slightly flushed.

As someone who valued her chastity, she had never allowed a member of the opposite gender into her residence, let alone invited them to stay overnight.

However, she made an exception in this case to express her gratitude to Leon for saving her life.

Of course, her trust in Leon stemmed from the fact that he had shown integrity by saving her. It convinced her that he was a good person.

"Thank you, but you don't have to buy me a house..."

Leon waved his hands.

He quickly realized that his words could be misinterpreted to mean that he wanted to stay at Iris's house indefinitely.

"That's not what I meant... What I meant was that I would be grateful if you could help me find a place to rent. Once I've earned some money, I'll repay you for the rent you paid," Leon said with an awkward smile.

Iris returned his smile and didn't take his words to heart. She took out his ID card and handed it back to him, saying, "Here's your ID card. My men found it in the garbage dump, and it made me wonder how it ended up there in the first place."

"You're a lifesaver!"

Leon's face lit up as he took the ID card.

Though he had no money at the moment, having his ID card meant he could find a job as soon as possible to meet his basic needs.

A tinge of embarrassment washed over Leon as he recollected how his ID card had ended up in the garbage dump. He chose not to delve into the pitiful details of his married life, sparing Iris from the full explanation.