Bracing himself, Jackson held her hand firmly as he spoke. All this time, he had endured everything in silence, fearing that if he ever lost control, his anger would spill over. His chest was already heaving with fury, but still he forced himself to stay calm.

The entire room fell silent at the sight of Jackson daring to stop Madam Ester's hand-his own mother-in-law's hand.

Seeing an opportunity to shine, Jacob leapt up and stormed over toward where Madam Ester, Jackson, and Jennyfer were standing.

"You filthy beggar! How dare you?!"

Smack!

Madam Ester slapped Jackson across the face with her free hand. Jackson didn't resist. He was used to his mother-in-law's blows, and he didn't mind them-as long as Jennyfer didn't suffer because of him.

Thud! Thump!

Suddenly, Jacob threw a punch at Jackson's face and followed with a blow to his stomach. Caught off guard, Jackson staggered and fell hard to the floor.

"You worthless beggar! How dare you defy Aunt Ester?!" Jacob shouted, playing the hero while pretending to defend Madam Ester's honor.

"Brother Jacob?! Why did you hit my brother-in-law?!" Jennyfer cried out in shock, running to Jackson's side and crouching down beside him. Her heart seethed with rage-this wasn't the first time she had seen Jacob deliberately abuse her brother-in-law.

Jackson looked briefly at Brielle, then smiled. He tried to endure-not the sting of the slap or the pain of Jacob's punches. No, the real pain came from seeing the woman he loved treat him as if he didn't exist.

"It's okay, Jenny. Brother-in-law is fine," Jackson whispered with a faint smile before forcing himself to his feet and walking away, leaving behind the wealthy family that had always trampled on his dignity.

-

Night fell deeper. By now, Jackson had finally eaten dinner. It was only because Jennyfer insisted, after all the guests had left, that he had sat down to eat-even though earlier he had already been lying down in his room.

After dinner, Jackson helped Jennyfer clean up the kitchen before returning to his room, where he lay back down on his bed. His thoughts, however, were restless. He kept dwelling on the money that his sister-in-law had paid Jacob on his behalf. Somehow, he was sure that his wife had given Jacob's account number to Jennyfer.

In his hand, Jackson now held the letter that had been delivered earlier by his father's men. Inside wasn't just a handwritten letter from his father, but also several cards and important documents.

The words of the men echoed in his head: "Mr. President..."

Questions swirled endlessly in Jackson's mind. Why had his father entrusted him with so many cards and important documents? Especially after their falling out, when Jackson had stormed off in anger because his father planned to remarry-barely months after his mother's death. That betrayal had left Jackson furious and heartbroken.

As his thoughts drifted, Jackson suddenly heard a commotion nearby. It was coming from the room next door. He stepped out of his room and found himself standing in front of the door right beside his own.

"You think you're rich, huh?! How dare you pay off that worthless beggar's debt-the debt that he should've repaid himself!"

Silence. It was clear now-Madam Ester had just discovered the truth. And no doubt, it was Brielle, her beloved daughter, who had told her everything.

It was certain that Jennyfer only kept silent, not daring to answer at all. Yes, that had always been her habit.

"Useless child! Where did you get that much money, huh?! From where?! Did you steal Mother's money?!"

"No, Mother. That money was given to Jenny by Grandpa long ago. There's no way Jenny would steal from you."

This time, Jenny gathered her courage to answer the accusation made by her mother, Madam Ester.

"When did Grandpa give you that much money, huh?! He's been dead for almost two years! How could that money still exist?!"

"It's still here, Mother. Jenny never used it."

"How dare you talk back! Worthless child! Liar!"

Slap!

"Ahh! That hurts, Mother. Please don't do this. Jenny isn't lying to you."

Jennyfer's muffled sobs could now be heard, making Jackson's heartbeat pound faster in his chest.

"You'd better not be lying!"

Jackson froze, hearing his sister-in-law crying after being scolded and treated so harshly by her own mother-all because she had tried to help him.

Quickly, Jackson walked back into his room and quietly closed the door behind him.

Now, Jackson sat still, staring blankly as he turned several cards over and over in his broad palm.

Morning came. As usual, Jackson had finished all his chores at dawn, and now he was about to have breakfast before leaving for his father-in-law's palm oil plantation. But just as he began to eat, his mother-in-law stormed in and suddenly kicked the plate he was holding while sitting on the kitchen floor.

Crash!

It wasn't the sound that shocked Jackson, but the fact that his mother-in-law had suddenly treated him that way. Hadn't he finished all his chores this morning?!

"Useless beggar son-in-law! You worthless trash! Earn money and replace Jenny's money first before you dare to eat! How dare you spend my money! Do you know?! The money Jenny used was mine!"

Jackson stiffened, his mind instantly recalling the conversation he had overheard last night. Jenny had clearly said that it was her own money. Why was his mother-in-law twisting the facts now?

"Mother, enough. Don't be like this. Jenny will give you all of Jenny's money. Here, take Jenny's ATM card and passbook. Jenny doesn't have anything left."

Jenny rushed over, handing her mother the ATM card and passbook that her grandfather had given her when she was a child.

"Good! At least you know your place. All this money rightfully belongs to me. I've fed you since you were little, and now you dare to talk back? Move aside!"

Not only Jackson, but now Jennyfer too was berated by her own mother-and this was still early in the morning.

After taking what she wanted, Madam Ester left without looking back.

Jackson was stunned at what his sister-in-law had just done. Jennyfer then picked up some tissues to help Jackson after he gathered back his food. Luckily, the plate was plastic, so it hadn't broken.

"Forgive Mother, Brother-in-law. There's still another plate of breakfast on the table. Please eat that one."

Jackson's chest tightened again at her words. He wondered what kind of heart his sister-in-law had. How could such a fragile girl act so calmly after experiencing so many cruel things that should never have happened to her?

"No need, Jenny. That's for you. I'll eat outside later. I'll be going now."

With that, Jackson went into his room, then soon after walked out to take his tools for the plantation.

Just as he stepped out of the mansion, Jacob appeared with several of his neatly dressed friends in suits.

"Hey, worthless beggar! Where are you going?! Off to slave away at the plantation? Tsk tsk tsk... how pathetic your life is."

"Haha! Why not just be a toilet cleaner in my house instead? I'll pay you fifty bucks a month!"

Suddenly, one of Jacob's friends chimed in, raising an eyebrow smugly.

"Hahaa! That's a good idea, Hendrik! He could work mornings at your place, afternoons at Dirman's, and evenings at Santoso's. Just like those daily-wage washerwomen. Not bad, right? Fifty bucks per house per month. Save up enough and maybe you could buy yourself a little motorcycle, so you wouldn't have to wear out your feet walking everywhere. Don't they hurt?!"

"Hahahahaaa!"

Hearing the mockery from Jacob and his friends, Jackson simply walked past them without a single word.

His chest had been pounding since earlier, and now, after all the insults, his heart felt like it was racing uncontrollably. Jackson's teeth clenched tightly, his jaw trembling as he tried to suppress the pain and fury. His breathing grew heavier, holding back the anger boiling inside him.

No! This is enough!

Jackson strode into the parking lot of the biggest bank in town and made his way to the entrance.

The security guard, busy with his phone, didn't notice him, so Jackson went straight inside.

"Hey! Stop right there!"

A shout came from the Customer Service desk, and a man quickly blocked Jackson's path as he moved toward the tellers.

"We don't accept charity collections here! Get out!"

Jackson frowned, glaring sharply at the man who was trying to drive him out. But then he took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

"I want to withdraw money," Jackson said firmly, glancing at the man's nametag. Johardi, S.E.

"Withdraw money?!" Johardi sneered.

Just then, the security guard rushed in after hearing the commotion.

"Yes, sir!" the guard said, saluting Johardi.

"Throw this beggar out!"

Thud!

Jackson stiffened again at Johardi's words. He had clearly said he wanted to withdraw money. A cold smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

"So this is how you treat customers?!"

"Of course, we respect our customers. But not a beggar like you! Security! Drag this man out right now!"

The guard immediately grabbed Jackson by both arms and shoved him roughly.

"You dare mess with me?!" Jackson barked firmly.

"Oh, heavens, this beggar! Sir, if your house doesn't have a mirror, let me lend you one so you can take a good look at yourself!"

Just then, a woman dressed in a black blazer and white long-sleeved shirt walked over, pulling out a small mirror from her pocket as she lectured him.

"Your face may be a little handsome. But look at this," said the woman in the black blazer again, holding up the mirror toward his worn-out shirt and shabby work pants-showing just how pitiful Jackson looked.

Jackson, feeling his time had already been wasted and humiliated enough by these lowly people, immediately reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

"Yes, Mr. President Director."

A voice answered from the other side.

"Wijaya Kusuma. Get down here right now!"

"Yes, Mr. President Director."

Wijaya Kusuma was the branch manager of this very bank, appointed by the Central Bank and tasked with overseeing this branch under his responsibility.

Hearing the manager's name mentioned so casually, and being ordered around so easily, the three people surrounding Jackson frowned in confusion. Before they could even finish processing what was happening, Wijaya Kusuma came jogging over to Jackson.

"Ready, Mr. Pres-" his words faltered.

"Silence! Do you know what they've done to me?!"

Wijaya Kusuma froze, his eyes darting toward the three staff members encircling Jackson.

Glukk!

He nearly died on the spot when he saw the furious face of Jackson-the only son of the owner of World Bank, which had hundreds of branches across the globe.

"I am a customer here. No matter how I dress or how I look, I am still a customer. Do I deserve to be treated like this?!"

Jackson's voice remained calm as he pulled out the black card he had been holding earlier.

Death!

That was the only word flashing in the minds of the three who had mocked, belittled, and even tried to throw Jackson out with such degrading words.

They had never seen a customer carry a Jackson Card with that special engraving, the glint catching all three pairs of eyes at once. That black card was said to belong only to a handful of people across all branches of the World Bank owned by Emerald Raksa Hethawey-or perhaps only to the Raksa Hethawey conglomerate family themselves. Who knew? Small employees like them certainly didn't.

Without warning, the three who had mistreated Jackson instantly lowered their heads and dropped to their knees before him.

But what did Jackson do?

He simply walked away into a room-as though he knew exactly what it was and where it was located in every bank owned by his family.

Wijaya Kusuma's eyes bulged at the sight of the three kneeling employees. Bewildered, he quickly signaled with his fingers before hurrying after Jackson, followed by the troublemakers as well.

The room immediately grew heavy with dread. The man who had appeared like a beggar moments ago now looked terrifying to those three. Jackson's face, now brimming with barely contained fury, made even Wijaya Kusuma's heartbeat stumble in fear.

"Wijaya Kusuma. Explain to me why they still deserve to remain employees here!"

Rrzzzz!

It was as if a high-voltage current had struck the three wrongdoers. Their legs trembled violently before they collapsed into full prostration before Jackson, who stood with his arms crossed.

"M-Mr... they..." Wijaya Kusuma stammered, unable to defend them, terrified by the rage of the Sultan's heir.

"Honored Sir. Forgive me, I was wrong. Please don't fire me, Sir. Have mercy. I swear I'll change my behavior toward anyone who comes here, no matter how they look or what their status is. Please, Sir, pity me. My wife is heavily pregnant and about to give birth to our first child. Please, just give me one more chance, Honored Sir."

The security guard begged in desperation, knowing the three of them were about to be immediately fired. Forget the hospital fees-up until now, the company had even covered employees' family medical care and pregnancy checkups. What would become of him and his family now?!

"Mercy, Honored Sir. Please don't fire me. I've been saving for my wedding next year. If I lose my job, how can I get married?!" added Johardi, the Customer Service officer.

"That's your problem! It has nothing to do with me!" Jackson snapped, his fury rising. After all, Johardi was the very first one who had stopped him.

Silence.

The arrogance, the haughty pride, and the sense that the bank belonged to them-all of it evaporated in an instant, shrinking their courage to nothing.

Suddenly, the woman in the black blazer and white shirt shuffled forward and clutched Jackson's foot-his worn-out sandal barely hanging on.

"Forgive me, Sir. I truly was wrong. Please forgive me," the woman who had been so loud earlier now whispered weakly. The way she pleaded instantly reminded Jackson of his mother-in-law, who was always yelling and insulting him.

"What's your name?"

"S-Sintya, Sir."

"Where's the mirror you used earlier to reflect my face and my clothes?" Jackson asked, lowering his voice-not out of calmness, but from holding back his rage.

Hearing Jackson's softened tone, Sintya's heart leapt with joy. Surely this meant he would forgive her-perhaps even take a liking to her. After all, she was the branch's darling. With her striking beauty and voluptuous figure, she took pride in being a prized asset.

Sintya quickly pulled out the compact mirror she always carried to check her flawless appearance. She could not stand even a speck of dust or a stray hair marring her perfect face.

Excitedly, she opened the compact and handed it to Jackson, tilting her face upward hopefully.

"Stand up!"

Sintya shot to her feet instantly, now standing right before Jackson. At his chin's height, she had to lift her face slightly to look into his eyes.

Glukk!

She swallowed hard. Only now did she realize how truly handsome Jackson was. Beneath his shabby clothes, he was a man with strikingly sharp features and an undeniable aura of charisma.

He had a sharp aquiline nose, thick black eyebrows with a bold line, long dark lashes, and eyes that were a shade of deep brownish-black. His jawline was strong and well-defined, and his lips... Jackson's lips could make any woman forget how to breathe when close enough. Those full lips had a natural reddish tint. Unlike most men whose lips turned dark from smoking, Jackson's lips were strikingly different.

"Try turning this mirror toward your own face now."

Sintya obeyed, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Her heart pounded wildly, a feeling she wasn't used to. If every day she acted aloof and hard to get with men, this time she found herself completely captivated by Jackson's striking looks and commanding posture. Unfortunately, this realization came only after she had made the biggest mistake of her life.

Her reflection appeared in the mirror, showing Sintya's own beauty and her sweet smile.

"Do you see that terrifying face of yours?! That heavy makeup and lipstick make you look like an old woman who just chewed betel nut and areca leaves! Is this how you've been serving customers here all this time?! Tch! This is beyond embarrassing!"

Sintya's heart nearly stopped. The insult she had hurled at Jackson had been thrown back at her tenfold. Her self-confidence, which had been fluttering with butterflies, felt as if it had just been drenched in filthy sewer water.

How could this be? Right in front of her was Wijaya Kusuma, who had been pursuing her for a long time and had once confessed his feelings-only to be harshly rejected. And now?! She was being humiliated by the very man she had insulted-right in front of three other men! This would be a lifelong lesson for Sintya, a black mark full of exclamation points in her memory.

"Wijaya Kusuma!"

"Yes, Sir Pres-?"

"Don't just keep upgrading your advanced technology system! If the staff's attitude and service are this terrible, there's no need for tolerance! Give them a strict punishment! These three will replace the cleaning staff and clean every room for the next three months. If they can't...."

Silence.

Everyone waited for Jackson's next words, though they still had no idea who he truly was or how important he was in this branch of the World Bank where they worked.

"Then get out!"

The three men who had confronted Jackson earlier widened their eyes and swallowed hard. How could they possibly refuse? Their company was known for giving overtime pay even for the slightest extra work. Where else could they find such benefits?

"Yes, Sir!"

Wijaya Kusuma didn't dare make another mistake. Twice now, he had almost let slip Jackson's true identity, and both times his words were cut off. Slowly, he began to understand what the only son of the owner of hundreds of World Bank branches across nations wanted.

Jackson walked out of the room calmly and headed toward the teller without further obstacles.

That evening, after returning from his father-in-law's plantation, Jackson saw Jacob's car parked in front of Madam Ester's grand house once again.

Just as Jackson was about to step inside, he heard Jacob's loud voice, clearly intended for him to overhear.

"This is a genuine diamond I ordered from South Africa. The finest diamond, and I present it to you, Brielle. You are the most beautiful woman in the entire country I've ever met."

Jacob's words dripped with flattery as he opened a jewelry box the size of a bowl.

Jackson froze, watching his wife happily accept the blue velvet box, her face glowing with joy.

"Oh my, Jacob! This is gorgeous! You truly are the ideal son-in-law!"

Madam Ester exclaimed excitedly, praising Jacob's generosity. She picked up the diamond necklace and held it out to see it more closely.

"Are you serious about giving this to me, Jacob?" Brielle asked, her cheeks tinged pink.

"Of course, Brielle. Can't you see? I brought this here especially for you," Madam Ester quickly chimed in, putting the necklace back into its box.

"Do you know, Brielle? This cost four hundred thousand dollars-about five billion in rupiah."

Jacob lifted Brielle's chin, making her look directly at him as he spoke loudly.

"Wow! You truly are an incredible man, Jacob!"

Madam Ester gasped when she heard the price of the diamond necklace Jacob Wagendez had brought for her eldest daughter-the daughter she was most proud of.

"Thank you for the compliment, Auntie. Now, let me place it on your graceful, fair neck, Brielle."

Jacob took the necklace and began to fasten it around Brielle's neck.

Jackson stepped forward. Normally, he would have stayed silent. But not this time. He had had enough of watching Jacob get closer to his wife.

Clink!

Jackson snatched the necklace from Jacob's hands and let it fall to the floor.

"Jackson!"

Madam Ester screamed in shock as her eyes fell on the diamond necklace worth billions lying on the ground.

"How dare you?! Do you know how much that diamond necklace costs?!"

This time, Jacob, equally stunned, grabbed the collar of Jackson's simple shirt tightly, ready to throw a punch.

Thud! Thud!

Jacob landed a punch on Jackson's solid shoulder, then swung again toward his handsome face. But while the first blow struck his shoulder, the second was swiftly blocked by Jackson's quick reflexes.