Chapter 163 The Garza Family
Renee came to a halt, her eyes drifting toward the two women whispering among themselves. A tall man now stood before them, his back turned to
her.
The women, startled by his firm interruption, exchanged uneasy glances. Though embarrassment flickered across their faces, they couldn’t place who he was. That uncertainty kept them from snapping back immediately.
“Who even are you? We’re having a conversation. It has nothing to do with
you.”
“The person you were mocking happens to be my friend. That makes it my
business.”
Renee let out a quiet chuckle, folding her arms as she settled in to watch the exchange.
“Your friend? Which family do you belong to? I don’t remember seeing you at any of Tofral’s high–class gatherings.”
“I’m not from any distinguished family. I run an amusement park. But I don’t need a title to call out rudeness, do I?”
One of them scoffed, “You, an amusement park owner, think you can
lecture us? We’re talking. We can say whatever we want.”
Realizing he was nothing more than a small–time businessman, the women straightened with renewed confidence. Someone of his standing would never have been welcomed into Tofral’s elite circles. If he had been, his sharp features would have made him memorable. But he was clearly no one important. That meant they had no reason to hold back.
“A grown man eavesdropping on our conversation. Don’t you find that pathetic?”
“Do you have any shame at all?”
Renee pressed her lips together, trying to stifle a laugh. The man, caught off guard by their barrage of words, looked utterly lost.
There was something almost pitiful about it.
“Derek, what’s going on?” A young woman stepped forward at that
moment.
The shift in the air was immediate. The once–arrogant women stiffened, their confidence faltering.
“Dolores, hi.”
“Wait–You two know each other?”
Dolores cast a sharp look at them, her tone laced with disapproval. “I heard you both mocking Derek from a distance, saying he lacks manners. Tell me, what exactly did he do?”
“N–No, it was just a misunderstanding.”
Dolores came from a powerful family that owned an entertainment company. Challenging her wasn’t an option.
“A misunderstanding?” Dolores arched a brow. “I heard you belittling him. You called him just an amusement park owner and dismissed him entirely. That’s funny. Do you even know who he is?”
“Alright, Dolores, that’s enough.”
“No, Derek, you can’t keep letting people walk all over you. If you keep hiding your identity, people will assume you’re not worthy of—” She hesitated, and then glanced discreetly in Renee’s direction. “Well, you know who.”
Renee caught the look but said nothing.
Derek remained silent.
“Fine, if you won’t say it, I will.” Dolores, undeterred, lifted her voice as she turned to the women. “Listen up, you two! He’s the heir of the Garza family from Stotta. Are you still looking down on him now?”
The weight of her words hung in the air. The Garza heir? From Stotta?
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Those who had been quietly observing couldn’t hide their surprise any longer. In Tofral, the Mitchell, Doyle, and Perez families held the highest status. But in Stotta, only one name reigned supreme–the Garza family.
“Gee! Mr. Garza?”
“Here’s my business card, Mr. Garza. Let’s stay in touch during your stay in
Tofral.”
Renee, still absorbing the revelation, could only stare as people started fawning on Derek.
Derek was from the Garza family?
He had been a part of Stotta’s most powerful lineage all along and she had no idea!
