Chapter 160: Mr. Bush

Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Mr. Bush

"Iris!"

A sharp, elderly voice called out from across the lobby.

Derrick glanced toward the sound.

Walking out from the lounge was an old man in a plain, simple suit.

Derrick recognized him right away—he was the same old man standing in the crowd back at the market.

He might not have known the identity of this simple looking old man before but now he knew who the man was.

That old man was the head of Jade Pharmaceuticals, and the spoiled girl throwing a tantrum was his granddaughter, Iris Jade.

The second Iris heard her grandfather’s voice, her angry face completely vanished. Her arrogant attitude melted away in a split second, replaced by a sweet, innocent smile.

"Coming, Grandpa!" she called back sweetly. She even bent down and helped the bellboy gather his stuff. "Here, let me help you with that. Be careful next time, okay?"

The poor bellboy was so spooked by her sudden flip that he grabbed his things, stammered a quick "Thank you, Miss," and practically ran away.

Iris turned toward her grandfather, but as she did, her eyes caught Derrick.

She saw him standing there in his disguise, watching her with a faint, knowing smirk.

She froze on the spot. Panic flashed across her face. ’shit, did he see everything?’ she thought, her stomach dropping. ’If Grandpa finds out I am causing troubles outside like this... no I cannot let him find out!’

Derrick didn’t care to say anything.

He just turned around and walked over to the reception desk, completely ignoring her.

’She really switched up in a second,’ Derrick thought with a quiet laugh to himself. ’What a fake.’

Iris stared at his back for a second, her heart beating fast.

Shaking it off, she turned around and walked over to her grandfather, who was already talking to her father as if nothing had happened.

"Welcome to the Grand Apex, sir. How can I help you?" the receptionist asked with a polite smile.

"Checking in. The name’s Bush," Derrick said, his altered voice sounding completely different from his real one.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Bush!" She tapped on her screen for a second before handing him a shiny silver keycard. "Your penthouse is on the eighty-second floor. Do you have any luggage, Sir?"

"No, I travel light." Derrick smiled at her glances before taking the card. "My driver will be dropping off some food later, though."

"Of course, sir. Have a great night."

Derrick walked over to the private elevator, tapped his silver keycard, and stepped inside. The elevator shot up silently until it chimed at the very top floor.

The doors opened right into the foyer of the penthouse.

Derrick stepped out and took a look around. The place was huge. It had a massive living room with soft couches, a private bar, three separate bedrooms, a sleek kitchen, and a big bathroom.

He walked across the soft carpet straight over to the huge glass walls at the edge of the room.

Standing right by the glass, Derrick looked down at the view below.

The whole city was spread out under him like a giant sea of glowing neon.

Down there, the city was loud and full of energy, but up here, it was completely quiet.

’Not bad at all,’ Derrick thought, taking in the view with a small smile.

He leaned against the frame, waiting for Mr. Whitley to bring up the pizzas.

...

About fifteen minutes later, the door chime rang. Derrick opened it to find Mr. Whitley holding five steaming hot pizza boxes, the cheesy aroma instantly filling the hallway.

"Here you go, Mr. Bush," Whitley said, handing them over. "The best multi-cheese and Margherita in the city, fresh out of the oven."

Derrick took four of the boxes and pushed the fifth back toward the driver. "Keep this one for yourself. I am not sure if you share my taste in them."

"Sir..." Whitley’s eyes widened in shock, he had not expected Derrick to be a man with such a big heart.

He smiled warmly and he bowed slightly. "Thank you, sir! You’re too generous. I am sure my kids would love this."

"Enjoy your night with the kids. Just be ready tomorrow evening," Derrick added, grabbing a slice while it was still hot. "We are going to have a lot of fun."

"I’ll be at the front doors early, sir. Ready whenever you are," Whitley replied confidently before heading back down the hall.

The next evening, Derrick stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the cuffs of his sleek dark suit.

With his mask active, his mature face looked calm, cold, and entirely composed.

Checking his watch, he swiped his keycard and stepped into the private elevator to head down.

A couple of floors down, the elevator paused, and the doors slid open.

The Jade family stepped inside.

Old man Jade was at the center, flanked by his son and Iris, while ten hulking men in crisp black suits crowded the back.

Derrick’s eyes briefly swept over the guards.

’Five of them alone are at Superpower stage powerhouses... No wonder they let this rotten princess join them.’

A faint, unbothered smile touched Derrick’s lips as he stood quietly in his corner and started working on his phone.

Iris, standing right next to her grandfather, kept fidgeting with the edge of her dress.

Her eyes kept darting toward Derrick, trying to steal glances without her family noticing.

She was clearly still sweating over whether this stranger was going to mouth off about her little lobby incident.

Derrick didn’t give her a single glance, keeping his gaze fixed on the phone, acting like she didn’t even exist.

When the elevator reached the lobby, the guards stepped out first, clearing a wide path for the Jades.

Derrick casually strolled out behind them, heading straight through the glass doors into the cool night air.

Right at the curb, Mr. Whitley was already holding the door open to a sleek black sedan.

"Evening, Mr. Bush," Whitley said politely.

"Evening," Derrick replied, stepping into the comfortable leather backseat. "Let’s get going."

"Right away, sir." Whitley closed the door, hopped into the driver’s seat, and pulled out on to the main road bustling with super cars, driving straight toward the auction site.