Pampering Discarded Heroines Triggers My 10,000x Rebate System

The convoy pulled up to the front entrance of Horizon Plaza just before seven o’clock.

Outside the building, the wide plaza was lined with velvet ropes and bright media spotlights.

Dozens of photographers and journalists from local newspapers and television stations stood behind the barriers, their cameras flashing as guild leaders and high-ranking business executives arrived in luxury town cars.

The lead vehicle’s door opened, and Evren stepped out.

He wore a custom, black suit tailored to his broad shoulders. He walked around to the passenger side, offering his right hand to Amber as she stepped out in her midnight-blue silk gown. Her dark hair rested elegantly over one shoulder, and she smiled as she stood tall and steady on her heels.

From the other side, Zephyra stepped out, wearing the matte-charcoal evening dress. Her silver hair was pinned up neatly with the obsidian hairpin

As the three of them walked toward the front doors, the flashing of cameras grew intense. Reporters called out Evren and Amber’s names, but the Apex security team guided them smoothly through the glass entrance and into the private VIP elevator.

The elevator rose smoothly to the tenth floor.

When the doors slid open, the grand ballroom was already filled with warm golden light from massive crystal chandeliers.

Over four hundred guests were gathered inside. Guild masters in expensive suits, merchant directors, City Hall department heads, and community leaders mingled around rows of white-linen banquet tables.

Soft music played from the corner of the room, and waiters in black vests moved between the tables with trays of sparkling cider and wine.

Evren walked into the hall with Amber on his right arm and Zephyra on his left.

The chatter in the ballroom softened as guests turned to look at them.

Amber was no longer the injure crippled her family and guild had once discarded. As Vice-Chairman of Apex, she walked with grace, matching Evren’s calm confidence. Beside them, Zephyra’s silver hair and sharp gaze caught the eyes of the guild masters.

Mayor Henderson, standing near the front of the stage with several district council members, smiled warmly and walked over to greet them.

”Chairman Crawford, Miss Amber,” Mayor Henderson said, shaking Evren’s hand firmly. ”And Miss Zephyra. Welcome. You’ve brought the entire city together tonight.”

”Thank you, Mayor,” Evren said with a smile. ”Thank you for coming to support the foundation.”

Mayor Henderson leaned in slightly, his expression growing serious as he lowered his voice.

”Evren, there’s something you should know before you take the stage,” the Mayor murmured. ”Two hours ago, Lord Alistair’s chief legal counsel came to my office with a final emergency petition for his son Ian. When I refused to override the magistrate, the lawyer gave a veiled warning. He said if City Hall continues to back Apex, tonight will not end peacefully.”

Amber’s brow furrowed slightly, but Evren remained completely calm.

”Alistair is desperate,” Evren said quietly. ”His son is behind bars, and he knows his monopoly is slipping away.”

”Just keep your guard up,” Mayor Henderson advised, patting Evren’s shoulder. ”City Special Tactical units are on standby three blocks away. Whenever you’re ready, the floor is yours.”

Evren nodded. He gently released Amber and Zephyra’s arms, giving them a reassuring look before walking up the stairs to the stage.

The crowd gathered closer to the platform, and the television cameramen pointed their lenses directly at the podium. Evren stepped behind the microphone and looked out over the crowded ballroom.

The room grew completely quiet.

”Good evening, everyone,” Evren began. ”A few months ago, I was delivering food on an electric scooter in the rain. I saw firsthand what happens to ordinary workers and low-tier Awakeners when disaster strikes. When a miner gets trapped underground or a hunter gets injured in a rift, they are often cast aside and left with medical debt they can never pay.”

The room listened in silence. Several older guild veterans in the audience nodded slowly.

”Apex was founded on a different standard,” Evren continued. ”We believe the people who build and defend this city deserve security, respect, and permanent support. Tonight, I am officially launching the Apex Sovereign Relief Fund with an initial fifty million dollars directly from my personal account.”

A wave of astonishment swept through the ballroom before breaking into thunderous applause. Camera shutters clicked rapidly as reporters typed furiously on their phones and tablets.

”This foundation will provide full medical coverage, disability stipends, and housing support for injured workers across the province,” Evren said, looking out at the crowd. ”And with City Hall’s matching five-million-dollar grant, we are ensuring that no working family in Veridia has to face hardship alone.”

Evren stepped back from the podium as the entire room erupted in enthusiastic cheers and applause. While the crowd was looking up at the stage and clapping, Zephyra stood near the bottom of the stage steps.

She wasn’t looking at the cameras, and she wasn’t paying attention to the applause. Her dark violet eyes were slowly scanning the room, watching the people along the edges.

Her years of surviving in the underworld made her instinctively sensitive to things that felt unnatural.

Near the side tables, a few of the banquet servers were standing unusually still. They weren’t glancing at the stage or listening to the speech like the other workers. Their shoulders were rigid, and they kept shifting their weight in subtle, guarded motions.

Across the room, near the rear fire exits, two more servers were lingering close to the service carts, repeatedly checking their watches and looking toward the ceiling vents rather than attending to the guests.

Zephyra’s instincts flared. Something was definitely wrong with them.

She waited as Evren stepped down from the wooden stage steps and walked back over to where Amber and Mayor Henderson were standing.

The moment Evren reached them, Zephyra stepped close to his side. ”Evren.”

Evren turned his head slightly. ”What is it, Z?”

”Keep your guard up,” Zephyra murmured softly, keeping her gaze steady. ”There’s something suspicious about several of the waiters by the back doors and side tables. The way they’re watching the room and holding their bodies... my instincts are telling me they aren’t here to serve food.”

Evren’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked across the ballroom.

Before he could reply or call Derrick over...

CLACK!

A loud thud shook the walls as the main power breaker tripped. Instantly, every crystal chandelier, spotlight, and wall lamp snapped off, throwing the entire ballroom into pitch-black darkness.