Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

Chapter 483: Gentlemen Club

The Gentlemen Club stood brightly lit against the night sky.

Luxury cars filled the parking lot.

Valets hurried from one vehicle to another while security officers greeted arriving members with respectful nods.

Stefan pulled into the parking space reserved for him and switched off the engine.

He stepped out of the car, straightened his jacket, and walked towards the entrance.

A wide smile spread across his face as the doors opened automatically.

The sound of laughter, conversation, and music greeted him immediately.

The large hall was already full. Hundreds of men occupied the room. Some stood in small groups talking while others laughed over drinks. A few gathered around the gaming tables, completely absorbed in their games.

Not a single woman was present. Not even a female server or member of staff.

The Gentlemen Club had always been strict about its men-only traditions.

The moment Stefan stepped into the hall, loud applause erupted and echoed across the room. Men abandoned their conversations, drinks, and games as they turned towards him with broad smiles.

“Congratulations, Stefan!”

“Congratulations!”

“Happy married life!”

“We’re proud of you!”

Stefan laughed, shaking his head as applause continued from every corner.

“Thank you!”

Jamal appeared first. “There he is! The man of the hour.”

Callan walked over beside him with a wide grin. “The groom finally decided to honour us with his presence.”

Stefan laughed. “I wasn’t late. I was asked to come at this time.”

“Yeah,” Jamal agreed. “We just wanted to tease you.”

Callan threw an arm around Stefan’s shoulder. “Come on. The guest of honour doesn’t stand at the entrance.”

The three men walked through the cheering crowd as they chanted Stefan’s name.

Members reached out to shake Stefan’s hand as he passed. Others patted him on the shoulder.

Stefan paused when he spotted Jax in the crowd and grinned. “Good to see you, Jax.”

“I wouldn’t miss this for anything. Congratulations,” Jax said, shaking Stefan’s hand before he continued forward.

Standing at the foot of the platform were Tom and Harry, the founders of the Gentlemen Club. They each pulled Stefan into a warm hug.

“We’re proud of you, son,” Harry said, slapping Stefan’s back.

“Thank you,” Stefan said, feeling very grateful that he’d had them to guide him all these years.

At the front of the hall stood a raised platform with a comfortable gold chair in the centre.

Matt, Jamal’s father, gestured towards it. “Your throne for the night, Stefan.”

Stefan laughed. “I feel like a king.”

“You are,” Bryan said with a chuckle.

“But just for tonight,” Lucas added, and those around them laughed.

The applause slowly faded after Stefan sat down.

Philip, one of the oldest members of the club, and the emcee for the night, walked onto the stage and picked up the mic.

He smiled warmly at Stefan before looking around the hall. “Gentlemen.”

The response came instantly, loud enough to shake the room.

“Responsible men and happy husbands!”

Then silence settled over the hall.

“Tomorrow, one of our own begins another chapter of his life.”

Everyone clapped again.

Philip smiled. “I remember walking down the aisle with the love of my life twenty years ago.”

“Phil, we don’t want to hear about it,” Harry called out, making everyone laugh.

“Hater. Harry here wanted to be the emcee for tonight, but the lot fell on me, and that’s why he’s hating,” Philip said, making everyone laugh.

“We don’t want to hear it because every time you emcee a bachelor’s eve, you talk about your wedding,” Tom fired at him.

“Like you all don’t talk about yours,” Philip retorted, and they all laughed.

Philip cleared his throat. “While some men may say the day they got married is the worst day of their lives or the day they made their worst mistake. Every married man here is not only happy but proud to recount his wedding day, am I right, gentlemen?”

“Yes!” They all echoed.

“Of course. If your answer is no, we’d kick you out of here,” Philip joked, making the hall roar with laughter.

He became serious again. “Although tomorrow’s wedding is an intimate ceremony and many of us won’t be physically present,” he looked towards Stefan. “We are here tonight because we refuse to let one of our brothers walk into marriage without celebrating him.”

Applause filled the room.

He waited until it died down. “As usual, tonight is not a night for advice.”

Several members nodded.

“Stefan has been with us since he was eighteen. The values required to become an excellent husband have been ingrained in him long before today.”

More nods spread through the audience, and Stefan smiled.

“We all know that no member of this club is permitted to be anything less than an excellent partner to the spouse he freely chooses.”

A loud round of applause followed.

Philip smiled. “So tonight, there will be no lectures. There will only be celebration. And then one final test to be sure Stefan has been listening to all we’ve been teaching.”

Several men chuckled.

Stefan laughed. “I knew this was coming.”

“It always comes,” Jamal said chuckling.

Philip picked up a card. “Are you ready?”

Stefan nodded confidently. “I’m ready.”

The first question appeared on the large screen behind him.

“If your wife looks visibly upset but tells you she is fine, what will you do?”

Stefan smiled. “I’ll believe her words enough to respect her space if she insists she needs it. But I won’t pretend everything is okay simply because she said she’s fine. I’ll stay close enough so she knows I’m there if she needs me, but far enough to let her breathe. Then I’ll ask again later, and if she still isn’t ready to talk, I’ll remind her that whenever she’s ready, I’ll be there. And if she wants, I’ll give her a hug, no question asked. Just cuddle her until she feels okay enough to tell me what is wrong.”

The hall erupted in applause. Some of the older members nodded approvingly.

Philip smiled. “Excellent.”

The second question appeared on the screen.

“During an argument with your partner, what matters more—winning or understanding?”

Stefan answered immediately. “Understanding. There is no winning between partners. We win together, we lose together.”

The emcee laughed. “Well spoken, like a gentleman! I like that answer.”

The third question appeared.

“If your wife makes a mistake that costs your family money, how will you respond?”

Stefan smiled. “We will solve the problem first. Then we’ll sit down together and understand what happened. I never want my wife to be afraid of telling me the truth.”

The hall erupted into applause.

The questions continued.

“How will you make sure your children never doubt they are loved?”

“They’ll hear it. They’ll see it. They’ll experience it every day.”

“What will you do if your wife succeeds beyond you financially?”

“I’ll celebrate her. Her success is our family’s success.”

The hall stood. The applause lasted almost a full minute.

Philip smiled proudly. “I believe our brother is ready.”

“So do we!”

Voices echoed throughout the room.

The gift presentation began.

One by one, members came forward.

A limited-edition Swiss watch. A luxury Italian leather travel luggage set. A custom-made gold cufflink collection engraved with Stefan’s initials. A handcrafted humidor. A premium home theatre system. A rare collector’s fountain pen. An executive office desk carved from imported walnut. A lifetime golf club membership. A luxury espresso machine.

Gift after gift covered the front of the hall.

Then came the envelopes. Some members handed Stefan sealed envelopes.

Others transferred funds electronically and simply showed him the confirmation.

Stefan’s eyes became misty as he stood there receiving the gifts.

“Thank you. I honestly don’t know what to say.”

Harry slapped his back lightly. “I believe thank you is good enough. Besides, you’ve given as much as you’ve received.”

“I’m torn whether to give you my gift tonight or tomorrow,” Jamal said with a grin.

“It must be so little seeing as you have it here with you and we can’t see it,” Callan joked making Stefan and those within hearing shot laugh.

“Yeah, it’s little. No amount of gift would be big enough to celebrate Stefan,” Jamal said fondly.

“True. And that’s why I’m torn on what to get you, Stef. I’ve thought long and hard yet nothing comes to mind. What can I get you?” Callan asked thoughtfully.

Stefan chuckled. “A private jet wouldn’t be bad idea.”

“You thief!” Callan hissed, making everyone laugh again.