Cheated & Despised, now the Billionaire Heir
Ethan Cole has spent his entire life being treated like dirt—an orphan, a nobody, the kind of person people look right through. But the ultimate betrayal comes from Vanessa, the girl he gave everything to, only for her to use and discard him like he was nothing.
Just when he thinks life can’t get any worse, a shocking truth is revealed: he was never meant to live in poverty because he is the rightful heir to the Aurelius fortune, the son of the powerful Magnus Aurelius.
Now, armed with his true identity and the resources of the Aurelius Group at his fingertips, Ethan is ready to make everyone who looked down on him pay. But as he steps into the world that was stolen from him, he realizes that his enemies who separated him from his father never left and are ready to strike again.
With betrayals at every turn and secrets more dangerous than he imagined, Ethan must fight to claim what is his. But power comes at a price.
Will he survive long enough to take revenge? Or will the past swallow him whole before he gets the chance?
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Chapter: Chapter 372The dining room felt unusually quiet.Ethan, Jessica, Lara, Theo, Marcel, and Max sat around the table, eating in near silence. Silverware clinked softly against porcelain, the only sound filling the space. On the surface, it looked like a normal dinner. But it wasn't.Ethan had finished his meal moments ago and now leaned back in his chair, fingers resting casually on the edge of the table. His eyes moved slowly and deliberately between Jessica, Lara, and Theo, studying them one after the other.One of them was a traitor.And after what had happened, Ethan was certain of it.His eyes lingered subtly as he studied them.Lara chewed slowly, her fork pausing now and then as if she were distracted by her thoughts. She avoided looking directly at Marcel, her gaze drifting instead toward the far end of the table before snapping back to her plate.Jessica sat straighter than usual, shoulders rigid. She ate neatly, but her jaw tightened every time Marcel spoke even a word to Max in a low
Last Updated: 2025-12-27
Chapter: Chapter 371The car came to a stop in front of the mansion.Staff members moved around the grounds, clearing debris, setting overturned planters back in place, and sweeping shards of broken glass from the driveway.Two gardeners worked to replant flowers that had been trampled. A maintenance worker repaired the front gate’s electronic panel, which had been damaged during the forced entry.Inside, through the windows, Ethan could see housekeepers moving furniture back into place, straightening paintings on walls, and vacuuming carpets.But his attention shifted quickly to the three figures standing at the mansion’s entrance.Jessica, Lara, and Theo.The instant Ethan stepped out of the car, Jessica broke into a run. "Ethan!"She closed the distance between them in seconds.Then, she jumped into him, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck as if letting go would make him disappear again.He caught her easily, one arm securing her waist.She pulled back just enough to look at him, his arms still w
Last Updated: 2025-12-27
Chapter: Chapter 370The police station doors swung open, and Ethan stepped out into the late afternoon sunlight.Immediately, reporters swarmed him from all sides. Cameras flashed and microphones were shoved forward as questions came flooding in.Ethan’s operatives and Theo had been released an hour earlier, just as Ethan had ordered Adrian to do.Unlike Ethan, their release hadn’t been made public. No reporters. No cameras. Just a quiet dismissal and a car ride back to their respective locations.The crowd quieted slightly as Ethan stopped walking and raised one hand.A reporter pushed to the front. “Mr. Aurelius, when you were first arrested this morning and learned why you were being detained, what was your reaction? How did you feel, knowing you were innocent?”Ethan took a moment, as if considering his words carefully. Then he spoke.“When law enforcement accuses you of something—especially something serious—the natural reaction is shock. Perhaps even anger.” He paused. “But if you know you’re in
Last Updated: 2025-12-24
Chapter: Chapter 369Adrian trudged out of the room, his shoulders heavy with a weight that hadn’t been there before.Lucas was already waiting in the monitoring room with Morgan. The moment he saw his father’s face, Lucas straightened.“Dad,” Lucas said, stepping forward. "I've confirmed what Morgan said. No one accessed that room except the officer."He paused, his brow furrowing. “Which makes me think maybe it’s the officer. Maybe Ethan got to him somehow, and make him pass the message to Marcel to betray us.”The officer had been a member of The Shadow before it collapsed, and was one of those former members Adrian had invited to join The Order with promises of power and position.“No," Adrian said, his voice coming out low and defeated. Lucas blinked. “What do you mean, no?”“It wasn’t the officer.”Lucas scoffed, throwing his hands up. “Then how? How was Ethan able to communicate with Marcel? Does he have some kind of telepathy power? Mind-to-mind communication?”He shook his head, frustration cl
Last Updated: 2025-12-24
Chapter: Chapter 368Adrian stepped inside the moment the door clicked open.Ethan’s head lifted slightly, and a slow smile spread across his face.“Oh,” he said.“My dear uncle finally grew the balls to show his face."Adrian didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he crossed the room in measured steps, his eyes never leaving Ethan’s face.“You always had a talent for stating the obvious,” Adrian said coolly as he pulled out the chair across from Ethan and sat down.Ethan leaned back, the smirk never fading. His cuffed hands rested on the table. “For you to be here personally, something must be eating at you. Curiosity, maybe?”He leaned forward slightly, his eyes glinting. “What is it, uncle? What’s got you so rattled that you couldn’t stay in your little observation room?”Adrian’s brow furrowed. His jaw tightened. “How did you do it?”Ethan blinked innocently. “Do what?”“Don’t play games with me.” Adrian’s voice dropped lower. "You know exactly what I’m talking about.”Ethan gave a slight shrug, acco
Last Updated: 2025-12-24
Chapter: Chapter 367Adrian stood with his hands clasped behind his back, staring through the glass at Ethan.Ethan sat calmly in the metal chair, his posture relaxed despite the handcuffs now on his wrists.Lucas stood beside his father, arms crossed, jaw tight.Behind them, Chief Superintendent Morgan shifted his weight from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable with the silence.“What has he requested since his arrest?” Adrian asked without turning around.Morgan cleared his throat. “Nothing, sir. Just water.”He pointed through the glass at the plastic bottle sitting on the interrogation table in front of Ethan. “And he hasn’t even finished that.”Lucas tilted his head, one hand rising to stroke his moustache. His brows drew together. “Really?”He couldn’t figure out how Ethan had known what they were planning. He and his father had kept everything under wraps—both the arrest and the plan to bomb the chamber. They hadn’t even told the council members until after Ethan was already locked up.So how did
Last Updated: 2025-12-23
