The Billionaire's Hidden Son-in-Law
To Sophia, Michael was nothing but a placeholder husband. To Victoria, he was a stray dog they kept around for pity.
But when Henry – his father-in-law, the only one who ever showed him kindness, lay dying, everything changed. Little did Michael know that the Donovan empire was about to be willed to him.
“Would you want to become the head of the Donovan family?” Henry asked.
The question hit Michael like a wave— unbelievable, impossible. He wasn’t born to power, was he? Yet, Henry saw something in him that no one else ever did: strength, loyalty, heart.
Unfortunately, this only brought more hate to Michael from the patriarch’s daughters.
“You’ll never see a single cent of this family’s money,” Victoria spat.
After Henry died, they manipulated the will and threw him out.
But the truth about Michael’s past is bigger than anyone can imagine.
He isn’t just some helpless man with a forgotten name.
He’s the heir to a legacy, the storm standing quietly at the door.
He’s the lost heir to the mighty Ainsley family.
A mighty storm they didn’t see coming.
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Chapter: Chapter 50: The ElectionThe atmosphere inside the boardroom was thick with expectation, every man and woman seated around the long polished table waiting for what would unfold. The CEO had just announced that any member who wished to contest for the acting chairman position should identify themselves.There was silence at first, the kind that made the tick of the wall clock sound louder than usual. Then, slowly, a hand rose.It was Mr. Callahan, one of the oldest members of the board. His hair was silver, his eyes slightly dimmed with age, but his voice remained steady. “I will contest,” he said, his tone calm but firm. Heads turned toward him, some nodding in respect. He had been with PresLead Group for more than twenty-five years, and though age slowed him, his reputation still carried weight.Before the murmurs around the table could die down, Bohemia leaned forward with a smile plastered on his lips. He raised his hand too. “I will also contest,” he declared. His eyes darted toward Michael, mocking h
Last Updated: 2025-08-22
Chapter: Chapter 49: Trapped in the Boardroom The next day, Michael arrived at the headquarters of PresLead Group with his assistant by his side. His black car rolled to a quiet halt at the company’s glass-front entrance, reflecting the brightness of the early morning sun. He stepped out with calm authority, his assistant clutching a brown file bag and adjusting her pace to match his steady stride.Inside, the marble floor gleamed, and the hum of activity moved briskly across the wide reception area. The company secretary, a slender man with a pointed nose and thin-rimmed glasses, looked up from his desk as Michael entered. He rose quickly, offering a courteous nod.“Good morning, Mr. Ainsley,” the secretary said, his voice almost rehearsed in formality. “You’re expected in the conference room. This way, please.”Michael returned the greeting with a slight nod. He had long grown used to this treatment: deference mixed with curiosity, as though everyone wanted to know what went on behind his calm exterior.The secretary led t
Last Updated: 2025-08-22
Chapter: Chapter 48: Shadows of CorruptionThe system of governance is so corrupt that even a killer can walk out of jail, walking freely under the bright sun, while the innocent rot behind iron bars with no one to plead their cause. A system where the power of wealth bends the law and the poor remain voiceless. How long can society continue this way, where justice and fairness are stolen like cheap ornaments from the hands of the common people? Where truth is twisted until it favors the strong and crushes the weak?Such questions echoed in the hearts of many, but answers never came. Instead, corruption moved like a silent poison in the veins of the land, destroying what was left of morality.Two days later, Michael stepped out of a towering glass building, the reflection of the late afternoon sun bouncing off its windows. He had just completed another long hour of intense discussion with potential partners, the kind of meeting that demanded both mental strength and calm endurance. His mind was heavy with figures, projectio
Last Updated: 2025-08-22
Chapter: Chapter 47: The Deal SealedSophia sat frozen in her chair. Her chest rose and fell as though a weight pressed on her ribs. For weeks she had resisted every attempt from Bohemia to sway her mind, every word he threw at her bouncing off her wall of bitterness and suspicion. But now, the wall had cracks. His last words hung heavy in the air like smoke she couldn’t push away.'Revenge against Michael is all I want.'The line replayed in her head, stirring the old pain buried deep inside her. She thought of her mother. She thought of the trial, the humiliation, and the heavy chains of that twenty-year sentence. She thought of the day the estate doors closed behind them, the laughter of reporters echoing in her ears as she and Victoria were led away in handcuffs. She thought of Michael standing tall in court, speaking of justice, of truth, of righteousness, as though he were pure and innocent, as though he had not torn her world apart.Sophia had fought for weeks against her emotions, but no human heart can remai
Last Updated: 2025-08-22
Chapter: Chapter 46: A Bitter OfferThe visiting room was quiet, the kind of silence that carried weight. The fluorescent light above hummed faintly, its glow resting coldly on the three figures seated around the metal table. Sophia sat with her back straight, her face sharp with suspicion, her eyes darting from Bohemia to the strange man beside him. She didn’t expect visitors today. And even if she did, Bohemia was the last person on earth she thought she would see.For a long moment, nobody spoke. It was as though the air itself was thick with tension. Then, the stranger leaned forward, adjusting the papers in front of him. His suit was perfectly pressed, his tie drawn tightly around his neck. He looked like a man who lived on order and calculation.“My name is Charles Bennett,” the man said finally, his tone calm but commanding. “I’m a senior partner at a law firm. Mr. Mason here and I have been working on something important—something that concerns you and your sister.”Sophia gave him a long, dry stare. She didn
Last Updated: 2025-08-22
Chapter: Chapter 45: A Bruised HopeThe television mounted on the wall flickered with the midday news, its sharp voice echoing through the prison dining hall. The headline rolled across the screen in bold letters: “Martha Donovan Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison.”Sophia’s hand froze midway to her mouth, the spoon trembling slightly between her fingers. Her eyes widened, glued to the screen as the images of her mother being dragged out of court replayed. Beside her, Victoria stiffened, her food untouched, her lips parted in disbelief.They watched silently for the first few seconds, their faces pale. But when the reality of it began to sink in, Sophia dropped her spoon with a loud clatter. Her chest tightened. Victoria’s hand pressed to her mouth as tears spilled freely down her cheeks.Sophia turned away from the screen, her shoulders shaking. For weeks, they had clung to Martha’s words, the reassurance that she would fight for them, that she would never abandon them. And now, here she was, facing her own sentence.
Last Updated: 2025-08-21
Chapter: Chapter 135: A Wake-Up CallJalen lay on the operating table, his skin pale from blood loss, while the overhead lights cast a sharp glow over his lifeless form. Around him were two doctors and a nurse, their hands moving swiftly, carefully, trying to remove the bullets lodged deep within him. They had already administered sedation, enough to dull the pain and keep him unconscious. But even in his sleep, his body twitched slightly from the trauma. The chest wound had been dangerously close to his heart. A fraction of an inch and it would have been the end. One of the doctors muttered under his breath, “He’s lucky.”Just outside the emergency ward, Aisha sat in the waiting room. Her palms were pressed together, her eyes filled with fear and silent prayers. Her hair was slightly disheveled, her makeup long gone, wiped away by tears and sweat. Just hours ago, Jalen was talking and breathing. Even after the bullets hit him, he stood tall, commanding the scene. It was only when the medics began checking him at th
Last Updated: 2025-07-31
Chapter: Chapter 134: A Life for a Life“Don’t do this, Carlos,” Jalen said quietly, voice heavy with pain. He was on one knee, struggling to breathe after the gunshot, his chest burning with every breath. “Your fight is with me. Let her go, please.”Carlos stood tall with the pistol still pointed at Aisha’s head, his expression unreadable. “No, Jalen,” he replied flatly. “If this woman had done what she was sent to do, we won’t be standing here. She’s not innocent. She came here, got comfortable, and fell in love. She deserves everything that’s coming.”Jalen looked at Aisha. Her eyes were filled with tears, her lips trembling. “Please,” he whispered one more time.Carlos didn’t even blink. “Drop the gun.”Jalen hesitated. His arm twitched, but he knew he had no choice. Slowly, he let the gun fall from his hand. It hit the floor with a light metallic clink. He raised both hands in surrender.Carlos smiled. “Not so difficult, is it?”He turned to the only man left from his side. “Tie him.”The man quickly moved, tying Jalen
Last Updated: 2025-07-30
Chapter: Chapter 133: The BreachInside the safehouse, Jalen sat in the bedroom, going through some old files and notes spread across the bed. The night had come unusually quiet. The crickets outside chirped in a lazy rhythm and the soft rustle of trees swayed gently like lullabies in the wind. Jalen's head throbbed gently, not from stress alone, but from the weight of knowing the kind of storm that lurked just around the corner. Every sound, every flicker of shadow made his mind spin. He didn’t trust peace anymore—it had become a suspicious visitor.In the kitchen, Aisha moved about, preparing something simple for their dinner. The scent of jollof rice drifted faintly through the passage. Her hair was tied back and her sleeves rolled. Yet her eyes were tense, and her hands, though busy, trembled at intervals. It had been over forty-eight hours since they both went into hiding, and nothing from outside had come—no word from Dennis, no update from Spider. But the silence wasn’t comforting. If anything, it was thr
Last Updated: 2025-07-29
Chapter: Chapter 132: The Red DotInside the quiet walls of the safehouse tucked away far from the chaos of the city, Jalen stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, the heavy curtains drawn slightly to let in a peek of the fading evening light. A half-filled glass of wine sat in his right hand, while the phone pressed against his left ear captured his attention. His voice was calm but heavy with tension.“Spider, we can’t keep hiding here forever,” Jalen said, his tone firm. “We need to move. We need to attack. Sitting like this, waiting for them to make the next move... it’s not me.”Spider’s voice came through the line, low and cautious. “I understand, Jalen. But trust me, this is not the time for rashness. They’re desperate now. That makes them more dangerous than ever.”Jalen sighed, shifting the wine glass to the table beside him and rubbing the back of his neck. “Then give me something, Spider. Anything. Just don’t ask me to keep sitting here doing nothing.”There was a brief silence on the other end before Spide
Last Updated: 2025-07-28
Chapter: Chapter 131: Desperate MeasuresFor the past 48 hours, not a single soul had seen or heard from Jalen or his lover, Aisha. Even Inspector Dennis, who had always had some form of reach into Jalen’s life, was completely shut out. Their phones were off. Their locations were off-grid. It was like they’d vanished into thin air.The city buzzed with tension.Every news channel, every trending topic on social media, carried one major headline: “Adesina on the Run: Drug Cartel Declares Citywide Hunt.”The footage of the botched kidnapping attempt at Aisha’s company had been leaked online. So had insider reports that Carlos Arturo, son of the late Fernando Arturo, had teamed up with the most dangerous cartel in the city—The Dragons, to eliminate Jalen.************The mood at the police headquarters was one of barely contained rage.The news of Kobi’s execution had hit the department like a bomb. Inspector Dennis, who had worked with him as an undercover agent for nearly four years, took it the hardest. That morning, he h
Last Updated: 2025-07-28
Chapter: Chapter 130: The Price of BetrayalAisha trembled where she hid, crouched behind a concrete beam in the underground parking lot, her breath caught halfway in her chest. The entire place was almost silent except for the faint hum of cars from the distance. Then, the distinct sound of tyres screeching slightly on the concrete floor echoed, and she peeked out carefully.A black car had pulled in swiftly.She saw the driver step out—tall, poised, familiar.Jalen.Without thinking, Aisha sprang to her feet and ran toward him."Jalen!" she cried out, her heels clicking rapidly on the floor.Jalen turned, eyes scanning quickly. The moment he saw her, he rushed forward too. They collided into each other’s arms, breathless and relieved. She clung to him, and he held her tightly like she might disappear again if he let go.“Are you okay?” he asked, brushing her hair back, his eyes scanning her face, her arms, her waist, every inch of her body as if to confirm she was whole.“I’m fine,” Aisha said, still catching her breath. “
Last Updated: 2025-07-26
