All Chapters of THE CASTAWAY HEIR: POWER UNSEEN: Chapter 81
- Chapter 90
122 chapters
CHAPTER 81
Then whispers continued.“Wait… is that what I think it is?”“It can’t be. No way.”“How did he—where would he even see something like that?”The guests exchanged glances, their previously judgmental expressions slowly morphing into confusion, suspicion, and even awe. Eyebrows raised, heads tilted, murmured glances darting from one person to the next. Something wasn’t adding up.Minutes earlier, most of them would not have given Brandon a second glance. To them, he had been unremarkable—modestly dressed, unassuming, someone without pedigree and without refinement. A man who had no business sitting among such an elegant, high-profile gathering. He seemed almost invisible in the sea of well-dressed, confident guests who radiated wealth and status.But now?Now, everything had changed.Now, the quiet certainty they had held that Brandon was nothing more than ordinary, unremarkable, and beneath their notice—evaporated like mist.“Is he someone important?”“Maybe he’s been hiding who h
CHAPTER 82
Rica was the first to speak. She straightened in her chair and lifted her chin with the confidence of someone who had never known financial lack, and declared loudly enough for everyone to hear, “I’ll contribute fifty million.”A ripple of impressed applause and murmurs ran through the long dining table. It was precisely the effect she had hoped for: attention, validation, and the glory of being the first to make a bold vow.Nathaniel’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “Excellent, Ma'am Marion. Dane Empire is honored.”That single sentence, delivered with charm and authority, sent another surge of enthusiasm through the Marion family. If they were being honored by a man like Nathaniel—wealthy, influential, and connected—then clearly this was a golden opportunity, one not to be missed. Rica’s smugness only grew as she folded her napkin elegantly on her lap and relaxed into her chair like a queen who had just graced her subjects with a grand donation.Not long after, one of the older
CHAPTER 83
The moment Brandon asked the question, the entire dining room froze.Not a breath moved.It felt as if the very air had thickened and refused to move. Heads turned sharply in his direction and eyes widened as though he had just stood up and overturned the entire table.Gasps fluttered around the long dining table.Jessica’s hand, which had been resting gently on her lap, went stiff. Slowly, almost in disbelief, she turned toward Brandon with eyes wide and full of shock. Even she—had not expected him to speak. And she definitely hadn’t expected him to speak like this, in this tone, at this moment. Across the table, her cousins exchanged loaded looks. Some raised their brows in disbelief while others whispered behind their wine glasses. There was a deeper, almost offended sense of outrage. How could Brandon, of all people, interrupt? And worse, question Nathaniel at a moment when everyone was thrilled and ready to transfer millions?Louis’s expression twisted first, a sneer sprea
CHAPTER 84
Brandon’s phone screen glowed faintly beneath the table lights, illuminating his calm expression as he prepared to reveal proof of Dane Empire on the verge of closure.The entire table leaned forward as he opened the document he claimed contained proof.Jessica kept glancing between Brandon and Nathaniel.She knew Brandon never spoke without certainty. If he said he had proof, then he did.But she also knew Nathaniel.Despite his charming public persona, he hated being embarrassed—especially in front of the Marion family and especially in front of Rica.Nathaniel’s eyes flickered down at Brandon’s phone screen, and in that split second, a jolt of panic shot through him like an electric shock. He recognized the logo, and then, the headline.Underground Finance Network Bulletin.It was a specialized, exclusive investigative site that released confidential reports before the mainstream media caught wind of them.And the title?DANE EMPIRE: INTERNAL COLLAPSE AND POTENTIAL SHUTDOWN EXPECT
CHAPTER 85
The following day as Jessica stepped out of the revolving glass doors of Scott Holdings, her phone vibrated violently.Jessica frowned and pulled it out.It was her Mum.Her hand paused mid-air. Her mother rarely called during work hours, and when she did, it was usually something urgent. A faint tremor ran through her as she answered.“Mum? What is it?”All she heard was crying— deep, uncontrollable, gut-wrenching sobs that made Jessica’s heart lurch.“Mum? Mum, can you talk? What happened?” Jessica’s voice rose in panic, her breath quickening.For several seconds, Rica’s cries drowned out everything else—the traffic, the breeze, even Jessica’s own thoughts. Then finally, Rica forced out a sentence. Each word trembled.“Jessica—your grandfather … your grandfather —he’s dying!”Jessica froze so completely that she didn’t feel the wind anymore.“What?” she breathed. “Which of them?”“Your father's!” Rica wailed louder. “Pa Marion! The doctors… they’ve tried everything… everything, Jess
CHAPTER 86
Brandon’s heart clenched the instant Jessica’s broken voice filtered through the speaker, thin and shaking as if every breath she took was falling apart in her lungs.“…he’s fading. My Grandpa… he’s about to give up the ghost…”The words hit him with the force of a physical blow. Her voice which was normally steady and vibrant, now sounded like someone drowning—fragile, fractured, barely holding on. The raw pain that poured through the line pierced him like a blade. He had not expected anything like this. Moments earlier he had called with excitement, ready to congratulate her about the news feature circulating online—an article celebrating one of her recent accomplishments. He’d thought he would hear her laugh or at least smile. But now? Any thought of celebration evaporated instantly.“Miss Marion,” Brandon breathed, “I’m coming. I’ll be with you soon.”He didn’t wait for her reply. He ended the call, shoved his phone into his pocket, locked his door with shaking hands, and rus
CHAPTER 87
At first, not a single person reacted at Brandon’s words. It was as though the room itself forgot how to breathe. Every person present simply blinked at Brandon, slow and stunned, certain they must have misheard the words that had just left his mouth.Rica stopped crying mid-wail. Her tear-stained face twisted as she stared at him with red, swollen, exhausted eyes.Jessica’s head snapped toward him and her eyes widened sharply. “Mr Scott … what did you say?”Brandon didn’t flinch or stutter.He repeated clearly, “I want to assess Pa Marion.”A ripple passed through the room—shock, disbelief, and confusion.The Marion siblings exchanged looks as if trying to confirm whether the others had heard the same absurd sentence. One of Rica’s brothers let out a short, incredulous laugh that sounded more like a choked scoff. “Assess? You?”Brandon didn’t respond to him. He didn’t even glance in his direction. He simply turned toward the nurse standing stiffly near the foot of the bed.“Plea
CHAPTER 88
Upon hearing Brandon say the second time that he wanted to assess Pa Marion, the reaction was instantaneous. It was as though the air itself had shifted, carrying a sudden weight that pressed on every chest in the room. Every pair of eyes snapped to him. Rica bolted upright in her chair, her body trembling violently as both anger and fear warred within her. Her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. “Assess him? Brandon! Are you out of your mind? This is not some experiment!” she shouted, her voice quivering with both grief and fury. “He’s dying, and you think you can just—just ‘assess’ him? You—” She spun toward her in-laws, her words spilling over in a torrent of disbelief and horror. “He’s not a doctor! He’s not even remotely qualified! Let him near Pa Marion, and I swear…”Her threat lingered in the room, charged with desperation. “Exactly!” one of Jessica's cousins interjected sharply, his face pale with a mixture of disbelief and outrage. “You’re m
CHAPTER 89
Immediately, the room erupted into chaos.Rica’s scream pierced the tense air like a dagger. “What did you just say?” she shouted, her face flushed with fury, eyes blazing with a combination of grief, disbelief, and anger. “Poisoned? Brandon, how dare you speak such nonsense? You have no proof! How could anyone poison their own father? This is ridiculous! Absolutely absurd!”Her voice quivered with both rage and despair. The energy in the room shifted instantly from tense curiosity to outright hysteria.Jessica’s uncle slammed his fist against the bedside table with a thunderous crack. “This is the last straw!” he growled, “You fool, you’ve completely lost it. You’re insulting this entire family, questioning what we know, and—enough! I’m calling security. You’re getting out of here. Now!”His words hung heavy in the air, a mix of fury and fear. Several other relatives murmured in agreement, their faces contorted in alarm and disbelief. The room felt smaller, almost suffocating, as
CHAPTER 90
Everyone in the room stared at Brandon as if he had just spoken madness. The tension in Pa Marion’s bedroom was already unbearable but Brandon’s request for herbs made that tension coil even tighter. It was as though he had dropped a live spark into a field of dry grass.“Herbs?” Rica scoffed loudly, almost shrill. Her eyes were swollen from crying and her hair messy from hours of running her fingers through it in panic.“What use will herbs be to a dying man? My father-in-law is barely breathing! Are you trying to finish him off?”Her in-laws murmured in agreement, exchanging dark, accusing looks. Jessica’s uncle folded his arms tightly over his chest in suspicion.“This is nonsense. Herbs? At this point? Who does he think he is?”Even the professor of medicine looked troubled. He had already declared that nothing more could be done—that Pa Marion’s organs were shutting down, that his body was slipping away. But still… herbs? From a man who walked in and made declarations none