All Chapters of The Heir They Underestimated : Chapter 11
- Chapter 20
98 chapters
Chapter 11: The Dragon's Inheritance
Balance: $1,047,000,000,000,000.00 Alex stared at his phone screen. Fifteen characters. Thirteen digits before the decimal point. This had to be a mistake. His phone vibrated. A message from an unknown number. Unknown: A gift from your grandfather. Consider it a token of appreciation for the past five years. There's more to come. Use it wisely. He suggests a vacation—perhaps the Maldives? The private island is already arranged. Or the yacht in Monaco. You've earned a proper break. Alex read it twice. Three times. A gift. A token of appreciation. One point zero four seven quadrillion dollars. And there was more coming. He refreshed the banking app, certain the number would disappear. A glitch. A hack. A cruel joke. Balance: $1,047,000,000,000,000.00 Still there. Real. His. With this kind of money, he could buy nations. Reshape economies. End poverty. Or erase anyone who'd ever wronged him. His hands didn't shake. His breathing stayed even. Five years of delivering n
Chapter 12: The Mysterious Investor
Morning came too fast. Alex's alarm went off at six AM. Same as always. He rolled out of bed. Same worn sheets. Same cracked ceiling. Same life. Except everything had changed. He checked his phone. The video had fifty-three million views. Morrison Industries hadn't recovered. Stock still halted. Emergency board meeting called. Derek was panicking. Good. Alex showered. Got dressed. Delivery driver uniform. Red polo shirt with "QuickBite" logo. Cheap black pants. He looked at himself in the mirror. A quadrillionaire in polyester. The irony wasn't lost on him. His phone rang. Unknown number again. "Mr. Chen. This is David Park, your wealth management advisor. Chairman Chen assigned me to your account last month." Alex poured coffee. "Go on." "I've been instructed to assist with any financial moves you wish to make. Given the... substantial nature of your holdings, I wanted to introduce myself and discuss strategy." "I'm listening." "Morrison Industries is vulnerable righ
Chapter 13: Melissa's Desperation
Alex's phone wouldn't stop ringing. Blocked number. Again. He'd blocked Melissa three times already. She kept finding new numbers. Finally, he answered. "What?" "Alex. Please. I need to talk to you." Her voice was shaking. "About what?" "Can we meet? Just for a few minutes. Please. I'm begging you." Alex checked his watch. He had time before his meeting with David Park. "Fine. The coffee shop on Fifth. Twenty minutes." "Thank you. Thank you so much." She hung up. Alex finished getting dressed. Same cheap clothes. Same unremarkable appearance. He drove to the coffee shop. Melissa was already there. Sitting in the corner booth. Head down. He barely recognized her. No designer outfit. Just plain jeans and a faded jacket. Her hair looked unwashed. Her nails—once perfectly manicured—were chipped and bare. She saw him. Stood up quickly. "Alex. Thank you for coming." He sat across from her. Said nothing. "I... I don't know where to start." "Start with why I'm here." Melis
Chapter 14: The Restaurant Reunion
The invitation arrived by courier. Expensive envelope. Embossed lettering. Heavy cardstock. ELITE BUSINESS SUMMIT AZURE SKY RESTAURANT BLACK TIE SKYLINE CITY DIRECTOR INVITED Lucy handed it to Alex. "This is huge. Azure Sky only hosts events for billionaires and heads of state." "Who's attending?" "Everyone. Tech CEOs, investment firms, politicians. Derek Morrison's company will be there." Alex looked up. "Morrison Industries?" "They're courting investors. Desperate for capital. Derek needs money badly." Perfect. "I'm going," Alex said. "As the Skyline director?" "Yes." "They'll want to see your face." Alex smiled. "They'll see a mask." Lucy frowned. "A mask? These people don't—" "I have my reasons." The next evening, Alex stood in his apartment. Black tuxedo. Custom-fitted. Expensive. Paid for with funds no one knew existed. He adjusted his tie. Then picked up the mask. Sleek. Black. Covered the upper half of his face. He'd prepared his excuse. Recent injury. M
Chapter 15: The First Strike
The first course was scallops. Pan-seared. Perfect. Alex ate slowly. Savored each bite. Derek barely touched his plate. The three investors made small talk. Market trends. Interest rates. Safe topics. Melissa kept glancing at Alex. At the mask. Something bothered her. Something familiar she couldn't place. "So, Director Chen." One of the investors spoke up. Robert Kim. Venture capital. "I heard about the Skyline City turnaround. Quite impressive for someone so young." "Age is irrelevant. Results matter." "Indeed. And Morrison Industries?" Robert glanced at Derek. "I heard Chen Global was involved in the recent... volatility." Derek's fork clenched. "We observe the market," Alex said. "Like everyone else." "Observe. Of course." Robert smiled. "Though some observations are more active than others." The second course arrived. Soup. Lobster bisque. Derek pushed his bowl away. "I'm not hungry." "You should eat," Melissa whispered. "You need your strength."
Chapter 16: The Contractor's Revenge
Alex's phone rang at 9:47 PM. Unknown number. He answered. "Mr. Chen?" A rough voice. Unfamiliar. "Who is this?" "Tom Mitchell. I run the Metropolitan Construction Union. I need to talk to you about Derek Morrison." Alex sat up straighter. "I'm listening." "Not on the phone. Can you meet?" "When?" "Now. Danny's Diner on Fifth Street. You know it?" "I'll find it." "Come alone." The line went dead. --- Danny's Diner was old. The kind of place that survived gentrification through pure stubbornness. Cracked vinyl booths. Fluorescent lights. Coffee that tasted like it was brewed during the Cold War. Tom Mitchell sat in the back corner. Mid-fifties. Weathered face. Hands that had built things. Alex slid into the booth across from him. Tom studied him. "You're younger than I expected." "You're not the first to say that." A waitress appeared. Tired eyes. Friendly smile. "Coffee?" she asked. "Please." She poured. Left. Tom leaned forward. Kept his voice low. "I saw what
Chapter 17: Melissa's Investigation
Melissa's apartment was small now.Not the penthouse Derek had promised. Not the luxury she'd expected.One bedroom. Peeling paint. Radiator that clanged at night.She sat on her secondhand couch, laptop open, scrolling through news articles.Derek Morrison's face everywhere. The ultimatum. The masked Chen Global director.Her phone buzzed. Derek calling.She ignored it.He'd called seventeen times since the restaurant. She'd answered twice. Both times he'd just screamed.Not at her specifically. At the universe. At fate. At the masked director who was destroying him.Melissa stared at her laptop screen.Videos of the restaurant confrontation. Clips of Derek's face going red. The masked director's calm, cold responses.Something bothered her.She replayed the video. Watched the masked man speak."Pride is expensive, Mr. Morrison. Can you afford it?"That voice.She replayed it again.And again.Familiar. But why?Her phone buzzed again. Not Derek this time. Unknown number.She answere
Chapter 18: The Charity Gala
The Peninsula Hotel ballroom glittered. Crystal chandeliers. Designer gowns. Champagne flowing like water. The annual Skyline City Children's Foundation Gala. Where the wealthy pretended to care while networking and showing off. Alex arrived at 8 PM. Black tuxedo. Venetian mask covering the upper half of his face. The invitation listed him as "Representative from Chen Global Industries." Nobody questioned it. A hostess greeted him at the entrance. Young. Beautiful. Professional smile. "Welcome. Your table number?" "I'm not sitting. Just observing." "Of course. Enjoy the evening." Alex moved through the crowd. Nodded politely. Said nothing. The auction was starting soon. Charity items. Vacation packages. Dinner with celebrities. And one particular lot he'd paid special attention to when reviewing the catalog. Lot #23: "Evening with Rising Star Melissa Rodriguez." He'd almost laughed when he saw it. Melissa was trying to restart her entertainment career. Singing. Acting.
Chapter 19: Derek's Desperation
Derek Morrison stood in the Peninsula Hotel's VIP lounge. Empty glass in his hand. Third whiskey. Or fourth. He'd lost count. The walls were closing in. Midnight approached. Two hours and seventeen minutes away. His phone kept buzzing. Investors calling. Board members texting. His father demanding explanations. He ignored them all. His focus was singular: Find the masked Chen director. Convince him. Negotiate. Beg if necessary. "Sir?" A hotel staff member approached. Young. Nervous. "I'm sorry, but you can't be here without—" "I'm looking for someone." Derek's voice was rough. "Chen Global representative. Masked man. Have you seen him?" "I believe he left, sir." "When?" "Twenty minutes ago." Derek cursed. Pulled out his phone. He'd been trying to track down information all night. The masked director. His identity. His background. Anything useful. But Chen Global's security was impenetrable. No photos without the mask. No personal information. No social media. Nothing.
Chapter 20: The Evidence
Alex stood in his penthouse office.Floor-to-ceiling windows. City sprawled below. Dawn breaking over Skyline City.He hadn't slept.Didn't need to.His mind was too sharp. Too focused.On his desk sat a manila envelope.Delivered an hour ago by private courier. No return address.Inside: photographs.Forty-three of them.He spread them across the mahogany surface.Melissa Chen. His ex-girlfriend.But not alone.Photo one: Melissa with an older man. Fifty-something. Gray hair. Expensive suit. Outside a jewelry store. His hand on her waist. Her smile practiced. Perfect.Photo two: Same man. Different day. Hotel entrance. The Ritz. Melissa wearing diamonds she hadn't owned before.Photo three: New man. Younger. Tech executive based on the logo behind them. Silicon Valley startup. Melissa laughing. Touching his arm. That same calculated smile.Photo four through fifteen: Three more men. All wealthy. All older. All clearly enamored.Photo sixteen made Alex pause.Melissa at a yacht party.