All Chapters of The Heir They Underestimated : Chapter 21
- Chapter 30
44 chapters
Chapter 21: The Confrontation
Derek Morrison's car screeched into the Skyline City Tower parking garage. 8:47 AM. Three days since he'd signed away his company. Three days of hell. His father wouldn't speak to him. His mother cried constantly. His sister blamed him for everything. The board had voted him out completely. Not even the promised position. Chen Global's lawyers found a clause. A technicality. "Conditional upon shareholder approval." The shareholders hadn't approved. Derek got nothing. Forty percent equity. But no power. No position. No influence. Just a minority stake in a company that no longer needed him. His phone was dead. Thrown into the harbor three nights ago. But he'd gotten a new one. And spent seventy-two hours researching. Chen Global. Skyline City operations. The mysterious masked director. Still nothing. No name. No background. No identity. Just rumors and speculation. But he knew one thing: the director worked from this building. Derek was going to find him. Confront h
Chapter 22: The Trap
Alex's phone buzzed. Text from an unknown number. "I accept your meeting request. When and where? - Derek Morrison" Alex smiled. Hook set. Three days had passed since Derek's office visit. Three days of Derek desperately trying to reach him. Calls to Chen Global. Emails. Messages through intermediaries. All ignored. Until now. Alex typed his response. "The Sterling Rose. Private room seven. 8 PM tonight. Come alone." Send. Lucy walked into his office. "Is he taking the bait?" "He just confirmed." "The Sterling Rose. That's..." "Where Melissa dumped me. Yes." Lucy smiled. "Poetic." "Strategic. I want him uncomfortable. Off-balance." "He'll recognize the location?" "Eventually. When I want him to." Alex stood. Walked to his closet. Inside hung the mask. Simple. Elegant. Black with silver accents. He'd worn it for months now. Meetings. Negotiations. Public appearances. Always masked. Always mysterious. The media loved it. Called him "The Phantom Director." So
Chapter 23: The Board Coup
Monday morning. 9:00 AM. Morrison Industries headquarters. The boardroom was full. Twelve board members. All present. Derek sat at the head of the table. CEO chair. His father's chair. He'd held it for six years. But he looked nervous now. The emergency meeting had been called by "Chen Global's representative." The mysterious investor who now owned sixty percent. Nobody had met him yet. Nobody knew what he wanted. Derek straightened his tie. Tried to look confident. Failed. The door opened. Alex walked in. Masked. Tailored suit. Confident stride. Behind him: Lucy and two lawyers. The board members stared. "Good morning," Alex said. His voice cold. Professional. "I'm the Chen Global representative. Majority shareholder as of Friday close of business." He didn't sit. Just stood at the entrance. "This meeting is to address Morrison Industries' leadership structure." Derek stood. "Now wait just a minute—" "Sit down, Mr. Morrison." "This
Chapter 24: Melissa's Collapse
Melissa's hands shook as she applied makeup.The cheap stuff from the drugstore.Her expensive cosmetics were gone.Sold last week to pay rent.She looked at herself in the mirror.Still beautiful.But the luxury was fading.No more salon treatments. No more designer clothes. No more penthouse apartment.Derek had been her ticket to that life.And now Derek was finished.She'd seen the news this morning."Derek Morrison Removed as CEO of Family Company.""Morrison Industries Taken Over by Chen Global.""Playboy Executive Loses Everything."Her phone had exploded with messages.Friends asking what happened.Actually, not friends.They weren't calling to help.They were calling to gossip.Within hours, everyone knew.Derek was broke.And Melissa, his girlfriend, was broke by association.The penthouse eviction notice had arrived this afternoon.Thirty days to vacate.Her credit cards were maxed.Her bank account: $247.Two hundred and forty-seven dollars.Two months ago, she'd spent mor
Chapter 25: The Identity Stays Hidden
Derek's apartment was barely an apartment. Studio. 400 square feet. Cheap furniture. Nothing like the penthouse he'd lost. He sat on the floor. Laptop open. Empty coffee cups scattered around him. He'd been researching for six hours straight. The masked Chen Global director. The man who destroyed his life. Derek needed to know who he was. Needed to understand why. Needed revenge. His search had started simple. "Chen Global mysterious director." Thousands of results. Articles. Speculation. Theories. But no facts. No real information. The man was a ghost. Derek tried different approaches. "Chen Global masked representative." "Chen Global new board member." "Chen Global investor Morrison Industries." Every search led to dead ends. The man appeared six months ago. Suddenly. No history before that. No education records. No employment history. No social media. Just... appeared. Derek pulled up the security footage. He'd managed to get a copy from Morrison Indus
Chapter 26: The Final Humiliation
Two weeks after the eviction, Derek found temporary shelter. A friend's couch. Actually, not a friend. An acquaintance who pitied him. The arrangement was temporary. Very temporary. Derek spent his days at the library. Free internet. Free warmth. Free bathroom. He was applying for jobs. Anything. Everything. Entry-level positions. Retail. Food service. But his reputation preceded him. "Derek Morrison? The CEO who got fired?" "Sorry, we're looking for someone more... stable." Click. Every interview went the same way. His name was poison now. The viral news articles ensured everyone knew who he was. What he'd done. How he'd fallen. His phone buzzed. Email from the bankruptcy trustee. "Personal Asset Auction - Final Notice." Derek's remaining possessions were being sold. The few things he had left. His car. His watch collection. His art. Everything going to the highest bidder. The auction was today. Derek didn't want to go. Coul
Chapter 27: New Enemies Emerge
Alex stood in the scrapyard. Watched the hydraulic press finish its work. The Porsche was now a cube. Three feet by three feet. Unrecognizable. "Should we sell the scrap?" the yard manager asked. "No. Keep it." "Keep it? Why?" "As a reminder." The manager shrugged. Walked away. Alex pulled out his phone. Took the photo. Made sure his masked reflection was visible in the corner. Sent it to Derek's address. Lucy approached. "Was that necessary?" "Yes." "It seems... excessive." "It's symbolic." "Of what?" "That material things mean nothing. They can be destroyed. Replaced. Forgotten." "And people?" "People should remember that." Lucy was quiet for a moment. "You've changed." "I've evolved." "There's a difference between evolution and cruelty." Alex turned to her. "Am I being cruel?" "I don't know anymore." She walked back to the car. Alex followed. They drove in silence. Back to Chen Global headquarters. Alex had meetings
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The flight to Havenport left at dawn. Alex packed light. One bag. Essential documents. Burner phone. Lucy had arranged everything overnight. Security team of twelve. All ex-military. All loyal. All discreet. They'd arrive separately. Blend in. Watch from shadows. Alex would go in alone. As a factory worker. Again. At the airport, his phone buzzed. Unknown number. He answered anyway. "Mr. Chen." Victor's voice. "I hope I'm not interrupting." "I'm boarding a flight." "To Havenport, yes. I know." Alex stopped walking. "You're tracking me?" "I'm aware of you. There's a difference." "What do you want, Victor?" "To wish you luck. Havenport is... complicated." "So I've heard." "No, you haven't. Not really." Victor paused. "The factory there isn't just corrupt. It's a battleground." "Between who?" "Multiple interests. The local mafia controls the floor. But they answer to someone higher. And that someone answers to one of the Dragons." "Which Dragon?" "That's what you
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Alex returned to the factory floor. Workers stared. Word had spread fast. The new guy had challenged Jake. And walked away. Nobody did that. Alex picked up his welding torch. Got back to work. Sparks flew. Metal heated. The rhythm was familiar. An older worker approached during a machine cooldown. Late fifties. Weathered face. Careful eyes. "Name's Tom." "Alex." "I know. Everyone knows." Tom glanced around. "You made an enemy today." "I made several." "Jake's connected. You hurt him, you hurt his boss." "Frank Sullivan?" Tom shook his head. "Frank's just middle management. I'm talking about the real boss." "Who?" "Carlo Rossi. Runs the Rossi family. Controls half the city's underground operations." Alex kept welding. "And the factory?" "Protection racket. Rossi's people skim profits. Enforce compliance. Anyone complains, they disappear." "How long has this been happening?" "Twenty years. Maybe more." "And Chen Global allows it?" Tom laughed bitterly. "Chen Gl
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Morning came too fast. Alex dressed in his work clothes. Checked his phone. Message from Lucy: "Teams in position. Be careful." Another message. Marcus. "Heard about the threat. Don't die. Would be inconvenient." Alex smiled slightly. His grandfather's version of concern. He walked to the factory. The air was colder today. Rain threatened but hadn't started yet. Workers filed in through the gate. The guards watched Alex pass. One of them smirked. They knew something. Inside, the atmosphere was tense. Workers kept their heads down. Avoided eye contact more than usual. Tom approached quietly. "You shouldn't be here today." "Why not?" "Word is, something's going to happen. Something bad." "I appreciate the warning." "I'm serious. Call in sick. Leave." "Can't do that." Tom studied his face. "You know, don't you? You know they're coming for you." Alex said nothing. Tom shook his head. "You really are crazy." The shift started. Alex