All Chapters of Infinite Wealth: Revenge of the Lost Heir: Chapter 1
- Chapter 10
16 chapters
CHAPTER 1: THE SHATTERED MASK ON THE SHORE
The night at that private beachfront villa in Long Island was supposed to be a perfect night. The sound of crashing waves could be heard softly from a distance, while the scent of the sea mixed with the fragrance of aromatherapy candles filled the corridors of the luxury villa Julian Vance had recently rented for a weekend getaway with his family and his fiancée.In Julian's hand hung a small bag containing strawberry ice cream, Amber Miller's favorite. The woman had always said that the flavor reminded her of her simple childhood. It was for that melancholic reason that Julian was willing to drive nearly thirty minutes to the nearest convenience store just to fulfill his fiancée's small request.A faint smile briefly formed on his lips. In two months, they would be married. After years of working hard to build the Vance Corporation, Julian finally felt alive, and his sacrifices were nearing the definition of perfect.However, that entire replica of happiness shattered in a matter of
CHAPTER 2: AT THE EDGE OF HELL AND FOREIGN SINCERITY
Julian Vance woke up with a gasp of rushing breath. The first thing that assaulted his senses was the stench of garbage, a puddle of brackish water, and a bone-chilling cold. He forced his eyes open, finding himself lying in a narrow, dirty, and dark alleyway in a corner of a city he did not recognize at all.When he tried to move, an excruciating pain radiated through his entire body, agonizing down to the marrow of his bones. His luxury tuxedo was now torn apart, wet with dried blood and street mud.However, that physical torture was nothing. The pain that crushed his chest actually stemmed from the hellish memories of a few hours ago. The betrayal of the people he loved replayed like a broken cassette in his head.Why? Julian clutched his throbbing head. He remembered perfectly how he had welcomed his stepmother and stepbrother into his life with a big heart, hoping to build a whole family. Yet, they had instead dug a grave for him. And Amber Miller... the woman he had always spoil
CHAPTER 3: THE DEATH OF THE HEIR AND THE FIRST STEP OF THE GHOST
Morning in the lower district of New York always began with the noisy roar of the subway and plumes of smoke rising from the cracks in the streets. Inside Chloe's studio apartment, however, the silence felt suffocating. Julian Vance, who was now using the alias Ian, sat quietly in front of Chloe's old laptop. His fingers, which were moving deftly over the keyboard, suddenly halted when a browser window displayed the main page of the New York Post cyber news.A massive headline in bold red letters immediately struck his retinas."VACATION TRAGEDY: VANCE CORPORATION HEIR DECLARED DEAD IN LONG ISLAND CAR ACCIDENT"Julian clicked on the news. There, a live broadcast video displayed the charred, unrecognisable wreckage of his black sports car at the bottom of a steep cliff. The reporter, with a tone of voice engineered for condolence, began speaking in front of the camera."The evacuation of the young billionaire's body, Julian Vance, has been declared impossible due to the extreme terrain
CHAPTER 4: THE GHOST'S GAME AND THE COLLAPSE OF ARROGANCE
At nine o'clock in the morning, the top floor of the Vance Corporation building in Manhattan looked tense yet animated. The main boardroom, with its large glass walls, had been filled by the lineup of the board of directors and big-fish investors of New York. At the end of the table, Ryan Vance stood in a custom designer suit worth tens of thousands of dollars. His face radiated a self-confidence that was borderline arrogant."Thank you for the presence of all shareholders," Ryan said loudly, commanding the podium with a dominant gesture. "After the tragedy that befell the late Julian Vance, I will ensure that the Vance Corporation continues to grow. Today, I present the newest property project worth ten million dollars in the center of Manhattan."Hearing that convincing presentation, several investors appeared to nod with satisfaction, assuming the business wheels of the Vance dynasty would be safe under the control of the new successor.However, on the other side of the city, a dif
CHAPTER 5: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AND A THIEF ABOVE A THIEF
Behind the tightly closed mahogany door in the private office of the main Vance family residence, the atmosphere felt much colder than the most extreme New York winter. Ryan Vance stood stiffly in front of his father's large desk with a deathly pale face. For the first time in his life, he truly felt fear choking his own throat.Arthur Vance sat calmly in his black leather chair. The old man was not angry, did not shout, and did not even slam anything on the table. However, it was precisely that cold calmness that made Ryan feel the oxygen supply in the room thinning, making it difficult for him to breathe."Do you think I'm stupid, Ryan?" Arthur finally asked, breaking the silence with a low, intimidating voice.Ryan swallowed hard. "Father, someone hacked our company's system. I'm a victim here, too."Arthur raised one eyebrow, looking at his son with an assessing gaze. "A victim?" His tone was flat, yet Ryan felt as if he were being judged in the cruelest court. "Do you think I don
CHAPTER 6: KNEEL OR GET OUT
The thick aroma of red wine wafted through the air, blending with a suffocating silence that suddenly enveloped the corner of the Vance Midtown restaurant. The red liquid flowed slowly across the glossy marble floor, wetting the tips of Chloe Miller's work shoes."Clean it up." Amber Miller repeated her order. The woman's voice sounded sharp, laden with deliberate humiliation.Even though her head was currently still filled with acute panic due to the freezing of her overseas accounts, Amber instead vented all her frustration onto the person she believed to be the weakest. For Amber, subjugating Chloe was an instant way to restore her recently torn ego.Chloe clenched both of her hands tightly behind her fabric apron. Her cheeks flushed, holding back immense shame as dozens of pairs of customers' eyes were now staring straight at them. Several customers in the front row of tables began to whisper softly, but not a single one of them dared to intervene to defend a part-time waitress."
CHAPTER 7: THE FAKE QUEEN EXPELLED
David felt all the joints of his body freeze instantly. His hands trembled violently as he read page after page of the documents presented by Richard Coleman. His eyes moved rapidly, scanning the lines of sentences from one page to the next, then returning to the first page as if hoping all the writing was merely a manifestation of a nightmare.However, reality refused to compromise. Every signature on the stamped paper, every official seal of the district court, down to the entirety of those absolute acquisition files—all of them were valid. David's face slowly lost its color, leaving behind pale skin wet with cold sweat."No... this can't be happening..." David muttered in a hoarse voice that was nearly gone.Richard adjusted his gold glasses with a casual, graceful movement. "Five minutes ago, the ownership of this restaurant officially changed hands under Manhattan law." Richard's voice sounded incredibly calm, yet it was precisely that calmness that made the atmosphere inside the
CHAPTER 8: THE TRUTH OF COLD BLOOD AND A NEW WRATH
Amber looked up, her eyes gleaming with hatred. Richard opened a small piece of paper from the pocket of his gray suit, then read it aloud in a tone of voice that echoed clearly throughout the entire room."'Someone who is accustomed to living off stolen money is completely unfit to sit inside a restaurant built from the sweat and hard work of others.'"The entire room suddenly fell into a dead silence. Amber's face, which had been flushed just a moment ago, now turned deathly pale like a shroud. Those words felt far too personal in her ears. Far too on target. It was as if the mysterious figure who wrote the message was standing in the darkness, knowing every rotten secret about her Swiss account."I don't know what kind of dirty game you all are playing!" Amber snapped, trying to maintain the remnants of her already shattered self-esteem. "But I will never willingly step foot out of here!"Richard nodded slowly with a cold expression. "Fine, if that is what you want." He turned towa
CHAPTER 9: Light in the Middle of Darkness
Night began to fall, enveloping the lower district of New York. Inside the narrow studio apartment, Julian Vance sat alone in front of Chloe's old laptop. The blue light from the monitor screen illuminated his handsome face, which was stiff and as cold as ice. Displayed on the screen was a secret audio file with static sound waves.Julian’s fingers stopped right over the play button. After a moment of hesitation, he pressed it, and Arthur Vance’s baritone voice was heard once again, breaking the silence."Increase the dosage a little more on her daily medication. We must not allow Rose to live long enough to alter or revise her family wealth inheritance will."Julian’s bodily muscles tightened as the recording continued to play, leaving a hiss of anger clogging his throat. The lie he had swallowed all this time about his mother’s death was completely shattered. The woman who gave birth to him did not pass away due to an illness; his mother was deliberately eliminated in silence. And t
CHAPTER 10: THE NEW NEIGHBOR AND THE RETURN OF LAUGHTER
"You cannot keep wearing my oversized t-shirts forever, Ian."Julian looked down, staring at Chloe's faded cartoon-printed gray t-shirt that clung tightly to his robust body. The sight indeed looked quite ironic and amusing, considering that just a few hours ago he had recently shaken the internal structures of the Vance family business dynasty."I think these clothes are quite comfortable. The fabric is cool," Julian deflected casually."Comfortable, he says!" Without warning, Chloe immediately threw a small sofa pillow at him.Julian caught the pillow with one hand in a swift, agile reflex. Chloe snorted with amusement, "You look like a big bear forced to wear a high school student's uniform, you know!"Julian chuckled softly, setting the pillow beside him. "At least this big bear still looks quite handsome, doesn't he?""You are too full of yourself, Mr. Unemployed," Chloe retorted, laughing along.For a few precious moments, the atmosphere inside the dull, small apartment was fill