2025-12-24 20:14:00Lizzy Gold led Kendrick through corridors that felt unreal.
The floors were polished obsidian, reflecting chandeliers that looked like frozen lightning. Walls were lined with rare art pieces—some ancient, some futuristic—each radiating quiet dominance. Every person they passed stopped immediately, stepped aside, and bowed deeply. No questions. No hesitation.
Kendrick walked stiffly behind Lizzy, his heart pounding harder with every step.
This didn’t feel like a company.
It felt like a kingdom.
At the end of the hall stood a pair of massive black doors, trimmed with gold. Two guards opened them instantly without being told.
Inside was a vast office that overlooked the entire city. Floor-to-ceiling glass revealed a skyline that bent beneath the tower’s shadow. At the center stood a man in a tailored suit, tall, broad-shouldered, his presence suffocating yet reverent.
The moment the man saw Kendrick—
He bowed.
Not casually.
Not slightly.
He went down on one knee.
“Welcome home,” the man said solemnly. “My master.”
Kendrick froze.
His breath caught painfully in his throat.
“What…?” he whispered. “Sir, please—stand up. I don’t understand.”
The man rose quickly, eyes shining with something dangerously close to devotion.
“My name is Adrian Drax,” he said. “Acting CEO of the Hale Empire. And I have waited my entire life for this moment.”
Kendrick swallowed hard. “You… welcomed me home. What does that mean?”
Adrian took a step closer, his voice lowering with reverence.
“It means,” he said slowly, “that you are Kendrick Hale. Grandson of the late Graham Hale.”
Kendrick blinked.
“Graham Hale?” he echoed.
Adrian nodded.
“The most powerful man to ever grace this earth,” he said. “Net worth exceeding five trillion dollars. A man whose decisions reshaped continents. Whose name made presidents bow and markets collapse.”
Kendrick felt dizzy.
“That’s impossible,” he said hoarsely. “I—I’ve never even heard of him.”
Adrian smiled sadly.
“Of course you haven’t. That was intentional.”
He turned and gestured toward the window.
“Mr. Graham Hale passed away a month ago,” Adrian continued. “But before his death, he made me swear an oath. That I would find his lost heir and hand over everything to him.”
Kendrick’s head throbbed.
“You… were looking for me?” he asked.
“For years,” Adrian replied. “But officially, since his passing, I have been holding the empire in trust while searching for you.”
Kendrick clenched his fists. “But how am I related to the Hales?”
Adrian’s expression softened.
“It was your father,” he said. “He was the rightful heir. Graham Hale’s only son.”
Kendrick’s breath hitched.
“Your father died in a helicopter crash,” Adrian continued, voice steady but heavy. “He died when you were only six months conceived.”
The words felt like a hammer to Kendrick’s chest.
“And your mother…” Adrian paused. “She disappeared shortly after. We searched endlessly, but she vanished completely. By the time we traced anything, you were already lost to the system.”
Kendrick staggered back a step.
“No…” he whispered. “That can’t be real.”
He shook his head violently.
“I grew up in an orphanage,” he said. “I never knew my parents. No one ever told me anything. This—this sounds like a movie.”
Lizzy Gold chuckled softly.
Adrian laughed too, though respectfully.
“If this were a prank,” Adrian said, “do you think we would dare pull it on you?”
Kendrick looked between them, panic and disbelief warring inside him.
“You’re serious?” he asked. “Both of you?”
Lizzy bowed slightly. “Whether you recognize it or not, sir, you are our master.”
Adrian nodded. “If you still think this is a joke, then give us an instruction.”
Kendrick frowned. “An instruction?”
“Anything,” Adrian said calmly. “Absolutely anything. And watch it be carried out.”
Kendrick hesitated.
“Anything…?” he repeated.
Adrian stood straight. “If you tell us to jump like frogs until you’re satisfied, we will do it without question.”
Kendrick let out a nervous laugh.
Was he really this powerful… and never knew it?
His gaze hardened slightly.
“Alright,” he said. “Let me test it.”
Adrian’s eyes sharpened. “Please.”
Kendrick inhaled slowly.
“There’s a schoolmate of mine,” he said. “His name is Clinton. He bullies me. Ridicules me publicly.”
Adrian’s expression darkened instantly.
“He humiliated me last night,” Kendrick continued. “Publicly. And he connived with his best friend, Bryan, to steal my girlfriend.”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Adrian’s fists clenched.
“Who is this man?” Adrian demanded. “And what family does he belong to? I will bankrupt them immediately.”
Kendrick burst out laughing.
The sound surprised even himself.
“No,” he said quickly. “Not yet.”
Adrian paused. “Then what do you want?”
“I just want to prove what you said about my authority,” Kendrick replied. “Nothing more.”
Adrian nodded slowly. “Proceed.”
Kendrick exhaled. “I overheard Clinton and his father earlier. They said they came here to meet a man named Desmond.”
Adrian’s brow furrowed. “Desmond?”
“A senior executive,” Kendrick said. “Apparently he’s supposed to help them secure a contract that would make them billionaires.”
Lizzy’s eyes flashed with anger.
“They are at Hale headquarters?” she asked sharply.
“Yes,” Kendrick said. “They’re the ones who damaged my bike and ordered security to beat me up.”
Lizzy’s jaw tightened dangerously.
“Should I summon them immediately?” she asked. “And flog them until they faint?”
Kendrick’s eyes widened.
“That—that’s too far,” he said quickly.
Adrian studied him carefully.
“Then what do you want done to them?” he asked.
Kendrick thought for a moment.
“I want them thrown out of the building,” he said. “In shame. Publicly.”
Adrian nodded. “And then?”
“It should be recorded,” Kendrick added. “And the video should be sent to me. Only me.”
Adrian stared at him for a long second.
Then he smiled faintly.
“You are being merciful,” Adrian said. “Your grandfather would have had their heads.”
Kendrick shrugged. “I’m just testing the waters.”
Adrian turned sharply.
“Lizzy,” he ordered. “Carry it out. Immediately.”
“Yes, sir,” she replied and exited without another word.
Silence returned.
Adrian gestured to the table.
“Please,” he said. “Let us complete the formalities.”
He laid out several documents.
Kendrick sat slowly, still feeling like this wasn’t real.
He began reading.
And froze.
The Hale Empire’s valuation stared back at him.
$5,000,000,000,000+
Five trillion dollars.
Owner of the top one hundred companies in the world.
Some names he recognized instantly. Others made his head spin.
He signed.
More documents followed.
Properties across continents.
Artifacts older than nations.
Cars that had never been made public.
Mansions worth more than Clinton’s and Bryan’s families combined.
Private jets.
Yachts.
Helicopters.
Everything.
Then came a list of subordinates.
Kendrick’s breath caught.
“These names…” he said slowly. “These are—”
“Yes,” Adrian replied calmly. “The most powerful men in the country.”
Kendrick’s eyes widened.
“The president?” he asked. “Is… is he really my subordinate?”
Adrian nodded.
“If you call him right now,” Adrian said, “he will abandon everything he is doing and rush here immediately.”
Kendrick leaned back, stunned.
He was really this powerful.
Adrian slid a premium card across the table.
“This card gives you access to twenty billion dollars,” he said. “For personal spending.”
Kendrick stared at it.
The errand boy was gone.
In his place stood the richest and most powerful man on earth.
The door opened.
Lizzy Gold returned.
She handed Kendrick a tablet.
“Sir,” she said calmly, “the task is complete.”
He pressed play.
The video showed Clinton and his father screaming, begging, being dragged out of the building as employees watched and laughed.
Kendrick burst out laughing.
Uncontrollably.
For the first time in his life—
He was the one dealing.
Not the one being dealt with.
He held the power.
The gold.
The rule.
And as the laughter faded, a dark thought settled comfortably in his chest.
He could topple anyone.
Bankrupt anyone.
Crush anyone.
All he needed…
Were more scapegoats.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 10
The Chancellor’s gaze settled fully on Kendrick.“Please,” he said, his tone controlled but firm, “explain this gift to us.”Every eye in the hall snapped toward Kendrick.The silence that followed was heavy—expectant, dangerous, suffocating. It pressed against his chest like a weight. Whispers hovered at the edges, waiting to explode.Kendrick stood there, hands loosely at his sides, suddenly uncertain.The truth was painfully simple.He didn’t know what the gift truly was.He had never opened it. Never examined it. Never asked questions. All he had done was make a call and give one instruction.Prepare something befitting.That was it.Adrian hadn’t explained. Kendrick hadn’t asked. He trusted Adrian to do the right thing—because so far, Adrian always had.He swallowed.“Erm… Sir…” Kendrick began honestly. “I only asked for a gift worthy of you. You deserve so much more than anything I could personally choose.”His voice faltered slightly despite his effort to stay composed.For hal
Chapter 9
The room held its breath.Then voices erupted all at once, crashing into each other like waves.“Yes! Miss Doris should do it immediately!”“Let her check it now!”“They’re going to jail anyway!”“This will end the nonsense!”Confidence filled the hall. Smirks spread across faces. Most people were already convinced of the outcome before the process even began. In their minds, it was settled—Kendrick was a fraud, and tonight was his public execution.Miss Doris slowly stood.She was in her mid-thirties, poised and elegant, her movements refined with the kind of composure that came from years of dealing with the ultra-wealthy. She wasn’t dazzled by money, nor impressed by noise. As a certified authenticator of luxury items, antiques, rare diamonds, and precious metals, she was often flown across continents by billionaires to verify their possessions. Kings trusted her judgment. Titans waited on her words.She adjusted her glasses, stepped forward, and slipped on a pair of white gloves.
Chapter 8
Chapter 8For several seconds, no one breathed.Clinton’s face twitched—just a fraction—before he threw his head back and laughed loudly. The sound rang too sharp, too forced, echoing unnaturally through the grand hall.“Secret?” he scoffed, spreading his arms wide as though presenting himself to the crowd. “I don’t have any secret. The only thing people should know about me is this—” He paused for effect. “I’m officially the richest guy on this campus.”Laughter followed instantly, encouraged by Paul, who clapped exaggeratedly into the microphone like a trained seal performing on cue.“You heard him!” Paul boomed. “Rich, powerful, untouchable!”The crowd fed off it. Applause swelled. Cheers bounced off crystal chandeliers.Kendrick didn’t move.He remained standing, hands relaxed at his sides, gaze locked steadily on Clinton. There was no anger in his eyes. No excitement. Just calm—so unnervingly calm it stood out like silence in the middle of a storm.“By the time I say it,” Kendric
Chapter 7
Kendrick met Zara and Jayson at the campus gate just as the afternoon sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the pavement. The usual bustle of Prestige International University moved around them—luxury cars pulling in and out, students laughing, voices carrying—but Zara barely noticed any of it. She paced back and forth, arms crossed tightly, anxiety written plainly across her face. Jayson stood beside her, calmer on the surface, but his constant glances at his watch betrayed his worry.The moment Kendrick stepped out of the taxi, both of them turned sharply.“Where have you been?” Zara asked immediately, relief and frustration tangling in her voice. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you.”Kendrick didn’t answer right away.Instead, he calmly reached into one of the shopping bags he carried and gently handed her a familiar orange box tied neatly with a white ribbon.“Open it.”Zara frowned, confusion flashing across her face. “Kendrick, this isn’t the time—”“Open it,” he repe
Chapter 6
Kendrick had barely taken three steps out of La Lumière when the glass doors slid open behind him again.The salesgirls followed closely, each holding his shopping bags with both hands, their grips careful and reverent, as though they were carrying crown jewels rather than merchandise. They walked a respectful distance behind him, heads slightly bowed, faces tight with professionalism and awe.Heads turned immediately.Conversations paused.Phones subtly lifted.Whispers rippled across the sidewalk like a quiet wave.Anyone who truly understood luxury would have known why.One of the orange boxes, tied neatly with a white ribbon, cradled a Hermès Birkin Himalaya—a bag so rare it was usually reserved for private clients only. Its crocodile leather shimmered faintly under the sunlight, its value hovering around six hundred and eighty thousand dollars. Another assistant carried a black velvet case containing a platinum Rolex Daytona, its icy blue dial unmistakable, its market value exce
Chapter 5
Clinton and his father stepped into Mr. Desmond’s sleek, glass-walled office with confident strides, their shoulders squared, their chins raised. The room itself screamed wealth—polished marble floors, minimalist furniture crafted from rare wood, and a panoramic view of the city stretching endlessly beyond the windows.This meeting was supposed to be simple.Routine.A discussion about business.One that would elevate the Voss family from a respectable half-a-billion-dollar net worth to crossing the sacred billion-dollar threshold.Clinton glanced at his father and smiled.His father smiled back.They both understood what this opportunity meant.To Clinton, it meant everything.More money meant more dominance on campus. More influence. More fear. He would officially become the richest student in school. Professors would tolerate him more. Students would worship him. Girls—every single one of them—would line up, desperate to be seen on his arm. Anyone who once mocked or ignored him wou
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