Benjamin Wayne's Rise to Power

Chapter 2

Benjamin’s POV

For a long moment, I stood frozen with the phone pressed to my ear. Everything around me blurred, but my thoughts were locked on that single name echoing in my mind. The Wayne Family. The name every financial report, every business channel, and every political broadcast seemed to whisper with reverence.

“Sir,” the voice on the other end said gently, as though sensing my silence. “I understand how difficult this must be to believe. After all, you were told otherwise your entire life.”

I swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”

“It was only after locating you that we discovered the Lawsons, the ones who adopted you, were never honest about your past. They told you that you were an orphan, didn’t they?”

I hesitated, then answered. “Yes.”

“That's... not true,” the butler said quietly. “You are the true heir of the Wayne Family. You were separated from your parents when you were just an infant. It was a tragic incident, one that shook the family to its core. Your mother nearly lost her mind after you disappeared. We did everything, and I mean everything to locate you, but only until recently were we able to trace your whereabouts.”

I pressed my fingers against my temple, my mind struggling to process it. “So if all of this is true, why aren’t they here themselves?"

The butler sighed softly on the other end. “Because the family’s situation is… complicated. There are matters within the Wayne household that make it difficult for your existence to be revealed just yet. Announcing a grown heir so suddenly would cause great turmoil among the shareholders and board members. For now, your identity must remain confidential. Both your parents insists that we handle things carefully.”

The words felt distant. “So I’m supposed to just take your word for it?”

“No,” he said calmly. “Which is why your parents have already transferred one hundred million dollars to your account, as you’ve seen. And that is not all. Ownership of Mercury Corporations in New York City has also been reassigned to your name. The company’s current CEO will be contacting you shortly to arrange a formal introduction.”

I stared blankly at the cracked pavement beneath my shoes. “Mecury Corp…” I repeated, the name barely leaving my lips. That was one of the biggest financial enterprises in the city, a company that practically controlled half of the district’s banking network.

“This can’t be real,” I whispered.

“It is, young master,” the butler replied. “I realize this is overwhelming, but your parents wanted to make up for the years you’ve lost. They wanted you to have what is rightfully yours.”

I could barely breathe. “And I can’t contact them?”

“Not yet. Until the internal matters are settled, I am your only point of contact. Please, I beg of you... keep your new identity private for now. I will reach out again soon.”

“Wait—” I began, but the line clicked dead.

I stood there, phone still in hand, my reflection faintly visible on the dark screen. 

A few hours ago, I’d been humiliated by my own brother and betrayed by the girl I loved. Now, I apparently owned a corporation and had more money than I could ever imagine. It felt like some twisted joke.

Before I could think any further, my phone rang again. This time, it wasn’t the butler.

“Benjamin!” my adoptive mother’s voice screamed through the speaker. “Where are you? How dare you humiliate us like this?”

I blinked, still disoriented. “What?”

“Don’t play dumb with me,” she snapped. “Do you think I wouldn’t hear what happened? You stormed into Ryan’s girlfriend’s apartment, caused a scene, and attacked your brother! Get your ungrateful self back home, right now!”

I clenched my jaw. “She was cheating on me. With him.”

“Watch your mouth,” she said sharply. “Why would Ryan ever want something that belonged to you? He doesn’t need to steal from a charity case.”

That stung, sharper than I expected. “You’re defending him?”

“Of course I am,” she spat. “He’s our son. You’re lucky we ever took you in. Now come home before I lose my patience.”

The line went dead.

I stared at the phone again, my heart pounding in my chest. Part of me wanted to ignore her, but another part, the part that had spent years trying to be accepted, made me turn toward the familiar road that led back home.

By the time I reached the house, the porch light was on and several dark garbage bags were piled by the gate. My clothes. My books. Even the old guitar I’d fixed up myself was lying beside them, its strings snapped.

The front door swung open and my adoptive parents stepped out. My father’s arms were crossed, his expression hard. And my mother? Her lips were curled in disdain.

“So you finally decided to show your face,” she said. “Take your things and get lost.”

“What?” I asked, disbelief rising in my chest.

“You heard me,” she said coldly. “You’re not welcome here anymore.”

I took a step forward. “You’re throwing me out? After everything I’ve done for this family? After all the years I—”

“Don’t make yourself sound like a saint,” my father interrupted. “You’ve always been jealous of Ryan. Don’t think we haven’t noticed the way you look at him whenever he gets something you don’t.”

I laughed bitterly. “Jealous? Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be jealous? You’ve never treated me like your son. You made me live in the storage room, made me do every damn chore in this house, never gave me a cent for anything. Every bit of my tuition, I had to earn by working jobs you didn’t even respect.”

My mother crossed her arms. “So you finally admit it. You resent us.”

“I don’t resent you,” I said, my voice trembling. “I just wanted you to see me.”

She scoffed. “You? You are nothing but a burden. We fed you, clothed you, and this is how you repay us? Attacking your brother over some woman? You’re an ungrateful wretch.”

Her voice rose as she turned toward the servants standing nearby. “Teach him a lesson he’ll never forget.”

The housekeeper and two other men stepped forward. Their expressions were reluctant but obedient. My father didn’t move. He just watched silently.

My fists clenched. “Don’t,” I said quietly. “Don’t do this.”

“Hold him,” my mother ordered.

The first servant grabbed my arm. Instinct kicked in. I twisted out of his grip, my shoulder colliding with the wall. Another tried to block my way, but before I could react, the sound of tires screeching tore through the entrance.

A sleek black car pulled up in front of the house, its headlights cutting across the yard and everyone froze. 

The car door opened, and a woman stepped out.

For a moment, everyone—including my parents—seemed to forget how to breathe.

The woman who stepped out of the car was tall, poised, and impossibly striking, her presence commanding the space even before she spoke. Her long coat shimmered faintly beneath the porch light as her heels clicked against the pavement, and behind her, a row of men in black suits fanned out in silence. 

“Stop,” she said, her voice smooth yet firm.

The servants immediately stepped back, uncertainty flashing in their eyes as her gaze swept over the scene. She paused briefly on the scattered garbage bags, before shifting her gaze to me.

And for a second, I forgot how to breathe.