Infinite Wealth: Revenge of the Lost Heir

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 that killer, ironically, was the man he called father.

Julian closed his eyes slowly, trying to dampen his roaring breath. Before that anger could develop into further emotional distortion, the sound of familiar footsteps was heard clacking from the outer corridor.

Click. The apartment unit door was pushed open.

"Ian! You won't believe what happened to me today!"

Instantly, all the cold expression and predatory aura on Julian's face vanished without a trace. He closed his laptop screen quickly and then raised his head. Chloe stood at the threshold with a radiant face. In both of her hands was a thick document envelope that she hugged tightly like a treasure.

"What is it?" Julian asked, donning a thin, warm smile.

"Are you seriously asking with a flat face like that?" Chloe immediately stepped inside, completely unable to hide the overflowing enthusiasm from her bodily gestures. "Ian, I got promoted!"

Julian raised one eyebrow, pretending to be surprised very naturally. "Really?"

"Ian, listen to me carefully. I am now officially an Operational Supervisor!"

Julian held back his inner smile, then put on a fascinated expression. "That sounds quite great."

"Quite great?" Chloe laughed crisply, an uninhibited laugh that instantly melted the remaining tension inside the room. "That's extraordinary, Ian! My salary was doubled!"

The girl immediately pulled a small wooden chair in front of Julian, sat down with wide, cheerful eyes, and began to recount the entire occurrence of today without missing a single detail. She spoke of the arrival of the elite lawyer Richard Coleman, of David being dishonorably fired, of Amber being dragged out like garbage, down to her speculation about the highly mysterious figure of the restaurant's new owner.

Julian listened to every single sentence calmly. Of course, he already knew all the details, because he was the director behind the scenes. However, seeing Chloe able to smile freely without a burden like this made the entire financial capital he expended through the System feel highly worthwhile.

"The new owner of that restaurant must be a very good person," Chloe said with a sincere tone.

"Do you think so?" Julian asked, fishing.

"Of course. Otherwise, how could a high-class Wall Street investor like him bother to defend an ordinary person like me?"

Julian turned his face slightly, hiding a smile that was on the verge of breaking. "Perhaps he isn't that good. Perhaps he just has a good judgment regarding honest people."

"Perhaps," Chloe nodded in agreement. However, a second later, her pair of round eyes suddenly narrowed sharply, staring at Julian. "But, there is one big problem now."

Julian furrowed his brow, pretending to be confused by her change in attitude. "A problem?"

"Yes." Chloe pointed right toward the clothes Julian was wearing. "You."

"Me?"