LEGACY OF A BILLIONAIRE SON-IN-LAW

Part 003

Leon Carter stood frozen at the threshold of the house, his mind buzzing. “Is this real?” he whispered, staring at the unbelievable sight in front of him. The grand mansion rose high above him, gleaming in the moonlight. It felt like something from a dream.

His phone buzzed again. Another message blinked across the screen.

“Welcome to your new home, Leon Carter. This is just the beginning.”

He swallowed hard. The door clicked softly, unlocking on its own. It was as if the house had been waiting for him. Leon reached out, hand trembling, and pushed the door open.

Inside, the mansion was even more breathtaking than he imagined. Polished floors stretched out beneath his feet like glass, reflecting the light from the crystal chandelier above. High ceilings made the place feel endless, and the furniture look modern, elegant, and luxurious it looked like it belonged in a magazine.

Leon wandered through the rooms, his footsteps echoing softly.

A massive kitchen with marble countertops. A living room with a fireplace big enough to step into. A home theater with seats so plush, he sank into them like a cloud. Even a gym equipped with machines he had never seen before.

“This can’t be for me,” he muttered under his breath, feeling out of place in such luxury.

Then, he spotted it: a small door at the end of a hallway, tucked away like it didn’t want to be noticed. It was strange almost hidden. Curiosity pulled him toward it.

Inside was a room far different from the rest. No fancy furniture or bright lights. Just a single desk with a sleek monitor glowing faintly. On the screen, Leon saw the same futuristic interface he’d first seen on his phone.

“Next Task: Build Your Future. Explore your talents. Rewards: Confidence, New Opportunities.”

Leon stared at the words, his chest tightening. Whoever or whatever was behind this system wasn’t just throwing gifts at him. It was challenging him. Pushing him to become something more. Something better.

At first, Leon didn’t know where to start. He sat in the mansion, surrounded by wealth, but the emptiness of the rooms made him uneasy. The money and comfort felt meaningless if he didn’t know what to do with it. If only Sophia was there with him. He so much love Sophia even after she treated him badly. Leon believes she was only manipulated by her parents and friends. He was not sure if she love him a much as he do.

The system didn’t let him sit still for long.

Every morning, his phone buzzed with a new task.

“Task: Learn the Basics of Investing. Reward: $10,000 Investment Credit.”

“Task: Develop a New Skill. Try Something You’ve Always Wanted to Do.”

Leon didn’t have a choice but to follow along. The first task sent him scouring the mansion’s study. To his surprise, the walls were packed with books some old, others shiny and new. He grabbed one titled “The Basics of Wealth Building” and began to read.

At first, the words swam on the page. Numbers, investments, interest. It all felt too big. But the system had a way of making the hard things clear. Every time he started to doubt himself, the phone buzzed with encouragement.

“Don’t quit, Leon. You’re learning faster than you think.”

Slowly, Leon got the hang of it. He followed the system’s advice and started making small investments through apps it recommended. To his shock, he started earning money, real money.

The second task felt stranger.

“Try Something New, Leon. Paint, play music, write and find yourself.”

Leon frowned at the message. Art? Music? He wasn’t the creative type. He remembered how Sophia used to laugh at him when he struggled with simple hobbies.

“You’re not good at anything, Leon,” her voice echoed in his mind.

But the system didn’t let him wallow in doubt. It sent him down to the basement, where Leon discovered a hidden art studio. There were blank canvases, paints, and brushes neatly arranged. Hesitantly, he picked up a brush and dipped it into the paint.

What started as messy, random strokes on a canvas turned into shapes. Then figures. Then an actual picture. Hours passed, but Leon didn’t notice.

When he stepped back, his hands were covered in paint, but in front of him was a painting rough but full of life. It wasn’t perfect, but it was his.

The phone buzzed. “Great job, Leon. You’re more talented than you know.”

Leon’s chest swelled with pride. For the first time in years, he felt alive.

Weeks passed, and the system continued to guide him. Leon became a different person. He woke up early every morning, driven and focused. His investments grew larger. He picked up new skills like cooking, boxing, and even coding. All thanks to the system’s carefully placed challenges.

The mansion no longer felt empty. It felt like his. But even as he rebuilt his life, the pain of Sophia’s betrayal lingered. Sometimes, he would remember her cruel words, her mocking laughter. It stung like salt on an open wound.

One evening, Leon sat in the study, staring out the window as rain poured outside. He thought of his old life , the Leon who had begged for love, for approval.

“I’m not that man anymore,” he said quietly.

The phone buzzed again.

“Congratulations, Leon Carter. You’ve taken your first steps. The path ahead is yours to shape.”

Leon smiled faintly, staring at the glowing city lights in the distance. For the first time in years, he felt like he was in control. The system had given him more than money. It had given him purpose.

But the system wasn’t done with him yet.

Late one night, as Leon sat on the balcony enjoying the silence, the doorbell rang. He froze. No one had ever visited the mansion before. It was so far from the city, tucked away in the hills.

Cautiously, Leon made his way to the front door. He pulled it open to find a woman standing there, drenched in the rain. Her face was hidden beneath the hood of her coat, but her voice was clear.

“Leon Carter?”

“Yes,” Leon replied, trying to keep his voice steady. He wondered whom it was.

The woman pulled back her hood, revealing a face Leon didn’t recognize the sharp eyes, dark hair, and a serious expression.

“I’ve been watching you,” she said.

Leon’s chest tightened. “Who are you?”

She held up a phone. On its screen was the same glowing interface Leon had seen so many times.

“The system,” she said softly, “it’s not just yours. And it’s not what you think it is.”

Leon let the woman into the house, though every instinct told him to be careful. She introduced herself as Mara a former “user” of the system.

“I was like you,” Mara explained, her hands wrapped around a steaming mug of tea Leon had made. “The system found me when I was at my lowest. It promised me success, wealth, power. And it delivered.”

Leon frowned. “Then what’s the problem?”

Mara’s gaze darkened. “The system doesn’t help you for free. It has plans. Plans you don’t know about.”

Leon’s stomach twisted. “What do you mean? It’s been helping me.”

“For now,” Mara said. “It pushes you to grow, to succeed but at a cost. One day, it’ll demand something back. Something you won’t want to give.”

Leon shook his head. “You’re wrong. The system saved me. It gave me this life.”

Mara sighed, setting her mug down. “That’s what I thought, too. But it’s watching you, Leon. Always watching.”

She pulled out a small device and slid it across the table. “Take this. If you ever feel like the system’s control is too much, use it to shut it off. But be careful. It might not let you go so easily.”

Before Leon could argue, Mara stood and headed for the door.

“Wait!” Leon called. “What happens if I don’t listen to you?"

She turned back, her face pale. “Then you’ll find out what happens when you fail the system.”

The door slammed shut behind her, leaving Leon alone in the mansion, her warning echoing in his mind.

Hours later, Leon sat at the desk in the small room, staring at the glowing monitor. A new task had appeared.

“Next Task: Make Your Mark. Influence Others. Reward: Respect and Power.

Leon’s heart pounded. Mara’s words haunted him. “It’ll demand something back.” What could that really be? Leon has been an orphan all his life after his parents died mysteriously in a car accident. He was raised by his cruel uncle. Who made his life miserable together with his wife and their two daughters. Although the girls were a bit nicer to him because they wanted him for themselves. Such nonsense! He was not afraid to trade them, if the system demands so. They are his only relatives left.

Was she right? Or was the system truly trying to help him?

Leon clenched his fists. He had come too far to stop now. The old Leon the one who let people walk all over him was gone. This was his chance to become someone new.

“I’ll figure it out,” Leon whispered to himself. “I’ll beat the system at its own game.

As he accepted the task, the monitor flashed a message he had never seen before.

“Good luck, Leon Carter. The real challenge begins now.”

The lights in the room flickered. Leon stared at the screen, his breath caught in his throat.