Mercy For None

Has My Mother Been Killed?

“It’s nothing,” the man whispered, his voice worn down to a fragile softness. He reached out and lifted Riley’s left hand, turning it gently on his own.Then, he pressed a kiss to Riley’s wrist.

“If I hadn’t done it that way, you wouldn’t be alive today,” he continued, his gaze locked on the fragile veins. “You would have lost the chance to avenge your father and lost the company to his enemies. But since you are now alive…”

The man settled on the edge of the bed once more, a fierce, protective joy flashing in his eyes. He put his hand on Riley’s shoulder, forcing a direct, earnest gaze.

“You can now return as the lost heir and become the CEO. It’s time to eliminate all the ‘bad eggs’ and save this legacy from ruin. This is the moment to finish what your father couldn’t. It’s time to show them who you truly are, and I promise to stay by your side. I will serve you with my life, Riley.”

Riley stared, his eyes burning with disbelief. “Did you just mention bankruptcy? Why would it go bankrupt? Haven’t you been monitoring it all these years?”

The man recoiled, his jaw flexing. He drove his gaze downward, shaking his head in a tight, absolute denial.

“No. I’m only a secret agent, Riley. I was recognized only by your mother. After your father’s death, she became the CEO, but a staged car accident nearly cost her life”.

“Who’s the CEO now?”

The man looked up, his face grim with professional failure. “Your uncle is the acting CEO now. They are planning to kill your mother before she’s discharged.”

His voice dropped to a fierce, urgent whisper.

“They’ve disapproved of me from going to the hospital. I’ve had to sneak in just to check her myself. Her condition has truly worsened”.

“They want to kill her?” Riley’s voice was flat, hollowed out by the betrayal. A sharp, ragged grunt escaped his throat as he forced himself to sit upright, his injured ribs protesting the movement. He braced his arms against the mattress, his eyes cold.

“Who are these people? My own family is involved? Give me names. Why are they so desperate for her death?”

“Your uncle is the public face. His wife and their children. Even, almost everyone in the company is after her death”.

He pushed off the bed, pacing two tense steps before spinning back. “They want the company to fail. But first, they need to empty the vault. Your father secured one last major patent—a new energy technology. It’s the company’s most valuable asset.”

The man ran a hand over his face, clearly frustrated.

“If your mother dies before she formally signs that patent over to the shadow corporation they own, the asset goes into a neutral trust. They need her signature, or her death, to steal it. They wanted to sell the patent, get rich, and the company would automatically collapse, going bankrupt.”

He dropped back to the bedside, his eyes pleading for understanding.

“I can protect her from outside the law, but I can’t fight them legally. They know my face and I have no standing. You are the missing heir, Riley and you are the only person they won’t expect and the only one with the legal right to challenge your uncle. You are the shield we need, Riley.”

Riley didn't respond. He simply took one slow, heavy breath, and for the first time, the pain he was feeling on his head looked nothing like a burden. He looked down at his chest, then across the sparse room.

“You need to rest, sir," the man said, patting Riley's shoulder twice. "I know your interest is piqued, but your recovery is paramount. The doctor confirmed you’ll be discharged tomorrow”.

He rose smoothly to his feet. "You should rest well, sir. You need to recover and regain your strength. But before I leave, allow me to finish explaining your upbringing."

He pressed a button on a sleek, black remote. A beam of light shot toward the opposite wall, projecting a stark image of an old man.

Riley’s breath hitched, a sharp, rattling sound in his throat. His trembling finger lifted, pointing directly at the picture on the screen.

“My… my master.”

"Yes, that is him," the man confirmed quietly. "And the truth is, his house was never an orphanage. The facade was for your protection. The man was a martial arts master, and I’m certain he must have taught you everything you needed to know in martial arts”.

“Where is he now?” Riley pressed, the eagerness overriding his pain.

The man slowly shook his head in disappointment.

“I’m sorry to reveal that he died a natural death. He passed away last month.”

Hearing this, Riley’s eyes closed instantly, his face pulling taut with sudden, visceral grief and a deep, shuddering wave of sadness washed over him.

“I wish he were alive,” Riley whispered, the words heavy with a regret that was greater than his physical pain.”I really wished".

“He must have also taught you how to effectively operate a company,” the man stated, a slow, satisfied smile finally spreading across his lips. “This has always been my ultimate contingency plan, and I’m thankful I’m alive to see it through.”

​He pressed another button on the remote. The image of the master vanished, replaced by a blurred, grim picture of Riley’s father, the frame slightly askew, suggesting a death scene.

​“That’s a picture of your father when he died,” the man explained, sounding unhappy and sad. As he discovered that he was about to break down in tears again, he quickly approached the wall and switched off the television.

​Placing the remote on the small table in front of him, he turned his full attention to Riley.

​“Who attacked me then?”

​“Henry Cardwell’s men, of course,” the man revealed without hesitation. “But you are safe now. Since you will be discharged tomorrow, you will assume your rightful position tomorrow and reveal yourself to the world.”

Riley’s face tightened, the relief and surprise momentarily replaced by a deep-seated worry. “Sir, I... I need to be honest with you I…. I was wrongfully framed and spent twelve years in prison for ignoring the emergency calls that cost the lives of a newly married couple and their two-month-old baby.”

The man merely nodded, his expression unperturbed. “I know. Rest assured, Riley, it has been handled for now. Our focus is on the future.”

Before Riley could process this astonishing revelation, a sharp, insistent ringing cut through the tense quiet of the room. The man pulled out a sleek, encrypted phone from his jacket pocket and answered with a curt, “Yes?”

His demeanor shifted instantly, his smile suddenly turning into a cold anger as he listened to the caller.

“He’s doing what?” he snapped into the phone. “Auctioning the project? Tomorrow? That’s impossible!” He listened for a few more seconds, his knuckles white against the phone casing, then ended the call without saying another word.

He looked up at Riley, his eyes blazing with fury and anger.. “Your uncle is planning to auction the company’s most crucial project tomorrow. He’s moving faster than we anticipated.”

Riley instinctively recoiled, his face pale, the thought immediately bypassing the issue of the company. His words came out stammering, a terrified whisper.

“Does... Does that mean my mother has been killed?”