2026-10-03 13:59:53
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
CHAPTER NINETY-NINE: THE PEOPLE WHO STAYED
The first thing Richard learned about rebuilding was that nobody cared about his surname. That was a good thing. The second thing he learned was that nobody trusted him. That was even better. Trust, he had discovered, was easier to value when you had actually earned it.Three weeks after losing Black Group, Richard sat in a small conference room above a printing company in downtown New York. There were no marble floors. No private elevator. No security team waiting outside. The table had a small scratch across the middle, and one of the chairs was missing a wheel.Grant had apologized for the place twice. Richard had told him to stop. "This is exactly where we should be."Grant looked around. "You're serious?""Very."Sophia placed three folders on the table. "Then we have a problem."Richard looked at her. "What?""We have more companies asking for help than we can handle."Richard leaned back. "How many?""Eleven."Grant corrected her. "Fourteen."Sophia turned toward him. "Since wh
CHAPTER NINETY EIGHT: THE THING THEY COULD NOT TAKE
Richard didn't sleep. The man's words kept returning. Someone named Michael. It could be another Michael. A coincidence. A trap. But Richard had learned one thing from Northstar. The first mistake was assuming the obvious answer was the correct one.By morning, he had made a decision. "We walk away."Grant looked up. "From the debt?""Yes."Sophia watched him carefully. "You're sure?""No." Richard smiled. "That's why."Grant frowned.Richard continued. "If Michael wants me to buy this debt, then buying it may be exactly what he wants.""So what do we do?"Richard placed the folder on the table. "We build without it."Grant looked at the documents. "How?"Richard pointed toward the list of seven companies. "We help them.""Without taking ownership?""Without taking control."Sophia smiled. "Now you're thinking differently."Richard nodded. "Those companies don't need another person telling them what to do." He looked at Grant. "They need contracts." Then at Sophia. "Protection." Then
CHAPTER NINETY-SIX: THE FIRST MOVE
Richard looked at the blank company registration form for almost a minute. There was no Black Group logo. No expensive office. No boardroom. No inherited shares. Just his name.RICHARD BLACK.He placed the pen down. "I can't build another Black Group."Grant sat across from him in the small apartment they had been using as a temporary base. "I know."Richard looked at him.Grant continued. "That's why I brought you this." He slid a thin folder across the table.Inside were twelve pages. Nothing impressive. Three abandoned commercial contracts. Two small logistics companies struggling with cash flow. A warehouse lease. A maintenance company with six employees. And a food distribution business that had been rejected by three banks.Richard frowned. "What is this?""Problems.""That isn't a company.""No." Grant leaned back. "It's opportunity."Sophia, sitting near the window, smiled faintly.Richard looked through the documents again. Every business had the same weakness. They were prof
CHAPTER NINETY-SIX: THE FIRST MOVE
Richard looked at the blank company registration form for almost a minute. There was no Black Group logo. No expensive office. No boardroom. No inherited shares. Just his name.RICHARD BLACK.He placed the pen down. "I can't build another Black Group."Grant sat across from him in the small apartment they had been using as a temporary base. "I know."Richard looked at him.Grant continued. "That's why I brought you this." He slid a thin folder across the table.Inside were twelve pages. Nothing impressive. Three abandoned commercial contracts. Two small logistics companies struggling with cash flow. A warehouse lease. A maintenance company with six employees. And a food distribution business that had been rejected by three banks.Richard frowned. "What is this?""Problems.""That isn't a company.""No." Grant leaned back. "It's opportunity."Sophia, sitting near the window, smiled faintly.Richard looked through the documents again. Every business had the same weakness. They were prof
CHAPTER NINETY-FIVE: THE MAN WITHOUT A NAME
Three days passed. Richard didn't contact Black Group. He didn't contact the board. He didn't call Michael. He didn't try to access the frozen trusts. He didn't chase the anonymous messages.He disappeared.And the world noticed. News outlets reported that Richard Black had been removed from Black Group leadership. Some called it a succession dispute. Others described it as a corporate restructuring. A few claimed Richard had lost control because of disagreements within the Black family.None of them knew the truth.Richard watched one report on a borrowed television. Then switched it off.Grant sat across the room. "They're already selling Westbridge."Richard nodded. "How many employees?""Still protected temporarily.""Temporarily.""Yes."Richard leaned back. "What about the other subsidiaries?""Three have been transferred.""How much?""Almost two hundred million in combined value."Richard said nothing.Sophia entered with a paper bag. "Food."Richard looked at it. "Again?"She
CHAPTER NINETY-FOUR: NOTHING
The location led them to an abandoned railway station nearly forty miles outside the city. They arrived just before dawn.Richard stepped out. Sophia followed. Grant stayed with the vehicle."Signal?" Richard asked.Grant checked the device. "Still here."Richard walked toward the old station building. The door was open. Inside, the place smelled of dust and rain."Alexander?"His voice echoed. No answer.He walked farther. A room opened on his left. An old wooden chair stood in the middle. Empty. Richard stopped.On the chair was Alexander's watch. Richard recognized it immediately. His father had worn it the day they reunited.Richard picked it up. His hand trembled.Sophia saw his face. "Richard.""He was here."Grant entered. He looked around. "No sign of him."Richard stared at the watch. A piece of paper lay beneath it. He picked it up. Three words.YOU WERE TOO LATE.Richard crushed the paper. "No."Sophia stepped closer. "Richard.""No." He threw the paper aside. "They want me
You may also like
WAR GOD'S REVENGE
Ardy-sensei100.0K viewsSecretly Rich Son in Law
Banin SN200.5K viewsThe Unexpected Heir
Estherace87.8K viewsThe Return Of The God of War
Esther Writes383.8K viewsMy Ex-Wife wanted Money, The Apocalypse wanted Everything
Motun Pen164 viewsTheir Little Brother Is the Supreme King
Cullan Writes124 viewsThe Trillionaire's Revenge: 100x Cashback System.
FJ Writes54 viewsPAYBACK Of Johnson Lancaster
Heaven On Earth79 views