Rise Of The Unprecitrable Man

CHAPTER 3

Leon lifted his glass slowly, as if every second mattered. His fingers tapped lightly against the crystal, the soft sound echoing in the quiet backyard. 

The dim garden light above them cast a warm glow on his drink, making it shine like amber fire. When he took a sip, his eyes stayed fixed on Frank, sharp and unreadable.

Frank felt uneasy under that stare. His palms were damp. His breath was tight in his chest. Something was coming, something heavy.

“Before Mr. Watford died,” Leon began, his voice calm and steady, “he told me something important. Something he kept hidden for years.”

Frank’s heart thumped hard. He leaned forward without thinking, as if the words were pulling him.

Leon continued, “Your father… Mr. Watford… was not a man who cared much for marriage. But he did care for one woman. Only one. His mistress. She was the only person who touched his heart.” 

Leon’s fingers tightened around the glass. “When she gave birth, he gifted her a necklace. He said that one day, when the child grew up, the necklace would belong to the child.”

Frank’s breath caught. The world around him blurred. A mistress? A child? A necklace?

He had grown up believing he was nothing. That he had been abandoned. That no one wanted him. Now this stranger was telling him his entire life was built on lies.

“You mean to say…” Frank forced his voice to work, though it trembled, “…the necklace belongs to Watford? To him? It’s connected to me?”

Leon nodded slowly. “Yes. And that necklace is the only proof your father ever left behind.”

Leon placed his glass down. “Since Mr. Watford passed away, the board of Watford Incorporation has been desperate for a new CEO. They pushed me every day. But I waited. I waited for you.” 

His gaze sharpened. “I had to be sure you were real. I had to make sure the necklace was real.”

Frank swallowed. His mind was spinning, thoughts tangled and loud.

“That’s why you told me you were watching me,” Frank said. “That’s why you monitored my marriage.”

A small smile crossed Leon’s lips. “Correct. I needed to know the kind of man you are. Whether you are strong enough for the role. Whether you are worthy of leading Watford Incorporation. And I must say… your record is impressive.”

Frank didn’t feel impressive. His stomach twisted with shock. Only hours ago, he had been a broken man, humiliated, abandoned, unsure of his own worth.

Now he was being told he was heir to an empire. Leon stood up and adjusted his jacket. “Enough talking. Let me show you your inheritance.”

Frank blinked, stunned. “Inheritance? What inheritance?”

“Your father left more than a name, Frank. He left an entire world. A legacy. And it is time you see it.”

Frank stood on shaky feet. He finished the last of his drink, but the burn hardly registered. His thoughts were too loud, his emotions too sharp.

He followed Leon out of the backyard. The cool evening air brushed against his face, but he barely noticed. 

His eyes locked on the sleek black Mustang parked in the driveway, its polished surface gleaming under the streetlight.

Leon clicked the key. The car roared awake, its engine deep and powerful.

Frank sat in the passenger seat, the cold leather touching his skin like a reminder that this was real, terrifyingly real.

They drove through the city. Streetlights blurred past the window like streaks of gold and white. 

Buildings rose and fell in the distance. People walked on sidewalks without knowing their lives were smaller, quieter, simpler than the storm inside Frank’s heart.

As they reached the city’s wealthy district, the sun dipped low, painting the sky with deep orange and purple strokes. 

The world outside felt foreign, like a different country altogether, then Frank saw it. The mansion.

It stood tall behind iron gates, surrounded by wide gardens trimmed to perfection. Fountains sparkled under the fading light, their waters catching the last rays of the sun. 

The mansion itself rose proudly, its windows glowing with warm light that spilled onto the path like golden rivers.

Frank stopped walking. His legs felt weak. This house… this world… belonged to his father?

His father. The man he never knew. His hand brushed the cool marble wall as he entered. 

The scent of polish filled the air. Everything felt expensive, untouched, alive with memories he never had.

Leon led him into a vast living room. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, throwing sharp, bright reflections across the floor. 

The furniture looked like something from another time, rich wood, soft fabrics, perfect lines.

Frank lowered himself onto the couch slowly, as if afraid he might break something. Or break himself.

Leon sat across from him. His voice dropped into something softer, almost personal.

“Your father trusted me, Frank. He gave me everything to help him build this empire. And I did. I stood with him in every decision, in every battle.” Leon leaned forward. “Now he is gone. And I look at you. My hope is that you and I will build the same trust.”

Frank pressed his palms against his knees. His chest rose and fell too quickly.

“I don’t know what to say,” he whispered. “All my life, I thought I was nothing. A mistake. Someone forgotten. And now you are telling me… my father was the most powerful man in the city?”

Leon gave a faint, reassuring smile. “Power can stay hidden, Frank. Your father hated the spotlight. He lived in silence. The board of directors never knew he was the true master of Watford Incorporation. He controlled everything from the shadows. And you…” He pointed lightly at Frank. “You can do the same.”

Frank’s breath steadied, not fully, but enough for a spark to form inside him. Hidden power. Silent control.

A life where he never had to beg. Never had to be humiliated. Never had to fear another man.

For the first time, something fierce flickered in his eyes, then another thought rose, sharp and cold. Alexa.

“Leon,” Frank said suddenly. “What about Frederick Maurice?”

Leon’s expression hardened instantly. The room felt colder. “Frederick,” Leon repeated, almost like a curse. “A man without honor. A man everyone fears but no one respects. He crushes anyone who stands in his way. He has no mercy. No morality. But your father… he was the only man Frederick could not defeat.”

Frank’s lips curved slightly, but the smile held no warmth. So Alexa thought she was safe. 

She ran to Frederick, thinking he could give her the life she wanted. The comfort. The wealth. The power, but she didn’t know the truth.

She didn’t know the man she left behind was the true heir of the Watford empire.

Frank exhaled slowly, a dangerous calm settling over him. “So Alexa believes Frederick is her escape,” he murmured. “She thinks he can protect her.”

Leon watched him carefully. “What are you thinking?”

Frank’s eyes darkened. “I won’t chase her,” he said softly. “I won’t fight her. I won’t even be angry at her anymore.”

He straightened his back, his voice turning cold, sharp, almost frightening. “I will rise. I will become stronger than both of them. And then… they will regret everything.”

There was no fear left in him now. No doubt. The broken man who had walked out of his office earlier that day was gone.

In his place, someone new stood. Someone dangerous. Someone born from truth, pain, and fire. Someone ready for war.