Rise To Ascension: The Poor Zillionaire

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

ALEX

I stared at the screen, feeling something cold settle in my stomach. The embrace looked natural, practiced—like something that had happened many times before. Damien's hands moved through Lily's hair with the ease of long familiarity, and when she looked up at him, there was something in her expression that I'd never seen directed at me.

"This could be innocent," I said, though my voice lacked conviction. "She was upset about my disappearance, and he was—"

"Alexander," Gerald interrupted gently, his voice sounding like he was feeling sorry for me because I was trying to be delusional about the truth and to give excuses when the answers were in plain language.

"I understand the desire to see the best in people. But look at the timestamp. This was recorded approximately two hours after your disappearance from the hospital. If Damien Carter truly believed you had been kidnapped, would his first instinct be to comfort your wife so... intimately?"

The system remained stubbornly silent on this point, offering no contradictory information or guidance. It seemed like it wanted me to navigate through this on my own. I took a deep breath and exhaled before deciding to try and see it again.

I watched the footage again, noting the subtle details that I had somehow managed to miss before—how Damien's lips moved as if he were speaking quietly to Lily, how she nodded against his chest, how their interaction screamed like they have been having practice being intimate with one another. The kind of intimacy that was rare to get from my wife on a good day.

"There's more," Gerald said, taking the tablet back and tapping on it, moving to another file.

"Financial records show that Damien Carter has been making a lot of huge investments in companies that directly compete with your business interests. He's also been present at several private meetings with the Snow family over the past six months—meetings that were not disclosed to you."

The evidence was mounting, creating a picture that contradicted everything I thought I knew about my relationship with Damien.

Had his rescue of me from the burning car been calculated and planned to get me on his good side and see him as my savior? Because I was certain that he knew that I knew he saved me.

Was his apparent concern in the hospital when he visited under the guise of an insult just another performance?

"I know this is difficult to accept," Gerald continued, his voice compassionate as he looked at me with pity in his eyes.

"But you must understand that everyone around you has been playing a role, trying to get something from you. Anyone you ever thought that was important was only near you because of what they could get.

Your wife, her family, and yes, even Damien Carter. They've all been working toward the same goal—gaining control of the Yggdrasil fortune that is in the name of your family crest"

I sat back in the leather chair, a little bit overwhelmed by the weight of these revelations as I shrugged to understand them.

Everything I'd believed about my life, my relationships, my very identity was being replaced and poked at until the truth came spilling out.

"What do you recommend I do?" I asked finally, breaking the silence as I looked at him wondering what he had in mind.

Gerald leaned forward, his pale eyes intense as he searched my face for something unknown to me before he replied.

"First, we need to secure your legal identity as Alexander Yggdrasil at the soonest time possible. That will give you all the access to the connections and protections that they cannot take for themselves. Second, we need to work hard and start gathering evidence of their conspiracy— we need a lot of concrete proof that will stand up in court and in the media."

"And third?"

A slight smile touched Gerald's lips, though it didn't reach his eyes as he added with anticipation present in his eyes.

"Third, we make them pay for what they did to your parents and what they tried to do to you. The Yggdrasil Group has a lot of huge influence than you realize, Alexander. If this is used properly, it can be a weapon as devastating as any army."

The system finally spoke up:

System Alert: Gerald Whitmore's proposed course of action carries significant risks. Recommend caution before committing to any definitive strategy.

I nodded slowly, though I wasn't sure if I was responding to Gerald or the system. "I need time to process all of this."

"Of course," Gerald said, rising from his chair. "But don't take too long. Every day you remain legally dead is another day they can consolidate their position. And I fear that once they complete their merger and secure your shares in Snow Innovations, they'll have no further use for the pretense of searching for you."

He moved toward the door, then paused. "Jensen tells me you've been experiencing some... unusual abilities since the accident. The ring your father left for you enhances natural talents that run in the Yggdrasil bloodline. Use them wisely, Alexander. They may be the only advantage you have against people who have been planning your destruction for years."

After Gerald left, I remained in the study, staring into the crackling fire as I tried to make sense of everything I'd learned. The evidence against Damien seemed compelling, but something about it felt wrong—or at least incomplete. The system's continued insistence that he wasn't a threat contradicted everything Gerald and Jensen were telling me.

I touched the ring on my finger, feeling its warmth against my skin. Whatever power it possessed, whatever abilities it was supposed to enhance, I needed to understand them better. Because if I was going to navigate this web of deception and betrayal, I would need every advantage I could get.

The system seemed to sense my thoughts:

[System Query: Does the host wish to access advanced functions? Warning: Some abilities may attract unwanted attention.]