Rise of the Rejected Son-in-Law

Chapter 2: Wrath

No wait Mr. Sterling you cannot do this Eric shouted, his voice cracking into a high-pitched sob as two huge men dragged him across the broken glass on the floor.

The whole banquet hall watched in horror they were so scared. These were the people who were laughing and cheering just a moment ago when Eric hurt Daniel's hand now they wanted to hide.

Arthur Sterling did not even blink he just stayed on one knee in front of Daniel looking at the floor waiting for Daniel to say something. Arthur did not care about Eric or his father or the whole city of Oakport. To the Kensington family, this city was nothing.

Daniel looked at his hand it was bleeding where Eric hurt him. The pain was not bad. Daniel was very upset.

Arthur said, his voice was empty.

Yes, Young Master Arthur replied he bowed his head lower.

Daniel asked Arthur how long it would take to take the money of the companies in this room.

Arthur fixed his sleeves his voice was calm. The Kensington company has control of the money in Oakport. For Eric's company,ompany it will take forty-seven seconds to take their money and make them go bankrupt. For the families in this room, it will take three minutes.

Everyone in the room gasped some people even fell out of their chairs because they were so scared.

You are lying Eric shouted he was kicking his legs the men were holding him down. You are a poor boy you are not a real master Mr. Sterling is wrong about you.

Arthur did not look back at Eric he just raised his hand.

One of the men near the door took out a computer he started typing very fast.

We are taking away Eric's family money the man said. Ten seconds passed. Eric's family bank account was closed. Twenty seconds passed the police took control of Eric's family ships at the harbor. Thirty seconds passed. Eric's family company was in trouble.

Eric's phone started ringing it was very loud.

Answer it Daniel said.

The man holding Eric let him answer the phone.

Dad, you have to call the governor Eric said, his hands were shaking. There are men they are taking away our money.

Eric what did you do his father shouted on the phone he was very angry. Our money is gone the bank wants us to pay back three hundred million dollars or they will take our house.

Eric's mouth was open he was very scared. He looked at Daniel his eyes were wide with fear.

Daniel did not give Eric a chance to talk he looked at Arthur. Do what I told you to do.

No Daniel please Elena shouted, she was crying.

She ran to Daniel she grabbed his arm. Her eyes were filled with tears she was very confused. She looked at the men in suits she looked at Arthur and then she looked at Daniel. He was different he was not the man she knew.

Daniel, please do not hurt him Elena begged, her voice shaking. If you do this you will go to jail. I do not know what is happening. Please.

Daniel turned to look at her his eyes were soft for a moment. Elena did not know who Daniel really was. She was worried about him.

I will not go to jail Elena Daniel said, his voice was soft. Some people make the rules. Then there are the Kensingtons.

He took his arm away from Elena he turned to Arthur. Take him out I do not want his blood on my wife's dress.

Yes, Young Master Arthur said.

The two men took Eric away he was. Crying. A second later there was a loud shout of pain from outside the room it sounded like a bone breaking.

The people in the room were very scared some women were crying their husbands were looking at the floor they did not want to get in trouble.

Daniel, oh my god, Daniel Sylvia shouted, she was crying.

She got down on her hands and knees she crawled to Daniel she did not care about her jewelry or her dress. She reached out. Grabbed Daniel's legs.

Daniel, my son-in-law Sylvia cried, her voice was very high. I always knew you were special I told everyone you were a man. Forgive me please forgive me I was just stressed about our company debt. I did not mean to hurt you I was forced by Eric to treat you

Daniel looked at Sylvia she was the woman who made his life very hard for three years. She made him sleep in the cold she threw soup on his back.

Get away from me Daniel said, his voice very low.

Daniel please Sylvia begged she was holding his trousers. We are family, Elena tell your husband we love him.

Elena looked at her mother she was very disgusted. Mom, stop it stop. Do you have no shame?

Arthur stood up he looked at Sylvia like she was trash.

You think you are related to the Kensington family Arthur said, his voice was very sharp. For three years you hurt Daniel, the heir, to the Kensington empire. If Daniel wants your whole family will be gone by tomorrow.

Sylvia was very scared she looked at Arthur and Daniel. She knew she could not use her tricks to get what she wanted. She was dealing with someone very powerful.

Daniel stepped back. Sylvia had to let go of his legs. He did not look at her again. He looked at the crowd of guests who were still standing against the walls.

Daniel asked them who laughed when Eric told him to kneel. The room became very quiet. You could hear the wine dripping from the table to the floor. Nobody moved. Nobody looked at him.

Daniel took a step forward. I remember every face Daniel said. I remember every whisper. For three years I sat in the corner of your parties pouring your drinks and parking your cars while you made fun of me. You thought being poor was a crime. You thought I was less than human because I had nothing.

He. Looked at the scared CEOs. Tomorrow morning every one of your companies will get an audit from the international banking committee Daniel said. Every loan you have will be called in. Every contract you have with suppliers will be canceled. If you want to survive you have twelve hours to give all your company shares to the Vance Logistics Corporation under Elena's name. If you do not do this you can join Eric on the streets.

The CEOs did not even think about it. Some of them nodded away tears of relief streaming down their faces. They were happy to have a way to survive even if it meant giving up their companies. To them losing their companies was better than facing the anger of the Kensington Dynasty.

Daniel said, Arthur.

Yes, Daniel said.

Prepare the car Daniel said. I am leaving.

What about the hotel, Daniel? The manager was one of the people who did not let you in through the door tonight Arthur said.

Daniel looked around the banquet hall. Who owns this hotel Daniel asked.

The Oakport Luxury Group, a part of the real estate company Arthur replied.

Buy it Daniel said. Buy the company. Fire the manager. Make sure he can never work in hotels again. Then tear down this hotel building. I do not like the memories I have here.

It will be done in twenty minutes Arthur said.

Daniel turned to Elena, who was still standing in the center of the room. She looked completely lost. Her world had changed in ten minutes. Her company was about to get billions of dollars in shares from the city's people. Her mean mother was crying on the floor. Her husband was giving orders to destroy buildings.

Are you coming Daniel asked her. He held out his hand. His hand was still bruised from Eric's shoe. His palm was open waiting for her.

Elena looked at his hand. She looked into his eyes trying to find the gentle man she had lived with for three years. He was still there inside. She took a breath stepped over her crying mother and put her hand in his.

Daniel's grip was firm and warm. He. Walked toward the broken doors of the banquet hall. He led Elena through the hallway of people who all stood up and bowed as they passed.

When they got outside the sight was more shocking. The whole street was blocked off by the police. Many sleek bulletproof black cars and armored trucks were parked in a line their engines humming quietly. Many armed men stood guard keeping the police back.

The hotel manager was kneeling on the ground outside the entrance. He was surrounded by four operatives. His face was wet with sweat his body shaking.

Daniel did not even look at him. He walked past the man. Led Elena to the backseat of the lead armored car. Arthur closed the door behind them shutting out the noise of the city.

The inside of the car was very luxurious with custom leather and advanced technology screens. It was completely quiet inside.

Elena sat in the leather seat her hands pressed tightly between her knees. She stared at Daniel, who was calmly cleaning the blood and wine from his fingers.

Who are you Elena finally asked. Really Daniel. Who are you? For three years I watched you cook I watched you clean I watched my mother treat you like a dog. You never said a word. You let me believe you were an orphan with nowhere else to go.

Daniel finished cleaning his hands. Threw the cloth away. He looked at her his face serious. I did not lie to you about being an orphan, Elena. I was left alone when I was seven years old. I grew up in poverty. That part was true.

Then what was all that there Elena asked. Who is that man? Why did he call you the Young Master of the Kensington Dynasty? That family does not just have money, Daniel. They control governments. They own the banks that decide currency. How can a street kid be the heir to something like that?

Because my being left alone was not an accident Daniel said. My grandfather is the head of the Kensington Dynasty. Twenty years ago a big fight happened inside the family. My parents were. I was taken out of the city to save my life. I ended up in an orphanage in Oakport.

Elena's eyes widened. Then your family found you she said.

They found me four years ago Daniel explained.. The Kensington Dynasty has a rule. An heir cannot just inherit the throne because of family. The family is surrounded by people who would hurt an heir. My grandfather made a condition for my return. A three-year test.

A test Elena repeated.

I had to live at the bottom of society for three years Daniel said. No access to the family's money. No right to use the Kensington name. I had to survive on my own. If I broke the rule if I used my identity to escape poverty even once before the three years were up I would be disqualified and eliminated.

Elena's breath caught as she understood. The day we got married was three years ago.

Yes, Daniel nodded. Your grandfather was the person in this city who knew a little bit of the truth. He knew my old family helper was watching me. He knew that if your family helped me during my times your family would be rewarded with a lot of wealth when the time came. That is why he made you marry me on his deathbed. He was trying to save Vance Logistics.

And I treated you like an embarrassment Elena whispered. I did not stop my mother from treating you like trash. I let Eric humiliate you because I was too weak to fight back. You must hate me. You must want to divorce me like they wanted.

Daniel reached out. Gently lifted her chin so she had to look into his eyes. If I hated you Elena I would have left the banquet hall alone. I stayed because during those three years of hardship, you were the person who did not try to crush my spirit. You did not love me. You gave me a home. You did not stop your mother. You never joined in on her cruelty. When you were given the chance tonight your first thought was to save your family's workers, not yourself. That is why you are still my wife.

Elena looked at him her heart pounding with a mix of relief and awe.. What happens now she asked. The whole city knows who you are. Eric's family is destroyed. My mother is going to be scared of you. How do we go back to normal?

We do not go back to normal Daniel said coldly. Oakport City was a test. The real fight has not even started.

The partition, between the back seats slid down. Arthur turned his head around his face serious.

Daniel, we have a problem Arthur said. The news of your identity has spread faster than we thought. Your cousin, Julian Kensington has sent his security forces from the capital. He did not ask the family council for permission.

Daniel's eyes narrowed. Tell me he said.

Daniel's face did not change,. You could feel the anger around him getting stronger. Julian was always the meanest of the people trying to take Daniel's place. He thought that because Daniel was sent away to a city he would be easy to get rid of before he could go back to the capital. Who was Julian after?

Arthur looked at Daniel and said some heavy words. Julian's best fighters had just entered the airspace of Oakport City. They were hiding their signals so nobody knew they were there.. Arthur's people had found some secret messages from them. They said Julian was not coming for Daniel. He knew he could not get past the protection around their car.

Daniel's hand grabbed the armrest so tightly that the leather made a noise. Then who were they after?

Arthur touched the tablet. Showed a map of the city. A red dot was moving fast towards the part of Oakport.

They are going to the Oakport Memorial Hospital Arthur said. They found out where Daniel's childhood friend, Leo is. They want to take Leo to make Daniel give up his right to the throne before the meeting tomorrow.

Daniel's face changed to anger.

Leo was the person from his childhood who stayed with him when he had nothing to eat. When Daniel got beaten up by some people Leo helped him and shared his last piece of food. Leo was in the hospital because he was very sick. Daniel had been trying to help him by doing work without his family knowing.

Daniel told Arthur his voice was scary. Tell the cars to go as fast as they can. Give all the people guns.

Arthur said, " We are in a place, with a lot of people but he was already doing what Daniel said. If we fight here it will be news everywhere.

Daniel did not care he was very angry. If anything happens to Leo I will make this city a bad place. Go!

The cars outside started flashing their lights. Made a lot of noise. They broke through the police blocks. Went onto the highway to the hospital leaving smoke behind.

Elena held Daniel's arm tightly as the car went fast. She could feel the power and anger coming from Daniel, a man who had been holding back his feelings for three years.

The car went through the streets of Oakport City very fast heading to a place that would decide if Daniel would get his throne or lose everything.