Rise of the Sovereign: Wayne Stark

Chapter Six

Earlier, Wayne had received a message from Zack, prompting him to go meet him.

To keep his identity hidden until the right moment, Wayne had instructed Zack never to come to his house under any circumstances—even in urgent matters. Zack was to text him and act accordingly until Wayne arrived.

“Master, welcome,” Zack greeted with a bow, and the suited men behind him followed in unison.

“What’s the urgent matter, Zack?” Wayne asked, his voice adopting the authoritative tone of a true boss.

Zack smiled politely.

“The official announcement will be made today. As instructed, only your last name will be revealed—not your full identity. Once it’s done, the entire Solemere estate will undergo some refinement. It’s time to start on a clean slate, don’t you think, Master?”

Zack spoke as Wayne scrolled through his tablet in the luxurious, latest model Rolls-Royce Zack had arrived in.

“Well, about that… I need you to prepare a contract offer for the Arnold family. Include a condition—they must collaborate with the Romanos family business, specifically with Lena, the granddaughter. I’ve heard they’re trying to form alliances with bigger companies, hoping to secure deals when we reopen. I want everything arranged by tomorrow.”

Wayne said this while examining an image of a luxurious villa on the tablet.

Zack nodded attentively.

“Understood, Master. I’ll prepare it today. Sir, would you also like to purchase the entire villa in the picture? Just say the word, and it’s yours.”

Wayne sighed and set the tablet down.

“My wife once said her dream was to own a house like that if she ever became rich. Her birthday is coming up… and it’s also our wedding anniversary. I’ve been thinking of what to get her.”

“That would be a wonderful gift, sir. There are professionals who can plan everything perfectly—just give the word, and we’ll handle the rest.”

Despite being older than Wayne, Zack had served the Stark family loyally since before Wayne was born.

“We’ll put that aside for now. When the time comes, we’ll plan it. Right now, there’s something I want to know—about the man you mentioned earlier… Mr. Williams. You said he wanted to meet me?”

Wayne’s demeanor shifted—calm but exuding charisma and power.

“Yes, sir. Mr. Williams said once you’ve settled in, he’d visit you personally. He also mentioned that if you ever need anything, you only need to ask.”

“Alright. I’ll be leaving now.”

With that, Wayne ended the conversation and headed home.

As he walked in, he remembered Lena had called earlier, saying Mrs. Romanos had sent the family lawyer with a threat—if she didn’t complete her task on time, she’d lose the family home.

Wayne saw through it all. The entire situation with the Arnolds was just a twisted way of showing Lena who they believed she should be with. But Wayne wasn’t about to play their game.

As he entered the house, the atmosphere suddenly shifted.

“What the—?” Wayne muttered internally.

“Hey, we meet again,” Peter said with a smug grin, raising a wine glass toward Wayne.

Wayne froze, trying to process what was happening.

Lena’s mother, Gift, looked at Wayne with visible disgust. She clearly wasn’t pleased to see him alone.

“My dear son-in-law-to-be,” she said mockingly, her tone deliberately exaggerated for Wayne’s benefit,

“I promise you, Lena will have no choice but to submit to you. She’ll come crawling to you—I can bet on that.”

Peter chuckled. “But ma, she’s still married, right? Seems like she’s fallen for that pauper’s charm. She refuses to divorce him.”

Wayne remained silent, watching them with calm composure. He noted Lena wasn’t home.

“I’ll talk to my father,” Peter continued. “Securing that contract is nothing for my family—we’re worth billions.”

“Of course,” Gift chimed in. “Your family isn’t like some useless parasite who feeds off a woman’s income.” She glared at Wayne.

Wayne bowed his head slightly, a faint smile forming.

“What’s funny, huh? You old fool!” Peter snapped, growing irritated at Wayne’s lack of reaction.

He tossed his wine onto Wayne’s shirt.

“You dare mock your mother-in-law? What kind of ungrateful trash are you?”

Peter stepped forward aggressively, his ego bloated by his father’s reputation and upcoming inheritance.

“Dear, leave him. He’s as good as gone from this family already. He’ll be back on the streets where he belongs,” Gift said, tugging Peter’s arm.

“You’re lucky I’m in a good mood,” Peter sneered. “One call, and my men would put you in a hospital.”

If only you knew… one call from me could erase your entire family from existence, Wayne thought with a quiet smile.

They both stormed out, still hurling insults, but Wayne didn’t even flinch.

He pulled out his phone and called Lena.

“Hello? Where are you?” he asked.

She answered with an edge in her voice, clearly upset. “I’m not in a good mood, Wayne. Is something wrong?”

Wayne could tell she was tired and frustrated.

He wanted to comfort her—he always did. Before he could think twice, the words left his mouth:

“I found a way to secure the contract. Just come home, and let’s talk.”

Even he was surprised by his own words, realizing how much he wanted to ease her burdens.

“Huh? Really? What’s the news?” Her mood shifted instantly.

Wayne, wanting to keep the moment alive, continued quickly:

“I had a close relationship with Grandpa before he passed. He entrusted me with some assets. I can use them to get the contract directly from Mr. Arnold—no need to go through his son.”

She sighed, a mix of relief and disbelief.

“Okay… I’m heading home anyway,” she said, ending the call.

Immediately, Wayne called Zack.

“I need you to inform Mr. Arnold that someone will visit his office tomorrow. He must sign the deal with her. Do not reveal my identity to anyone—”

“Understood, sir,” Zack interrupted respectfully.