2026-01-01 06:55:05Nathan’s taxi rolled to a smooth stop in front of the towering black-glass skyscraper with the silver letters:
CLOVEN CORPORATION
His heartbeat quickened.
The building was a landmark—one of the most feared, revered, and powerful corporate headquarters in the world. Entire nations bowed when Cloven Corporation spoke. Billionaires trembled when its name was mentioned.
And today… Nathan was walking into it.
He paid the driver and stepped out. The air itself felt different here—colder, sharper, filled with the weight of wealth and authority.
At the entrance stood a breathtakingly beautiful secretary—tall, poised, immaculate in her tailored navy skirt-suit. The moment she saw him, she straightened and gave a respectful bow, something she didn’t do for ordinary visitors.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Rhodes,” she said smoothly.
Nathan blinked. ‘She knows my name?’
“I… I’m here to see Mr. David Brune.”
“Yes, sir. He is expecting you.”
No hesitation. Not even a question.
She immediately stepped aside and motioned politely with both hands.
“Please follow me.”
Nathan swallowed. It still felt unreal.
As she led him through the massive double doors, the world changed.
Inside was a grand hall so large it felt like a palace cathedral—marble floors polished like mirrors, massive chandeliers dripping crystal light, glass elevators ascending through multiple floors, employees in expensive suits moving with urgency and precision.
Cloven Corporation wasn’t just a company.
It was an empire.
And today, the emperor himself—David Brune—wanted to see him.
Nathan walked, feeling small yet strangely significant at the same time. He remembered overhearing rich students on campus gossiping about this building. They talked about how powerful David Brune was—the man who controlled the wealth of nations and corporations, the shadow broker behind global fortunes.
“A single finger snap from him can collapse an empire.”
And such a man… was waiting for Nathan.
The secretary opened a massive door.
“Please have a seat, Mr. Rhodes. Mr. Brune will be with you shortly.”
Then she bowed again and left.
Nathan swallowed as he looked around. The office was enormous—bigger than the lecture hall back at his university. A full wall of glass overlooked the city from nearly a hundred floors up.
Moments later, the door opened again.
David Brune entered.
Tall. Sharp. Confident. A man whose aura alone could silence nations.
But at the sight of Nathan, he smiled warmly.
“Nathan. I’m glad you came.”
They shook hands.
Nathan sat. A drink was placed before him. He barely noticed. Everything still felt like a waking dream.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Nathan finally found the courage to speak.
“Mr. Brune… I need you to explain everything to me. Please. My father never mentioned any of this. And you… why didn’t you contact me all this time? I suffered. My grandmother suffered. I just need to understand.”
David Brune nodded, his expression softening.
“It’s time you knew the truth.”
He leaned back.
And began.
“Before your father died,” David Brune said, “he purchased a cryptocurrency project called DodgerCoin from a group of nerds. He paid two hundred thousand dollars. The goal was simple yet ambitious—create a project that would surpass Bitcoin.”
Nathan’s eyebrows rose.
He had heard rumors about DodgerCoin. Rich students spoke about it like it was magic money.
But he’d never understood.
David continued:
“The project was good—brilliant even—but slow. Investors pulled out. The public lost interest. Your father became frustrated and left it dormant.
“At that time, Cloven Corporation was not the giant it is today. I was struggling to build it.”
Nathan listened intently.
“Your father approached me. He made an offer:
Help him raise investments for DodgerCoin. Use part of the funds to save my company. If DodgerCoin succeeded, Cloven Corporation would manage it—and become the most powerful company in the world.”
Nathan’s jaw dropped.
“And?”
“I accepted,” David said. “As part of the deal… I sold 70% of Cloven Corporation to your father.”
Nathan froze.
His father…
A simple man…
Owned 70% of the most powerful corporation in the world?
David wasn’t done.
“Your father wasn’t rich, Nathan. But he was one of the smartest men I ever knew.”
Nathan lowered his head, hiding the sting in his eyes.
He remembered hearing about DodgerCoin on campus. Rich kids bragging. Everyone talking about Bitcoin being dwarfed by a mysterious coin.
He remembered a particular day—running errands for Michael. He overheard Michael boasting about making twenty million dollars from DodgerCoin.
Twenty million.
And Nathan had no idea he, himself, was connected to it.
David continued:
“After your parents died, the project appeared dead. For years, nothing happened. I thought it was over. But then… everything changed.
“The coin surged. Then exploded.”
David turned the laptop around.
Charts. Graphs. Market data. All insane. Unreal.
“One DodgerCoin,” David said slowly, “is now worth one billion dollars.”
Nathan felt his heart stop.
“One… billion?”
David nodded.
Nathan’s head spun. “But Bitcoin is like… a hundred thousand…”
“Yes. DodgerCoin dwarfed every cryptocurrency ever created. It is the new global standard.”
David pointed at a line of code.
“When your father began the project, he locked ten thousand DodgerCoins for himself. The other ten thousand were open to the public. Only he—or his heir—could issue more coins.”
Nathan’s breath trembled.
He whispered, “So… I inherited those coins?”
“Yes,” David said. “All ten thousand.”
Nathan’s world shattered.
10,000 coins × $1,000,000,000 each = $10,000,000,000,000.
Ten trillion dollars.
The richest man in history.
Nathan’s eyes blurred.
He wasn’t imagining things.
He wasn’t dreaming.
The twenty billion dollars he received earlier…
Was only 20 DodgerCoins.
A tiny fraction.
David slid documents across the table. “Here are all the codes, ownership keys, and official records. Once you sign, you officially own DodgerCoin. And Cloven Corporation.”
Nathan stared at the papers.
This… this couldn’t be real.
But every transaction, every encrypted line of code, every legal document… was authentic.
Hands trembling, Nathan signed.
David Brune stood and bowed slightly—not as a superior, but as a subordinate.
“Congratulations, Mr. Rhodes.”
Nathan swallowed. “Sir… I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” David replied. “Just be prepared. Once the world learns your identity, they will beg you for favors. Entire governments, corporations, banks… the world will kneel.”
David handed him a sleek black metal card.
“This is the billionaire black card. Only you possess it.”
Then a crystalline platinum card.
“Your DodgerCoin card. For crypto transactions only. No limit.”
Nathan stared at the cards.
His life was no longer the same.
As Nathan stood, ready to leave, he hesitated.
“Um… I have a request,” he said awkwardly. “But I’m not sure if it’s possible.”
David chuckled. “Nathan, if you want to become president today, it can be arranged. Speak freely.”
Nathan rubbed his neck. “It’s actually about something else. I made a bet with my ex-girlfriend… that I’d show up to our university gala tonight with seven women. More beautiful than any girl on campus.”
David burst into laughter.
“That’s all? Nathan, Cloven Corporation manages the most beautiful celebrity models and influencers in the country. I will personally send seven of the finest. Consider it done.”
Nathan exhaled in relief, smiling.
David added, “Do you have a car for the event?”
“No.”
“You will have one. I’ll send a luxury limousine along with the ladies. And a suit fitting a trillionaire.”
Nathan thanked him again and left the office.
Nathan stepped out of the elevator, still in a daze, still questioning reality.
As he walked toward the exit—
Two familiar figures turned the corner.
Bella.
Ava.
Two of Amelia’s closest friends.
Their eyes widened at once.
Then narrowed suspiciously.
Ava folded her arms. “Are you stalking us?”
Bella scoffed. “We’ve seen you three times in less than twenty-four hours.”
Nathan blinked.
‘Of course. Because life just got more interesting.’
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 163
The family mansion of the Lee Family wax gated and fenced by wrought-iron gates, that swung open as Melody’s town car rolled up the long driveway that led to the building. She was exhausted from another long day at Cloven Tower, reviewing Helping Hand cutbacks, and sitting through strategy meetings, pretending she didn’t feel the weight of every executive’s side-eye that was given to her. The last thing she wanted was more drama. But drama, was one thing that would always be waiting for her.Just before her, although she hadn't seen it before, a sleek black Lamborghini Urus was already parked at the top of the steps, with the engine still ticking as it cooled. Michael leaned against the hood, with arms crossed, and sunglasses pushed up into his perfectly styled black hair. The moment her car stopped he straightened, and a cruel smile curled his lips.Melody stepped out and started walking toward the grand entrance without a word, her heels clicking on the marble path as she stroll
Chapter 162
The visitation room felt smaller than it really was in reality. The thick glass between the two women did nothing to dull the hostility radiating from Icel’s side of the glass. Amelia gripped the black phone receiver tighter, her knuckles becoming whiter. She had come here for answers, and not games, but Icel was clearly enjoying herself with everything that was going on.She leaned closer to the glass, her orange jumpsuit hanging loose on her thin hour glass frame. “Why do you even want to know who owns DodgerCoin, princess?” she asked, with a voice dripping with mock sweetness. “And while we’re at it, what businesses are you into these days? Are you still trying to climb the same ladder that kicked you off?"Amelia’s jaw tightened. “It’s a private matter," she said. "You really don’t need to know.”Icel’s smile turned malicious, curving slowly and sharp like a blade sliding from the sheath it had been hidden in. “If it’s so private, then keep it to yourself. Don’t come crawling into
Chapter 161
Three days had passed since the merger papers between Cloven and the Lee enterprise were signed, and ESU campus felt different for some reason The whispers in the hallways had turned into those of open speculation. Students who at one point mocked Nathan Rhodes now watched him with a mix of awe and caution, there was something almost godlike to them.The Pauper King had swallowed one of the greatest family empires in the city, and everyone could feel the shift in power that had come of it. Students were uncertain of what would happen next, and so it was about this time, this exact moment, that Michael chose make his entrance.A sleek black Lamborghini Urus roared through the main gates of ESU, with security guards watching in awe as the chrome wheels gleamed under the morning sun. Heads turned instantly. Girls clustered near the steps of the business building let out excited cheers and whistles as the car cruised slowly past them in all of its glory.Michael sat behind the wheel in
Chapter 160
The trap house felt strangely smaller tonight to Michael. The air was thicker, and heavier. Above them fluorescent bulbs buzzed with insects if varied shape and sizes flying close to it, and some of them even dying from going too close, as the lights casted harsh shadows across the stained concrete walls. The chemical stench was still in the air. An acrid smell of burnt plastic, bleach and a ton of other things too numerous to mention, clung to every breath Michael Lee took in, burning the Inside of his nose. He was still not used to this life. His palms were slick with sweat as he stood at the round table, staring at a burner phone Caesar had just slid across the scarred wood.Caesar leaned back in his chair, with his prosthetic arm glinting under the light from the flouroscent bulb. The scar on his face twisted when he smiled. “Listen carefully, Michael and all of you. From here on, there’s no going back. Once the money moves from you, you’re blood in. There are no refunds, and e
Chapter 159
In a penthouse overlooking Central Park in all its beauty, one was supposed to feel like they had just won something glorious, something ever lasting, a victory like no other. Instead, Amelia Frank paced over the marble floor like she was a caged animal in heat, while the seven beautiful vixens lounged on the cream sofas that were across the living room of the penthouse. Donna, Avery, Gene, Golden, Bella, Rene, and Chloe watched her with a mixture of amusement and boredom, they lips looking like they were they were just a little push away from laughing disastrously.They had grown closer in the last weeks with Amelia, bonded by a single thread that still held them together: every one of them still felt that they had been betrayed in some way by Nathan.“I still can’t believe it,” Amelia spat, voice sharp enough to cut the glass that framed the high floor to ceiling windows. “The one person that I thought would never break, the one person who I thought hated Nathan the most, just han
Chapter 158
The hallway outside the business wing of ESU was filled up with whisperes from the students all clustered in various groups, as they stood with their phones out, and their voices low but with that same excitement that characterized gossiping students, especially with the recent news that was pervading across all walls of the school and beyond. “Did you see? The Lees folded. Cloven owns everything now," one student said with an electrifying tone to his voice. It almost seemed like the news was the best thing ever. "Those damn Lees would surely have their tails under their legs in school, wouldn't they?" “The Pauper King just swallowed another empire," another student said to his own group. "That Nathan is not slowing down isn't it? He is like a moving train, you better get off the way or get knocked into a sea of sharks. Loan sharks. Get it?" He laughed. His other friends thought he was being corny, yet laughed as well.Meanwhile, Melody kept her head high and her pace steady as alwa
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