THE HEIR'S REVENGE

chapter 1

Ethan POV

The train screeched to a halt, and I stepped onto the platform at Crestwood Station. Snow fell in thick, heavy flakes, covering everything in white. I pulled my thin jacket tighter against the cold and checked my phone.

One new message.

My stomach twisted as I opened it. Emma. My girlfriend. The only good thing in my miserable life.

"Where are you? I need to talk. Hurry up, I don't have time to waste."

I frowned at the screen. Something felt off about her message. Was she angry that I'd been gone for two days? I'd only taken that short trip to visit my mom's grave in the countryside. I hadn't wanted to go, but it was the anniversary of her death.

I typed back quickly: "Just got to the station. On my way."

Shoving my phone in my pocket, I started walking toward the exit. No one had come to pick me up. Not that I expected anyone to. The Pierce family had made it clear I wasn't worth their time.

"Stop! Thief!"

A man's voice rang out behind me. Before I could turn around, someone crashed into my shoulder, sending pain shooting down my arm.

"Get back here!"

I spun around and saw three tall men chasing a little girl through the crowd. She couldn't have been older than five or six. Her face was twisted in terror as she ran, her dark curls bouncing with each step.

I should've kept walking. Should've minded my own business.

But I couldn't.

I dropped my backpack and took off after them. The girl was fast, weaving through people like water through cracks. The men struggled to keep up, knocking into travelers and shouting threats.

We burst out of the station and into a narrow alley. The girl hit a dead end—a brick wall blocking her escape. She pressed herself against it, tiny hands raised like she could somehow push the men away.

"Leave me alone!" she cried. "My grandpa won't let you hurt me!"

One of the men laughed, a cruel sound that made my skin crawl. "That's exactly the point, sweetheart. He'll pay a lot to get you back."

I grabbed my backpack and swung it as hard as I could, hitting the closest man in the back of his head. He stumbled forward with a curse.

"Hey," I said, stepping between the girl and the men. "You forgot to apologize for bumping into me back there. That really hurt."

All three men turned to face me. They were bigger than I thought. Bigger than me, definitely.

"Who the hell are you?" the leader snarled. "Mind your own business, kid."

I pulled out my phone and held it up. "The cops are on their way. Unless you want to get arrested, I suggest you leave."

It was a bluff. I hadn't called anyone. But I'd set my ringtone to police sirens once as a joke, and I'd never changed it. I hit play.

The sound of sirens filled the alley.

The men's eyes went wide. The leader glared at me, his face turning red with rage. "You'll regret this."

Before I could react, his fist connected with my face. Pain exploded across my nose, and I tasted blood. My vision blurred as I stumbled backward.

By the time I blinked the tears away, the men were gone.

I touched my nose gingerly. Broken. Definitely broken.

"Are you okay?" The little girl's voice was small and scared. She held out a pink handkerchief with trembling hands. "I'm sorry you got hurt because of me."

I took the handkerchief and pressed it to my nose. "It's nothing. Where are your parents?"

"My grandpa's sick," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "I got lost trying to find the hospital. Are the police really coming?"

I shook my head. "No. That was just my ringtone."

Her eyes went wide, but before she could say anything, a man in a suit appeared at the mouth of the alley.

"Miss Lily!" he called out.

The girl—Lily—ran to him, and he scooped her up, relief flooding his face. He turned to thank me, but I was already walking away.

I didn't need thanks. I just needed to get home.

Except when I got there, I realized I didn't have a home anymore.

The house looked the same as always. Big. Expensive. Cold.

I pushed open the front door and froze.

They were all there, sitting in the living room like they'd been waiting for me. My father, Marcus. My stepmother, Victoria. My half-brother, Daniel. My half-sister, Sophia.

And Emma. Sitting on Daniel's lap. Wearing a wedding ring.

My brain couldn't process what I was seeing. Emma's hand rested on Daniel's chest. She smiled at him like he was the only person in the world.

"What's going on?" The words came out strangled.

Victoria's face twisted with disgust. "Not even a wedding gift for your brother? You weren't worthy of attending, but you could've at least sent something."

"I didn't know—"

"Of course you didn't know," Sophia snapped. "Why would we tell you? You're not really family."

I looked at Emma. She wouldn't meet my eyes.

"If he's married," I said slowly, "why is she sitting with him?"

Emma finally looked at me. Her expression was cold. Distant. Like I was a stranger.

"We need to talk about that," she said, holding up her hand so I could see the ring clearly. "I married Daniel. Why would I waste my time on you? You're broke, Ethan. You can't give me anything."

The room spun. I gripped the doorframe to steady myself.

"I only dated you to get close to him," Emma continued, her voice matter-of-fact. "You're just the unwanted son. No one wants you. Every woman deserves to be treated like a princess, and there's no way someone like you could ever give me that."

Victoria smiled, her voice dripping with venom. "We don't need you anymore. Get out. Don't ruin your brother's marriage by hanging around. You might think you loved her, but she's way out of your league. And she's married now."

She leaned forward, her eyes cold. "If only that pathetic maid of a mother hadn't seduced my husband, you wouldn't even exist. You're worthless. A mistake. Get out of my house."

Something inside me cracked. Then shattered completely.

I looked at each of them. My father wouldn't even look at me. Daniel smirked. Sophia filmed me with her phone, probably for her stupid social media. Emma stared at me with complete indifference.

"You're all going to regret this," I said quietly.

Marcus finally spoke. "Get out before I call security."

I turned and walked out, slamming the door behind me.

I had nowhere to go. No money. No family.

Nothing.

I walked for hours, my broken nose throbbing with each step. Eventually, I collapsed onto a bench in Sterling Park. The snow had stopped, but the cold cut through my jacket.

I pulled out my phone to check my bank balance. Maybe I had enough for some food.

$1.00

I stared at the number. One dollar. That was all I had left in the world.

I was about to close the app when a notification popped up.

BANK ALERT: Your account has been credited with $10,000,000,000

I blinked. Read it again. Counted the zeros.

Ten billion dollars.

This had to be a mistake. Or a scam. There was no way—

My phone rang. Unknown number.

My hands shook as I answered. "Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Ethan Pierce. It's a pleasure to speak with you." The voice was professional, calm. "You've been selected as the heir to the fortune of the Blackwell family. Since you've passed the test, please come to Memorial Hospital immediately. Room 509. You have twenty minutes."

"Wait, what test? What are you talking about? Who are you?"

"You'll understand everything soon, young master. Memorial Hospital, room 509. Twenty minutes."

The line went dead.

I sat there, staring at my phone. This was insane. Absolutely insane.

But that money in my account... that was real.

I checked again. Still there. Ten billion and one dollar.

I stood up and ran toward the street, flagging down a taxi.

"Memorial Hospital. Fast."

Whatever was happening, I needed answers. And I needed them now.