THE REJECTED GENIUS

4

Chapter 4: A Glimpse of Power

I stepped outside Northvale University’s grand entrance, and I looked around to see a glimpse of a new world. Everything had changed in a matter of hours. I wasn't the broke, poverty-stricken boy I was anymore. I was something else now and I don't even know the title I could give to myself.

Everything was happening so fast.

The money. The assets. The power.

And yet, no one knew.

Not Nathan. Not Sophia. Not the students who had mocked me for years. But they will.

My phone buzzed again.

Unknown Number: "The car is ready. Location: West Gate."

I inhaled sharply, my fingers tightening around the device.

I had never been picked up from school before. While the other students showed off their chauffeurs and luxury cars, I had always walked to the nearest bus stop, trying to manage every dollar.

But today?

Today, I would leave like a king.

The West Gate was the least crowded part of the school, reserved for VIP drop-offs and pick-ups.

A sleek, black Rolls-Royce Phantom idled at the curb. The kind of car that cost more than most people made in a lifetime was parked right in front of me.

For a moment, I hesitated.

This felt like a dream. Any second now, I’d wake up back in my tiny apartment, working my ass off in my next shift at the café.

But then the driver stepped out—a tall man in a sleek black suit, his posture perfect.

"Mr. Hayes." His voice was smooth and professional. He opened the door, gesturing inside. "Your estate manager is waiting."

I swallowed hard. I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. I was not used to someone getting things done for me. The special treatment, I was not used to.

No turning back now.

I slid into the car, my fingers brushing against the plush leather seats. The door shut with a soft click, sealing me inside a world of luxury I was now ready to explore.

And if this was all a dream, I wish I never woke up.

*****************************************************************************

The ride through the city felt exciting. The drive was smooth as I looked at the tall skylines and towers as they blurred past us as I drove.

I exhaled slowly, staring at my reflection in the tinted window.

Yesterday, I was nothing. Today, I was someone.

But this was only the beginning.

I turned to the driver. “Where are we going?”

"Your estate, sir. Your financial advisor is waiting to go over the details of your inheritance."

Estate.

Not an apartment. Not a house.

An estate.

I gripped my knees, my breath unsteady. This was bigger than I had imagined.

I had expected money. Maybe a decent house, a few investments.

But an estate? A financial advisor?

Who the hell was I?

*****************************************************************************

Thirty minutes later, the car slowed, pulling through the big iron gates.

Beyond them, a mansion loomed—a sprawling estate, the kind I had only ever seen in magazines and of course, movies. What was happening to me felt like it.

A staged drama, a movie.

Perfectly dressed gardens stretched across the property, fountains glistening under the fading sunlight. The driveway alone was longer than my entire apartment building.

The car stopped in front of the grand entrance.

A man in his forties, dressed in an expensive gray suit, waited at the entrance leading into the main mansion.

The driver stepped out and opened my door.

"Mr. Hayes," the man said as I stepped onto the stone pavement. "Welcome home."

I stared at him.

Home.

The word felt foreign. Unbelievable.

He extended a hand. "I'm Leonard Whitmore, your financial advisor. I’ll be handling your assets and ensuring a smooth transition into your new life."

I shook his hand, my mind still struggling to catch up.

"Shall we go inside?"

I nodded numbly, following him through the massive double doors.

[ INTO THE HAYES MANSION]

The building was even more breathtaking.

High ceilings, chandeliers, polished marble floors. Every inch of the place screamed wealth.

I barely heard Leonard as he led me through the rooms. A grand staircase, a private library, a home theater, an indoor pool.

This wasn’t just a house.

It was a statement.

Finally, we reached a private study. A long mahogany desk sat in the center, stacks of documents neatly arranged.

"Before we go over the finer details," Leonard said, motioning for me to sit, "I assume you have questions."

A thousand questions swirled in my mind. But only one left my lips.

"Who left me all this?"Leonard folded his hands. "Your father."

My stomach clenched. "That’s not possible. My father—"

"—was never dead," Leonard finished, watching me carefully.

The room hung in silence.

I gripped the armrests of the chair as I looked at the man in silence, not sure of what I was supposed to say to him.

For years, my mother had told me he was gone. That he had died before I was born.

But if Leonard was telling the truth…I forced out the words. "Where is he?" Leonard hesitated. "That… I don’t know."

I narrowed my eyes. "You don’t know? He leaves me all this, and no one knows where he is?"

Leonard exhaled, flipping through a file. "Your father, Alexander Hayes, vanished nearly two decades ago. His assets were locked away under strict conditions. But the moment you turned twenty-one, everything was transferred to you."

I shook my head, my thoughts spiraling. This didn’t make sense.

Why hide his wealth?

Why leave me and my mother struggling?

And more importantly—Why disappear?

Leonard pushed a file toward me. "Everything you need to know is here. Bank accounts, properties, company shares." His expression softened. "I understand this is overwhelming, Mr. Hayes. But rest assured, you have complete control now."

I stared at the papers, my chest tightening.

Complete control.

For the first time in my life, I wasn’t at the mercy of the world.

I had power. But power without answers meant nothing. I clenched my fists.

If my father was still out there…I was going to find him.

Later that night, I stood on the estate’s balcony, overlooking the vast gardens.

The cool night air brushed against my skin, but my mind burned with a single thought.

Revenge.Nathan. Sophia. The entire academy.

They had mocked me. Humiliated me. Treated me like I was beneath them.

But now?

Now, I could crush them.

A slow smirk curled my lips. They had no idea what was coming.

And when the truth hit them—It would be too late.