THE REJECTED STONE IS A BILLIONAIRE

Chapter 6

like the tongue of Hades.

Inside, visibility was almost zero. He crouched low, crawling along the floor, listening, straining. Then he heard it: soft sobs, followed by a weak cough.

A faint whimper guided him to a room where the boy was huddled in the corner of the smoke-filled room, tears streaming down his soot-covered face.

He was maybe six or seven. His tiny body trembled. Nathan scooped him up and wrapped his jacket around the child’s head. “Hold on to me.”

But turning back was another challenge; the flames had blocked the door.

He raced towards the window, the boy's hand in his, and with a determined grunt, he lifted the boy through, then jumped after him, just in time to escape the roof crashing down on them.

Outside, he laid the boy on a nearby patch of grass. The child had a little bruise on the knee and was coughing violently.

“Clear!” a paramedic shouted, moving in with oxygen.

Nathan stood up, heart thumping hard against his chest. His hands were blistered, and his shirt was smoky.

He turned to leave quietly when a lady appeared in front of him. Her eyes were red with fear and tears.

“That’s my nephew,” her voice trembled with emotion. “My sister’s only child. If you hadn’t—” Her voice broke. “Thank you.”

Nathan gave a faint nod, brushing ash off his jacket. “He’ll be okay.”

She smiled, Nathan smiled back, then disappeared into the crowd before the press gathered.

By the time Nathan returned to the Graymon estate, the air felt different and charged.

The staff moved as if they were walking on eggshells, afraid to make the silliest mistake. The team of security had increased, and so had their stony faces.

The television flashed a breaking news alert:

BREAKING NEWS: Two individuals suspected of being involved in the killing of Engineer Logan Pierce have been arrested by the London Civil Security.

Sources believe more names may emerge as the investigation intensifies.

Nathan’s jaw tensed.

In the garden, Jessica, in pink silk, was leaning into Silas, her exaggerated, too-long hair. Silas, smug as ever, rested his arm behind her shoulders.

Nathan paused, pretending not to notice, but Jessica’s glance found him. Her hand rested on Silas’s chest, eyes locked with Nathan’s just a beat too long.

He turned away, refusing to give her the satisfaction. The same person who told her about her singlehood to a complete stranger on the internet.

But it tugged at him, the performance and forced intimacy. Jessica had always been a mystery wrapped in charm and cruelty. And now, it seemed, she wanted him to suffer for walking away.

Nathan ignored the sting in his chest and pulled out his phone as it buzzed in his pocket.

A notification from his private CEO dashboard flashed across the screen:  

Partnership Request: Estate Conveyance Project (Pending Approval)

He tapped it open, scanning the proposal and Graymon’s name was buried deep in the documentation. It was a strategic expansion, one that required board approval. And that board just so happened to answer to Jacob Dome, him.

Nathan didn't have to think twice. He pressed the Decline option.

Hours passed before the familiar crunch of angry footsteps approached the lounge. The door slammed open, and Lord Graymon, his face contorted in a scowl, walked in.

Maurice followed close behind, more composed but clearly rattled.

“Nathan!” Graymon barked. “You should be grateful you're poor and have no property to your name…because staying in the game could be frustrating.”

Nathan turned slowly from the bookshelf, feigning confusion. “What happened?”

Graymon threw a folded document onto the table. “Our conveyance deal has been blocked. Completely shut down. The board voted against us. Unanimously.”

Maurice stepped in, trying to temper the moment. “We had every metric in place. Financial viability, political backing. The land was already pre-cleared. This was supposed to go through without resistance.”

Nathan fondled the folder, eyes darting through the page like it was his first time seeing it. He tried hard to suppress the laughter in his mouth.

He asked flatly. “Any idea why the board pushed back?”

Graymon’s eyes narrowed. “Someone on the inside is pulling strings. That kind of rejection doesn’t just happen.”

Maurice nodded. “There’s talk of a silent veto, a high-level override. We’re trying to trace it, but someone up the chain is protecting their interests.”

Nathan tilted his head, watching Graymon like a cat might watch a dog growl behind glass.

“Well, let's hope they'll review it.”

Maurice eyed him curiously, but said nothing. Graymon, too blinded by his own outrage, missed the quiet satisfaction behind Nathan’s eyes.

The irony was delicious. They stood there, venting their anger over a deal denied, never once suspecting that the silent hand behind the decision was standing just feet away from them. Nathan, the quietowner of the holding company to whom the board answered, had stopped the conveyance deal without lifting more than a finger.

And Graymon had no idea.

Graymon muttered. “I don’t care how high up this goes; someone’s playing games with my legacy.”

Nathan almost laughed. Your legacy indeed!

The conveyance deal had clearly been more important to him than he'd let on. That kind of anger wasn’t just about money; it was about ego and control. The idea that someone in the boardroom could say “no” to a man like Graymon was unthinkable to him.

Nathan exhaled slowly. He could still see the fury and disbelief in Graymon’s eyes. Maurice, trying to offer explanations, but none of it mattered. They were flailing in a system they thought they understood, unaware that the true power had shifted long ago.

And Nathan had made sure of it.

Just then, his phone buzzed a notification, and he opened the chat and a message from Jessica read:

“I want to meet you in person, Jacob Dome.”

Nathan smiled and typed:

“Ok, catch me this afternoon at the London Square at three.”