The Billionaire's Hidden Son-in-Law

Chapter 1: Falling Apart

Sometimes, the people you serve the most are the ones who will turn around to cause you your deepest pain.

Michael had just left the grocery store when he met something outside that was about to change his life forever.

Then came the soft hum of a well-tuned engine, followed by the smooth glide of a sleek black luxury car pulling up beside him. The windows were tinted so dark it looked like a void had parked next to him.

Michael slowed his steps, wary but too polite to walk away completely.

Sweat lined his brow, but he paid it no mind. His life had taught him to ignore discomfort.

He had adjusted the bag handles in his palms and began walking towards the cracked sidewalk that led home; a place that barely felt like one.

The door opened, and a woman stepped out with the quiet confidence of someone used to commanding authority. She was dressed in a tailored grey suit, her heels tapping softly against the pavement.

Every detail about her; the gold trim on her cuffs, the posture of her spine, spoke of discipline, control, and wealth.

“Michael?” she asked.

He blinked, chest tightening. “Yes?”

“I’m Clarissa Wren,” she said smoothly, offering a faint smile. “I serve as a butler to the Ainsley family. We’ve been searching for you for years.”

Michael looked at her like she’d just recited a riddle. “The Ainsley family?” he echoed, cautious.

The name didn’t ring a bell.

She gave a small nod. “Yes. They are one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in this country. And… you are their lost heir.”

Michael stood rooted, the sound of her words ricocheting in his mind. “You must be mistaken, ma’am,” he said, a quiet scoff escaping him. “I’m nobody’s heir. I live with the Donovans.”

Clarissa’s gaze softened, but her tone remained firm. “You were taken from them as a child. Your parents searched for years. There’s proof—documents, DNA. The life you’ve been living was never meant for you.”

He looked away, chuckling bitterly. “I’ve heard stories like this before. Scammers looking for a gullible target.”

She didn’t flinch. Instead, she reached into her coat and handed him a plain, ivory-colored card.

“I understand your hesitation. But if you ever decide to seek the truth, this will help you find me.”

Michael took the card out of politeness, not belief. “Not really necessary, but I’ll just keep it,” he said shortly.

Clarissa smiled again. “I hope we speak again soon.”

And with that, she slipped back into the car, the door closing with a hushed thud. The car disappeared down the road like it had never been there.

Michael stood still for a while, the card tucked between his fingers. Then he sighed and continued home.

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

The Donovan villa sat like a fortress on a hill, grand in architecture but cold in spirit.

Michael pushed the gate open, stepping into the compound he had known for years, but never truly belonged in.

As he entered the mansion, the first thing that greeted him was the sharp voice of Victoria Donovan – his wife’s younger sister.

“You’re just coming back now? Where is dinner?” she barked.

“I was delayed,” Michael said calmly, though his voice betrayed a trace of exhaustion. “The store—”

A resounding slap landed on his cheek without warning.

It wasn’t just pain that struck him. It was the humiliation. The disregard.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Michael managed to say, clutching his cheek. “I just told you –“ he couldn’t finish when Victoria interrupted.

“You think anyone here cares about your excuses?” Victoria spat, arms crossed tightly over her chest. “From now on, you’ll be doing all the house chores. Every room. Every corner. No staff. Until this place shines, you won’t eat a single meal.”

Michael met her glare without resistance. He gave a small nod and quietly turned away.

The Donovan mansion was enormous. Sweeping halls, intricate moldings, chandeliers that had never been dusted by the owners themselves. As the staff walked out one by one under Victoria’s command, Michael picked up a mop.

With each stroke, each scrub, the weight in his chest grew heavier. Not from the physical task, but from what it meant; that in their eyes, he wasn’t even worth the dignity of help.

That he was only ever tolerated because of Henry Donovan.

It had been Henry who found him, unconscious and battered, after a car accident 12-years ago when he was barely 13-years old. Michael had woken in a hospital with no memory of who he was. Henry had taken him in, nursed him back to health, and offered him shelter.

In return, Michael had offered his loyalty.

But as time passed, that loyalty turned into silence. And that silence became chains.

When Henry hinted at him marrying Sophia, Michael didn’t resist. What choice did he have? With no past to claim, he thought he owed them his future.

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

Evening draped itself across the sky when Sophia Donovan returned. She walked into the living room and stopped short.

Her husband, if he still qualified as that, was on his knees scrubbing the floor.

“Where’s the staff?” she asked, confused.

Michael opened his mouth to speak, but Victoria sauntered in first.

“He fired them,” she said smoothly. “Said they were useless.”

Sophia’s brows knitted. “You fired them?” she turned to Michael.

He didn’t answer.

Michael knew better than to defend himself. Of what use had that be when he knew well that Sophia had definitely side her sister?

“Typical,” she scoffed. “Pretending to be self-righteous, hoping it will make him look good. Manipulating my father to stay in this house. Pathetic.”

Michael clenched the mop handle, his knuckles pale. But he didn’t speak. He never did.

Sophia’s disgust was loud. “Fine. They’re fired for real. Permanently.”

He heard the click of her heels as she left the room, followed by Victoria’s smug laugh. Alone again, Michael dipped the mop into the bucket.

Night fell without mercy.

His hands were raw, knees aching. Every corner of the mansion held dust and shadows.

His stomach growled, but he ignored it.

He had no family. No name to trace. No place to return to. Just a card in his pocket and a weight in his heart.

Then, just as he was rising from the floor to change water, the phone rang.

A maid, who hadn’t yet left the property, picked it up and gasped.

“Sir Henry…” her voice trembled. “He’s been rushed to the hospital… they say it’s critical…”

Michael froze.