The Disgraced Husband Is the Septamillionaire Heir

Chapter 3

Caden stood on the curb outside the hotel, his hand raised to hail a cab. The morning sun beat down on the city streets, and despite everything that had happened in the past twelve hours, he felt oddly energized. He had work to do.

A yellow taxi pulled up, and Caden slid into the back seat.

"Where to?" the driver asked, glancing at him in the rearview mirror.

"Marvelous Group headquarters," Caden said. "Downtown."

The driver's eyebrows rose slightly as he pulled into traffic. His eyes kept flicking back to the mirror, taking in Caden's worn jeans, his plain t-shirt, his scuffed sneakers.

"Marvelous Group, huh?" the driver said after a few minutes of silence. "You work there?"

"Not exactly," Caden replied, watching the city pass by through the window.

"Got an interview or something? Word of advice, kid—you might want to dress up a bit. That place is full of suits. They're real particular about appearances."

"I'm not interviewing."

The driver chuckled. "Delivery then? Package drop-off?"

"No." Caden turned to meet the driver's eyes in the mirror. "I'm just going to take a look around. The CEO there—Sebastian Mitchell—he works for me."

The taxi swerved slightly. The driver's face went from curious to incredulous in an instant.

"Right," the driver said slowly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "And I'm the Pope. You do know Sebastian Mitchell is worth billions, right? The man owns half the city."

"I'm aware."

"Uh-huh." The driver snorted, shaking his head. "Sure thing, boss. Whatever you say."

The rest of the ride passed in silence, the driver occasionally muttering under his breath and shaking his head. When they pulled up in front of the gleaming glass tower that housed Marvelous Group, the fare came to eighteen dollars.

Caden handed over a twenty. "Keep the change."

"Thanks, Mr. CEO," the driver said with a smirk. "Good luck with your delusions."

Caden stepped out onto the sidewalk and tilted his head back, taking in the impressive structure before him. Fifty stories of steel and glass, each window reflecting the morning sun like a mirror. The Marvelous Group logo—two interlocking A's—dominated the facade above the entrance.

Master Aldrich had built this. For him. A foundation for his return to society, a power base from which he could hunt down those responsible for his family's disappearance. And Sebastian had been managing it flawlessly for years, waiting for this moment.

Caden allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction before walking toward the entrance.

The lobby was pristine—marble floors polished to a mirror shine, modern art installations positioned strategically throughout the space, and a massive reception desk that looked like it had been carved from a single piece of black granite. Well-dressed employees and visitors moved through the space with purpose.

Caden's sneakers squeaked slightly on the marble as he approached the reception desk.

The receptionist—a young woman with perfect makeup and hair pulled back in a tight bun—looked up from her computer screen. Her professional smile faltered slightly as she took in his appearance.

"Good morning," she said, her tone cautious. "How can I help you?"

"I need you to call Sebastian Mitchell," Caden said simply. "Tell him Caden Pierce is here. I'll wait for him right here."

The receptionist blinked. Then blinked again. Around them, several people in the lobby had stopped their conversations, turning to stare.

"I'm sorry," the receptionist said carefully, as if speaking to a child. "Did you say you want to see Mr. Mitchell?"

"That's right."

A man in an expensive suit standing nearby let out a bark of laughter. "Did this kid just say he wants to see Sebastian Mitchell? Just like that?"

"Maybe he thinks it's a walk-in clinic," a woman in designer heels whispered to her companion, not bothering to lower her voice.

"Poor thing must be lost," another voice chimed in. "Or mentally ill."

The receptionist's smile became strained. "Sir, I'm afraid Mr. Mitchell is an extremely busy man. He's the CEO of Marvelous Group. He doesn't take unscheduled meetings, especially not with—" She paused, her eyes sweeping over his attire. "—walk-ins. If you'd like to schedule an appointment, I can give you the number for his assistant's office, but the wait time is typically several months."

"I don't need an appointment," Caden said calmly. "Just call him. Once he knows I'm here, he'll come down."

More people had gathered now, forming a small crowd. Their whispers grew louder.

"Is he serious?"

"Who does he think he is?"

"Somebody should call security."

The receptionist's patience was clearly wearing thin. "Sir, I understand you may think you have important business with Mr. Mitchell, but I cannot simply call the CEO because someone walks in off the street and demands it. Without a scheduled appointment or proper credentials, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I'll wait," Caden repeated, crossing his arms.

"Sir—"

"Is there a problem here?"

The voice cut through the lobby like a knife. Everyone fell silent, turning toward the elevator bank.

A woman strode toward them, her heels clicking sharply against the marble. She was tall, attractive, probably in her early thirties, wearing a tailored navy suit that screamed expensive. Her dark hair was styled in a sleek bob, and her eyes—cold and assessing—swept over the scene with clear disapproval.

"Ms. Harper," the receptionist said quickly, relief flooding her voice. "This man is asking to see Mr. Mitchell. He won't leave."

Madison Harper, Sebastian Mitchell's executive secretary, was known throughout the company for her ruthless efficiency and zero tolerance for nonsense. She stopped a few feet from Caden, looking him up and down with barely concealed disdain.

"You want to see Mr. Mitchell?" she asked, her voice crisp.

"Yes."

Several people in the lobby greeted her with polite nods and "Good morning, Ms. Harper." She acknowledged them with a curt nod before returning her attention to Caden.

"And you are?"

"Caden Pierce."

"Mr. Pierce." Madison's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but—"

"Then you don't see Mr. Mitchell. It's quite simple." She turned to the receptionist. "Is Mr. Mitchell someone you can see just because you want to? Today it's this guy, tomorrow it's some other random person off the street—what about the day after? If you can't handle a basic part of your job like turning away strays, perhaps you'd be better suited to working in the warehouse. At least there you'd only have to deal with boxes."

The receptionist's face went pale. "I'm sorry, Ms. Harper. I was just about to—"

"Save it." Madison turned back to Caden, her expression hardening. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing, or what delusion led you to think you could just walk into Marvelous Group and demand to see one of the most powerful men in the city, but let me make something crystal clear: you're nobody. You're wearing clothes that probably cost less than the receptionist's shoes. You have no appointment, no credentials, and no business being here. So I'm going to give you one chance to leave on your own, with your dignity intact. Be sensible. Walk out that door right now."

"No," Caden said flatly.

Madison's jaw tightened. "Excuse me?"

"I said no. Call Sebastian. He'll want to know I'm here."

A vein pulsed in Madison's temple. The crowd around them had grown larger, everyone watching the confrontation with rapt attention.

"You arrogant little—" Madison caught herself, smoothing her expression back to professional coldness. "Fine. You want to do this the hard way? We'll do it the hard way." She gestured sharply to the two security guards stationed near the entrance. "Gentlemen. We have a trespasser who refuses to leave. Teach him a lesson about respect."

The security guards—both large men who looked like they spent their free time at the gym—moved forward immediately.

"Hey buddy," the first guard said, his hand reaching for Caden's arm. "You heard the lady. Time to go."

Gasps rippled through the crowd. This was about to get ugly.

Caden remained perfectly still, watching the guards approach. His muscles tensed, his weight shifting slightly into a defensive stance. Master Aldrich's training kicked in automatically—assess the threats, identify weak points, plan the takedown sequence. The first guard would go for a grab, which meant Caden could use his momentum against him, redirect him into the second guard, then—

"STOP!"

The voice boomed across the lobby, freezing everyone in place.

Sebastian Mitchell strode out of a private elevator, his face flushed, his eyes wide. He was impeccably dressed in a charcoal three-piece suit, his salt-and-pepper hair perfectly styled, but his usual composure had completely shattered.

"Everyone stop right now!" Sebastian shouted again, practically running across the lobby.

The security guards backed away immediately, confusion written across their faces.

Madison turned, her expression shocked. "Mr. Mitchell, I—"

"Not another word," Sebastian snapped at her before his attention locked onto Caden. His face transformed from panic to profound relief, and then—to everyone's absolute shock—he stopped three feet away and bowed deeply at the waist.

The entire lobby fell into stunned silence.