The Forgotten Heir

Chapter 5

“Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?” Micheal asked skeptically. Even after everything the man had said, he still found it difficult to believe that someone this wealthy would treat him with such respect and call him Young Master Jordan. Nothing about his life matched the way this man was treating him. He was a poor university student who had spent most of his life struggling to survive, yet the man standing before him looked as though he belonged to a world Micheal had never even come close to entering.

“Of course not, Young Master Jordan,” the middle-aged man replied with absolute certainty. “I have spent eighteen years searching for you. I would never mistake you for someone else.”

Micheal stared at him silently. When the strange call had come earlier, he had initially suspected that someone was trying to kidnap him. After thinking about it, he had decided that it was probably just a prank. He had never imagined that the caller would actually send someone to find him, much less someone who arrived in a luxury car and treated him like the heir to an important family.

The man looked at him respectfully before continuing. “Please come with me, Young Master Jordan. My master has been waiting for you for a very long time.”

Micheal's eyebrows tightened. Everything was happening far too quickly for him to understand. Less than a day ago, his biggest concern had been finding enough money to buy Mia a birthday gift. Now, Mia had left him for David, he had spent several hours at the police station, and a stranger was standing in front of him claiming that he belonged to a wealthy family and that his master had been waiting eighteen years to meet him.

Micheal didn't know whether he should believe any of it.

However, there was one thing he knew for certain.

He wanted answers.

If this man was telling the truth, Micheal wanted to know who his parents were, why he had been abandoned at the orphanage, and why nobody had come looking for him for eighteen years. If it was all some elaborate prank, then he would find that out as well.

After a moment of hesitation, Micheal finally nodded.

“Alright. Take me to your master.”

The man's face immediately brightened.

“Of course, Young Master Jordan.”

He bowed respectfully before turning toward the luxury car parked nearby.

Micheal couldn't help feeling uncomfortable when he saw the man's reaction. He had never been treated this way before, and the more respectful the man became, the more questions filled his mind.

A man dressed entirely in black quickly stepped out of the driver's side when they approached and opened the rear passenger door for them.

Micheal stopped for a moment.

He didn't know much about luxury cars, but even he recognized the famous emblem on the front.

Rolls-Royce.

He had seen cars like this around Quinton University, usually belonging to the richest students on campus. Even David's Porsche, which had attracted so much attention at the university, couldn't compare to the luxury vehicle sitting in front of him.

Micheal stared at the car for a few seconds before getting inside.

Whoever this mysterious master was, he was clearly not an ordinary wealthy person.

The middle-aged man entered after him and sat beside him while the chauffeur closed the door. He then returned to the driver's seat, started the engine and smoothly pulled away from the park.

The ride was mostly silent. Micheal remained focused on the passing scenery outside the window, while the middle-aged man occasionally glanced in his direction. He introduced himself as Benthely, and during the first hour of the journey, he tried several times to start a conversation with Micheal, asking about his life, his studies at Quinton University, and the old woman who had raised him. However, Micheal was still too suspicious to reveal much to a stranger. His answers became shorter each time, and after realizing that Micheal wasn't willing to talk, Benthely eventually stopped asking questions and allowed the journey to continue in silence.

Four hours later, the Rolls-Royce finally began slowing down.

Micheal had almost fallen asleep when he noticed a massive structure appearing ahead of them. He straightened in his seat and stared through the windshield, his eyes widening as the vehicle approached a gigantic set of gates.

He had never seen anything like it.

The gates were enormous, towering several meters above the ground, and their dark metallic surface reflected the lights surrounding the entrance. Intricate golden patterns had been carved into them, making the entire structure look less like the entrance to a private residence and more like the gate of an imperial palace. At the center, several large golden letters were arranged in an elegant design.

“JORDAN.”

The vehicle stopped at the entrance. Several security personnel immediately approached the car, and what followed left Micheal even more stunned. The guards checked the vehicle, verified Benthely's identity and performed several security checks before the enormous gates finally began opening.

The Rolls-Royce slowly passed through.

Micheal's mouth fell open.

He had expected the inside of the property to be impressive, but nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.

The mansion was enormous, sitting at the center of an estate that seemed to stretch farther than Micheal could see. Beautiful gardens surrounded the property, filled with rare flowers and carefully maintained plants arranged in elaborate patterns. Some of the flowers appeared to glow faintly beneath the lights scattered throughout the gardens, making the entire estate look almost unreal.

A massive fountain stood at the center of the main courtyard, with an elegant sculpture rising from its center. Water flowed from several levels of the fountain before cascading into the large pool beneath it, reflecting the lights and the night sky.

Micheal remained pressed against the window, staring at everything in disbelief.

Benthely noticed Micheal's expression and quietly signaled the driver to slow down.

The Rolls-Royce moved around the estate at a much slower pace, allowing Micheal to see more of the property. He saw several separate buildings, beautifully landscaped gardens, a private swimming pool and a large open courtyard surrounded by trees and flowers.

Micheal couldn't even imagine how much money it had taken to build a place like this.

Eventually, the vehicle reached the main entrance of the mansion and came to a smooth stop.

The chauffeur immediately stepped out and opened the door.

Micheal remained seated for a moment, still trying to absorb everything he had seen.

He finally stepped out of the car and turned around just as the chauffeur returned to his seat. The Rolls-Royce slowly drove away toward another section of the estate.

Micheal watched it disappear into the distance.

He had never owned a car like that.

He had barely even dreamed of sitting inside one.

Benthely noticed the way Micheal was staring after the vehicle and walked over to him with a faint smile. He gently tapped Micheal on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Young Master Jordan."

Micheal looked at him.

Benthely glanced toward the disappearing Rolls-Royce before calmly adding,

"That car isn't even worthy of being considered one of the valuable things in the Jordan family."

Micheal nodded silently, although he couldn't help grumbling inwardly at Benthely's words. He had just traveled for four hours in a Rolls-Royce and arrived at a mansion that looked like it belonged to royalty, yet the man had casually told him that the car wasn't worthy of his attention. Micheal couldn't understand how wealthy people thought.

Not worthy of my attention?

I'm still trying to convince myself that I'm actually standing in a place like this.

He glanced around the enormous entrance hall before quietly following Benthely. The middle-aged man seemed completely accustomed to the luxury surrounding them, and after walking a few steps, he stopped and gestured toward the hallway with the respectful manner of a butler welcoming his master.

"This way, Young Master Jordan."

Micheal nodded and started walking.

The hallway was just as impressive as everything he had seen outside. Expensive decorations filled the walls, while several large paintings were displayed in elegant frames. There were also sculptures and other pieces of art that Micheal couldn't even identify. A few hours earlier, he might have stopped to stare at every one of them, but he was far too nervous now.

He had spent his entire life living simply, and nothing about this place felt familiar to him. Even walking across the polished floor made him conscious of every step he took, as though he might accidentally break something worth more than everything he owned.

Despite his nervousness, however, Micheal occasionally glanced at the paintings as he walked. Most of them appeared to be portraits of people he had never seen before, but one particular painting caught his attention.

Micheal slowed down.

The painting showed a young man and woman who appeared to be in their late twenties. They were standing close together, and although the picture had clearly been taken many years ago, there was something about their faces that immediately caught Micheal's attention.

His footsteps stopped completely.

He stared at the painting.

The young man had features that looked remarkably similar to his own, particularly the shape of his eyes and jaw. The woman beside him also shared several of Micheal's features, and although he couldn't explain why, simply looking at the two of them made an unfamiliar feeling rise inside his chest.

Micheal didn't know who they were.

Yet he couldn't take his eyes away from them.

For some reason, he suddenly felt an emptiness he couldn't explain, as though he were looking at two people he had spent his entire life searching for without ever knowing their faces.

He stood there for nearly a minute before finally forcing himself to look away.

"Who are they?" he almost asked, but the words stopped in his throat.

He wasn't ready.

There were already too many questions running through his mind, and he didn't know whether he could handle the answers yet.

Micheal continued walking.

Benthely didn't say anything about the painting. He simply followed a few steps behind him as they continued through the hallway, passing several more portraits, expensive decorations and pieces of artwork before finally stopping in front of a large wooden door.

Micheal's heartbeat immediately quickened.

Benthely stepped forward and knocked twice.

Knock. Knock.

A few seconds passed.

Then a tired voice came from inside.

"Come in."

Benthely stepped aside and lowered his head respectfully.

"After you, Young Master Jordan."

Micheal barely noticed him.

His attention was completely fixed on the door.

He didn't need anyone to tell him who was behind it.

This was the person Benthely had been talking about since they left the park.

Micheal took a deep breath and exhaled loudly before steeling his resolve. He opened the door and stepped inside the room. It was time to meet that master.