The Hidden Billionaire’s Final Goodbye

5. The Anderson Family’s Demands

Richard Anderson sat behind his heavy mahogany desk, his expression a mask of mounting panic. Spread before him were corporate balance sheets, debt restructuring notices, and final payment deadlines. The numbers stared back at him with brutal clarity: the Anderson Corporation was on the brink of financial collapse, and the liquidity crisis could no longer be hidden behind the facade of luxury.

The door opened, and Lucas stepped into the room. He wore his faded delivery uniform, looking entirely out of place among the antique furniture and leather-bound books.

"You wanted to see me?" Lucas asked calmly.

Richard looked up, his eyes sharp and demanding. He didn't bother offering a seat.

"Sit down," Richard commanded, though there was no real invitation in his voice. He pushed a stack of financial documents across the desk. "The company is facing a severe liquidity crunch. We need an immediate injection of capital to cover our upcoming obligations and satisfy our primary creditors."

Lucas glanced down at the papers without touching them. He already knew what they said; Daniel had briefed him on the corporation's escalating liabilities just a day prior.

"How much do you need?" Lucas asked quietly.

"Fifty million," Richard replied without hesitation. "And we need it by the end of the week."

Lucas raised his gaze to meet his father-in-law's. A faint, ironic smile touched the corner of his lips. "Fifty million. That's a significant amount. Have you considered asking Adrian?"

The air in the study instantly froze.

Richard slammed his hand onto the desk, standing up so abruptly his chair screeched against the hardwood floor.

"What did you say?" Richard barked, his face flushing with anger.

"I asked why you aren't asking Adrian for help," Lucas repeated, his voice steady. "He has the wealth, the influence, and the corporate connections you've been praising all week. Surely a man like Adrian Blake would be more than willing to assist the family."

"How dare you?" Richard shouted, pointing a trembling finger at him. "You insolent, ungrateful parasite! You sit there in your cheap delivery clothes, mocking me? Adrian is a distinguished guest and a prominent businessman. He has no obligation to bail out this family—a family you married into!"

Margaret, who had been standing near the doorway, stepped into the room, her expression twisted with utter contempt.

"He truly has no shame, Richard," Margaret said, her voice dripping with venom. "Look at him. After four years of living under our roof, eating our food, and letting this family shelter him, he dares to talk back and question his elders? You are nothing, Lucas. A delivery boy with delusions of grandeur. You have no right to utter Adrian's name, let alone question how we manage our business."

Lucas listened to the familiar barrage of insults. Four years ago, words like those would have made him shrink back, eager to appease them, desperate to prove his worth.

Today, they merely felt hollow.

He looked at Richard, whose chest was heaving with indignation, and at Margaret, whose eyes radiated pure disdain. They were panicking, yet they still treated him like dirt beneath their feet—all while expecting him to quietly solve their problems.

A slow, quiet realization settled in Lucas's chest. For years, he had shielded them because of Amelia. But looking at them now, he wondered if his sacrifices had ever been anything more than a joke to them.

"Fine," Lucas said softly.

Richard blinked, taken aback by the sudden compliance. "What?"

"I'll arrange the funds," Lucas said, his tone devoid of emotion. "The money will be transferred to the company accounts by tomorrow morning."

Margaret scoffed, crossing her arms. "Well, it's about time you proved useful for once. Don't act so heroic—it's the least you can do after everything this family has given you."

Lucas didn't argue. He didn't correct them, and he didn't remind them that every single cent keeping their empire afloat for the past four years had come out of his own pocket.

He simply turned toward the door.

"Make sure it's done," Richard muttered, sinking back into his chair, already dismissing him.

Lucas walked out of the study and headed down the quiet hallway.

For the first time in four years, the thought of helping them didn't bring a sense of duty. It brought a bitter taste to his mouth. Was it truly still worth it? Was pouring more of his life and fortune into the Anderson Corporation a sacrifice of love, or was it simply enabling people who despised him?

He pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number.

The call connected almost immediately.

"Sir?" Daniel's voice came through the speaker.

"Daniel," Lucas said quietly, stopping near the garden window. "I want a complete, itemized audit of every single dollar, investment, and bailout fund we have channeled into Anderson Corporation over the past four years. Every transfer, every debt acquisition, every hidden subsidy."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, as if Daniel was measuring the weight of the command.

"Understood, sir," Daniel replied, his tone grave. "I'll compile the comprehensive report immediately."

Lucas ended the call and slipped his phone back into his pocket. He looked out at the manicured lawns of the mansion, waiting for the final truth to surface.

It didn't take long.

Less than an hour later, his phone buzzed in his hand. A secure encrypted file had arrived from Daniel.

Lucas opened it and scrolled down to the grand total at the bottom of the ledger.

His breath caught.

The numbers staring back at him weren't just large—they were staggering. The cumulative financial support he had poured into saving the Anderson family over the past four years amounted to a sum so astronomical that it could buy and sell the entire Anderson Corporation ten times over, leaving Richard and Margaret utterly penniless.

Lucas stared at the screen, the weight of the revelation sinking in.

He had given them everything, believing it was an act of quiet devotion. But as he looked at the true cost of his misplaced loyalty, he realized something terrifying:

The family looking down on him as a useless son-in-law was entirely, unconditionally dependent on a fortune they didn't even know he owned.

And the moment he decided to pull the plug, their entire world would crumble into dust.