The Hidden Heir

Chapter 3: The Hospital Truth

Grey ran to the hospital with Dominic. His hands were shaking. His mother was dying? How could this be happening?

They rushed through the hospital doors and went up to the fifth floor. A nurse showed them to a private room. Inside, there was a woman on the bed. She looked very sick. Her face was pale and thin.

But when she saw Grey, her eyes opened wide and tears started to fall.

"Hercules," she whispered. "My baby. You came."

Grey walked to her bed slowly. He did not know what to do. This woman was a stranger to him. But something in his heart felt like he knew her.

"I am your mother," she said softly. "My name is Victoria. I am so sorry I had to give you away. I had to keep you safe."

Grey took her hand. It was cold and weak.

"I have been watching you your whole life," Victoria continued. "I have been so proud of you. Even though you had nothing, you worked hard. You were kind. You were strong."

"Why did you give me away?" Grey asked.

Victoria closed her eyes. "Your father was a very powerful man. He was the king of a huge business empire. But he made enemies. When you were born, those enemies wanted to kill you. They wanted to destroy everything your father had. So your father asked me to hide you. He said it was the only way to keep you alive."

"What happened to my father?" Grey asked.

"He was murdered," Victoria said, tears flowing down her face. "When you were three years old. He was killed by people who wanted his power and his money. They thought I had died with him. They thought you had died too. So they stopped looking for us."

Grey could not believe this. His father was murdered. His whole life was a lie.

"I put you in the orphanage and I changed my name," Victoria continued. "I became someone else. I watched you grow up from far away. And now, I am dying. I do not have much time left. Maybe a few days. Maybe a few hours."

"No," Grey said. "You will be okay. You will get better."

Victoria shook her head. "I am not afraid of death, my son. I am only sorry that I did not get to raise you. I am sorry that you suffered so much."

Dominic stepped forward. "Victoria, we need to tell him everything. He needs to know what is waiting for him."

Victoria nodded. "Yes. It is time."

She told Grey about the King family empire. It was worth billions of dollars. It included real estate, hotels, restaurants, technology companies, and more. It was one of the largest empires in the world.

"Your father had a brother," Victoria said. "His name is Uncle Marcus. When your father died, Uncle Marcus took control of the empire. But it was supposed to be yours, Hercules. It all belongs to you."

"My Uncle Marcus?" Grey said. "Is he the same Marcus who fired me today?"

Victoria and Dominic looked shocked.

"What do you mean?" Dominic asked.

"I worked for a delivery company," Grey explained. "My boss was named Marcus. He fired me this morning."

Victoria's face changed. She looked angry and sad at the same time.

"That is him," she said. "That is your Uncle Marcus. He has been looking for you your whole life. He wanted to make sure you never found out the truth. He wanted to make sure you stayed poor and worthless. That way, no one would ever think you could be the heir to the King empire."

Grey felt anger rise inside him. His own uncle had been destroying his life on purpose. Everything that had happened to him was not by accident. It was planned.

"But I have been smart," Victoria said. "I have been saving money for you. I have been getting documents ready. Everything you need to claim your inheritance is in this box."

She pointed to a small box on the table next to her bed.

"There are legal papers, birth certificates, and proof that you are my son and your father's son. There is also the account information for a trust fund. The fund has been growing for eighteen years. It is now worth five billion dollars."

Grey could not breathe. Five billion dollars? This could not be real.

"When you turn eighteen, you can claim the money," Victoria continued. "But more importantly, you can claim your place as the rightful heir to the King empire. You can take back what your uncle stole."

"How old am I?" Grey asked.

"You are seventeen," Victoria said. "In one month, you will be eighteen. Then everything changes."

A machine next to Victoria started beeping. A nurse rushed in and told Grey he had to leave. Victoria reached out and squeezed his hand one more time.

"I love you, my son," she whispered. "I have always loved you. Never forget that."

Grey left the room with tears in his eyes. Dominic followed him.

"What happens now?" Grey asked.

"Now we prepare," Dominic said. "In one month, you will claim your inheritance. You will become the most powerful man in the world. But first, we need to make sure your uncle does not find out the truth. If he knows you are alive, he will try to kill you."