The Military Son-in-Law Who Owned Tomorrow

Dossier 3 - Crossing Adrian

ADRIAN VANDERLEIGH

Adrian froze to the spot, all throughout his life… He had lived an ordinary life, mocked and humiliated  and called “Poverty version of the Vanderleigh.” 

Who would have thought he was actually the sole heir to this same global empire? 

“What use is this protection when I almost died on several occasions?” Adrian demanded, struggling to believe what he was hearing after twenty-five years of living as an ordinary man. “There were several attempts on my life in Blackridge. I nearly died on the battlefield too, and you call that protection?”

The trustee was calm with utmost professionalism.

“President Vanderleigh, your grandfather’s will was very specific. You were never to be interfered with unless your life was in immediate, unavoidable danger.”

Adrian frowned.

“From the moment you were born, you were secretly monitored and protected. But the protection was designed to remain invisible. It was never meant to interfere with your ordinary life, alter your choices, or prevent you from experiencing hardship.” He paused.

“You were allowed to live as Adrian Vanderleigh. The protection only activated when death became imminent.”

“Blackridge was full of people who wanted me dead.”

“And they were allowed to try,” the trustee replied. “Because an attempt was not considered sufficient grounds for intervention. Our people were positioned inside and outside the facility, watching every threat and calculating when intervention became necessary.”

Adrian stared at him. “And the battlefield?” “That was the final contingency.”

The trustee’s expression hardened.

“Every movement of Operation Black Mercy was monitored. Our protection agency had already mapped the battlefield, tracked enemy weapons, monitored artillery positions and calculated the probability of fatal attacks. Advanced surveillance systems were deployed without the military ever knowing their true purpose.”

He looked Adrian directly in the eyes.

“The moment an attack crossed the threshold where you could not survive it yourself, our people intervened.” Adrian’s face went still.

“You won that war because of your intelligence, your formidable strength, and everything you had learned through those three years in Blackridge,” the trustee said. “We did not fight your battles for you, President Vanderleigh. We never have.”

His expression became solemn.

“You survived because we made sure you could.”

Adrian felt both touched and stunned, but he felt no rage over the difficult life he had been forced to live. If anything, part of him was grateful. Without those hardships, he would never have become the formidable man he was today, and perhaps he would have spent his entire life believing Alyssa’s love was genuine.

He looked at the men bowing before him and slowly raised a hand.

They straightened immediately, a quiet sense of relief passing through them.

One of the men stepped forward carrying a sleek black case. He opened it with both hands.

Nestled inside a layer of premium embroidered fabric was a flawlessly matte-black card, bearing only the Vanderleigh crest in subtle platinum.

“President Adrian,” the man said respectfully. “Your personal Black Sovereign Card.”

Adrian picked it up.

“It carries a ten-billion-dollar spending authority,” the man explained. “But its true privilege isn’t the money.”

He bowed slightly.

“The card is recognized as your highest-tier Vanderleigh credential. It grants unrestricted access to establishments, private institutions, corporate facilities, exclusive clubs, financial networks, and secured properties under the Vanderleigh umbrella and its affiliated partners —.”

“And even institutions outside the Vanderleigh Empire recognize this card.”

Adrian looked up.

“Major corporations, luxury establishments, private banks and exclusive institutions that have no affiliation with Vanderleigh still honor it. Its bearer is guaranteed priority access, private services and privileges normally reserved for their most powerful clients.”

The man lowered his head.

“Where others need permission, President Vanderleigh, your spoken order and your card is the permission.”

Adrian held the card in his hand, staring at the Vanderleigh crest engraved upon it.

Although every prestigious family in the country possessed its own wealth, influence, talent, and legacy, none stood above the Vanderleigh-Rothmere family. The Vanderleigh Empire was the apex of the country’s elite, a family so powerful and mysterious that even the most influential families bowed to its name.

The last known public appearance of a Vanderleigh family head with his family had been five decades ago. Since then, the empire had operated through a highly structured system, with appointed executive representatives handling its public affairs while the actual members of the family remained almost completely hidden from the world.

And now, the man they had all been waiting for had finally returned.

Yet his in-laws had spent years treating him like a worthless son-in-law. His wife had betrayed him, and the Auremonts had joined forces with the D’Auberys to have him locked away in Blackridge.

They had even sent men after him inside the prison.

Night after night, they came for him, beating him until he could barely breathe. There had been nights when Adrian lay on the cold floor, calculating his own death—wondering which of the men they had sent that night he would take down first before they finally managed to silence him.

But that life was over. Now, it was his turn to pay them a visit. But before that, there were two people he needed to see.

His mother. His sister. Adrian slipped the black card into his pocket.

“Do you wish to name your wife, Lady Alyssa Auremont of the Auremont Group, as your First Lady, President Adrian?” one of the trustees asked respectfully.

Adrian’s expression remained calm. “No.”

He paused. “I don’t have a wife.” The trustee immediately bowed his head. “As you wish, my lord.”

A middle-aged man stepped forward.

“The private jet is waiting, President Vanderleigh. Please enter the car. We will take you to your residence at Vanderleigh Heights.”

Adrian glanced toward the waiting cars before shaking his head.

“I have some personal matters to settle first.” He looked at the trustees.

“Until those matters are resolved, my identity remains confidential. No one is to know that I am the heir to the Vanderleigh Empire—not the Auremonts, not the D’Auberys, and certainly not the public.”

His gaze hardened slightly. “When the time comes, I will announce myself.” The trustees bowed.

“Understood, President Vanderleigh.” The trustee handed Adrian a sleek black card.

“One call is all it takes. Wherever you are, we will be there with men and whatever resources you require. And this is for your immediate expenses.”

He handed Adrian a small suitcase. “Five million dollars in liquid cash.”

Adrian stared at the suitcase for a moment before taking it.

He turned away, carrying his military box in one hand and the suitcase of cash in the other.

He was still trapped somewhere between disbelief and reality. Everything that had happened felt almost impossible, and yet the ache in his chest and the thought of his mother and sister kept reminding him that this was real.

First, he would find his mother and sister. Then he would finalize his divorce.

Only after those two things were settled would he return to the world that had been waiting for him and take his rightful place at the head of the Vanderleigh Empire.

Adrian stopped a taxi and climbed into the back seat. “Take me here.”

He handed the middle-aged driver a ten-thousand-dollar bill. The driver stared at the money in disbelief.

“Sir… this is too much.” “Keep the change.”

The struggling driver could barely contain his gratitude. His wife had recently been diagnosed with cancer, and the unexpected money was more than he could have imagined receiving from a single passenger.

When they finally arrived, Adrian looked through the window at the familiar street. His family home.

It was a modest four-bedroom apartment in one of the cheapest parts of the country, nothing compared to the mansions of the Auremonts, but it had been home.

It was where his mother and sister lived. The thought of finally seeing them again made his heart race.

Adrian stepped out with his belongings and walked toward the porch. He knocked. The door opened.

But instead of his mother or sister, a stout middle-aged woman stood before him, looking at him with open disdain.

“Get out of my property. Now.” Adrian froze. “Your property?”

His voice trembled slightly.

“This is my home. My family lives here. Where are they?” The woman scoffed.

“I guess they don’t anymore.” Adrian’s face changed. “What do you mean?”

“The Auremonts sold this place to us. They kicked those poor rats out and handed the property over to us.” She folded her arms.

“So if you have any questions, go take them up with the Auremonts.” Adrian stood completely still.

For a moment, he couldn’t breathe. His eyes slowly clouded with pain.

He had worked himself to exhaustion for that home. Construction jobs. Delivery jobs. Mowing lawns for wealthy families. Whatever work he could find, he did it. He had even taken loans and spent years repaying them simply to keep a roof over his family’s heads.

And the Auremonts had never allowed his mother and sister to live with him at their estate.

Now they had taken the one home he had worked so hard to provide for them.

They had sold it. And thrown his family out. Adrian’s hands tightened around the suitcase. His legs suddenly felt weak. He stepped down from the porch, but his knees nearly gave way.

“Sir!”

The taxi driver immediately rushed over and caught him before he fell. He took Adrian’s military box and suitcase and helped him back toward the taxi.

Adrian sat inside, still staring blankly ahead. After a moment, he looked at the driver.

“I thought I paid you. Why are you still here?” The driver smiled.

“I had to make sure you reached your destination safely. I don’t leave until my passengers are settled.”

He glanced at Adrian through the mirror.

“And I’m also very grateful for what you did for me, sir. You may not know it, but that money means a lot to my family.”

Adrian remained silent. The driver smiled again.

“You’re a strong man. Whatever happened to you, I believe you’ll find your family.”

He started the engine. “Where are we going next, sir?”

Adrian slowly lifted his head. The pain in his eyes had hardened into something colder.

“The Auremont Estate.”