The Mistreated Heir Is An Urban God

7

The security guards reluctantly stepped back when Rufus's name was mentioned on Alex's call log. Jane's face twisted with fury, but even she couldn't deny the connection. They escorted Alex through the venue's private corridors, stopping at a heavy oak door marked CEO - Private Office.

Alex knocked twice.

"Enter."

The office was vast—all dark wood paneling, leather furniture, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city skyline. Behind an enormous mahogany desk sat Mr. Yin, a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair and a face that radiated self-importance. He glanced up from his tablet, his expression morphing from neutral to disgusted in an instant.

"Who let this vagrant into my office?" Yin's voice carried the sharp bite of someone used to being obeyed without question. "Security! I said NO interruptions!"

"Sir, he claims to have an appointment—"

"An appointment?" Yin's laugh was cruel and mocking. "Look at him! He looks like he crawled out of a dumpster behind a Chinese restaurant. What possible business could this insect have with ME?"

Alex stepped forward, his jaw tight. "I have a scheduled meeting. Rufus Blackwell arranged it."

"Rufus Blackwell?" Yin's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You dare drop that name like it gives you credibility? What did you do, hear it on the news and decide to use it for your scam?"

"Check your schedule. You'll find I'm telling the truth."

Yin's fingers flew across his tablet with aggressive taps, his face a mask of contempt. His expression shifted slightly as he read, then shifted again—from disgust to confusion to something darker.

"I have ONE appointment today. ONE." Yin stood slowly, his voice dropping to something venomous. "With the heir. The BLACKWELL heir. The man who now controls seventy percent of the greatest fortune in this city."

"That's me."

The words hung in the air like a grenade with the pin pulled.

Yin stared at Alex for three full seconds before exploding into laughter—harsh, cruel laughter that echoed off the wooden walls. "YOU? YOU'RE the heir? Oh, this is PRICELESS!" He slapped his desk, gasping between laughs. "The Blackwell heir shows up looking like a homeless cockroach! What's next, the mayor arrives in his underwear?"

"Mr. Yin, I understand this is unconventional, but—"

"Unconventional? No, no, no." Yin's laughter died instantly, replaced by cold fury. "What you are is a FRAUDSTER. A pathetic little parasite who somehow discovered the real heir's appointment and decided to impersonate him. What did you do, you worthless maggot? Where is he? What have you done to the actual Alexander Blackwell?"

"I AM Alexander Blackwell!"

"You're a LIAR!" Yin's voice boomed. "Look at you! The heir to a multi-billion dollar empire wouldn't dress like street garbage! He wouldn't show up looking like he just lost a fight with a trash compactor! You're an insect trying to wear a crown, and it's PATHETIC!"

Alex's hands clenched at his sides, his grandfather's face flashing through his mind. "I can prove it. You must have security measures. Ways to verify identity."

"Oh, you want to prove it?" Yin's smile turned predatory. "Fine. Let's expose you for the fraud you are."

He walked to a side panel in the wall, pressing his palm against it. The panel slid open, revealing a sleek black device with a glowing blue screen—a biometric scanner far more advanced than typical fingerprint readers.

"This machine," Yin explained with savage satisfaction, "is linked directly to the Blackwell family database. It contains biometric data of every blood relative, updated annually. One scan, and we'll know EXACTLY who you are. Or rather, who you're NOT."

Alex approached the machine, his heart pounding but his face calm. "Fine."

"Put your hand on the scanner, cockroach. Let's watch your lies crumble."

Alex placed his hand on the cool glass surface. Blue light swept across his palm once, then twice. The machine beeped.

Red.

The light turned red, pulsing twice with accompanying beeps.

Yin's face transformed into pure vindictive triumph. "RED! THE MACHINE SHOWS RED! Do you know what red means, you pathetic fraud? It means FAILURE. It means NEGATIVE. It means you're exactly what I said you were—a lying, scheming PARASITE!"

"Mr. Yin, I can explain—"

"Explain? EXPLAIN?" Yin grabbed his phone, his fingers trembling with rage. "You tried to impersonate the heir! You potentially harmed or murdered the real Alexander Blackwell! This is a FELONY!" He pressed a button. "Security! Get up here NOW! We have a criminal who needs to be arrested!"

The door burst open. Four guards rushed in, their faces stern and ready.

"This insect," Yin pointed at Alex like he was contaminated waste, "attempted to impersonate Alexander Blackwell. The biometric scanner confirmed he's a fraud. I want him arrested, detained, and turned over to the authorities for questioning about the real heir's whereabouts!"

"Sir, wait—" Alex started.

"Silence, cockroach! You've said enough lies!" Yin turned to the guards. "Get him out of my sight. I want him in a holding cell while we contact the police. If the real heir has been harmed, this maggot will PAY!"

The guards grabbed Alex's arms, hauling him toward the door. Yin followed, his face flushed with righteous anger.

"Attempted identity theft of the Blackwell heir—do you have any idea what kind of prison time that carries? You'll rot in a cell for DECADES, you worthless—"

"Why are you taking the young heir out for a quick walk?"

Every person in the room froze.

Rufus Blackwell stood in the doorway, impeccably dressed in a charcoal suit, his expression one of mild confusion. His eyes swept across the scene—guards holding Alex, Yin's furious face, the tension thick enough to cut.

"Mr. Blackwell!" Yin's voice pitched higher. "Thank God you're here! This fraud tried to—" He stopped mid-sentence, his face slowly draining of color. "Wait... you said... young heir?"

"Yes. Alexander." Rufus gestured to Alex casually. "Is there a problem?"

Yin's mouth opened and closed like a fish drowning in air. "But... but the machine... it showed RED. Red means negative. Red means failure. Red means—"

"Oh no." Rufus's expression shifted to something almost pitying. "Mr. Yin. Did no one explain how this particular biometric scanner works?"

"I—what?"

"This isn't a standard machine. It's a specialized Blackwell family device." Rufus walked to the scanner, tapping its side. "It was designed to be the OPPOSITE of conventional scanners to prevent tampering. RED means POSITIVE identification. GREEN means negative. It's a security feature—anyone trying to fake results would assume red is bad."

The words fell like an executioner's axe.

Yin's face went from pale to gray to a sickly greenish white. His hands began trembling violently. "No... no, that's not... I was told, but I... in my nervousness, I forgot—"

The guards released Alex immediately, stepping back with horror written across their faces.

"We were just following orders!" one guard blurted out. "Mr. Yin told us he was a fraud!"

"We didn't know!" another guard added desperately. "Yin gave the command!"

"Traitors!" Yin spun toward them, but his legs gave out. He collapsed to his knees, his expensive suit crumpling around him. "No, wait, I can explain! I made a mistake! A simple mistake!"

He crawled toward Alex, his hands clasped together in desperate supplication. "Young master! Forgive me! I was protecting you! I thought—I truly believed you were in danger! Please, my family—I have children! They depend on me! Don't let them suffer for my error!"

Tears streamed down Yin's face, his polished veneer completely shattered, leaving only a terrified man begging for mercy from the "cockroach" he'd mocked just moments before.