The Rightful Heir

Chapter Four

Liam’s POV

The sleek, black car that pulled up outside my apartment was unlike anything I’d ever seen. It was a luxury vehicle, the kind only billionaires rode in, with tinted windows and an engine that barely made a sound.

I stood frozen at the doorway, my pulse racing. This was really becoming real.

The message. The money. The inheritance.

It wasn’t a joke.

The driver, a man in a black suit, stepped out and gave me a polite nod. “Mr. Carter?”

I hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding.

He opened the back door. “Please, step inside.”

I swallowed my nerves and slid into the car. The interior smelled of expensive leather, and soft jazz played in the background. The door shut behind me with a gentle thud. 

“Where are we going?” I asked.

The driver didn’t turn his head. “To your future.”

The drive was silent, smooth, and fast.

Through the tinted windows, I watched the city blur past, the neon lights of downtown giving way to towering skyscrapers and exclusive high-rise buildings.

After what felt like forever, we stopped in front of a private underground parking lot. A security gate lifted as we approached, and the car drove into a reserved section marked Carter Enterprises – Private Access Only.

My breath etched. My eyes darted back and forth as I tried to look through the tinted screen 

Carter Enterprises.

My name.

I stepped out cautiously, my palms feeling a bit sweaty. The driver led me to a private elevator, scanning a key card before stepping aside.

“This will take you directly to the top floor,” he said. “They’re expecting you.”

I hesitated. “Who is ‘they’?”

But he didn’t answer.

The elevator doors slid open, revealing a sleek, modern interior with only one button—Penthouse Boardroom.

I stepped inside.

As the doors closed, I took a deep breath and pressed the button.

The moment the elevator doors reopened, I stepped into a space that screamed wealth and power.

A massive glass conference room was visibly seen before me, with a view of the city skyline. The walls were lined with oil paintings and expensive sculptures.

But what stole my attention was the people sitting at the long stretched table.

Twelve men and women, dressed in tailored suits, their eyes sharp, their expressions blank.

At the head of the table sat an older man with silver hair and piercing blue eyes. His presence alone commanded authority.

He studied me for a moment before finally speaking.

“You’ve arrived,” he said. His voice was deep, firm.

I swallowed hard. “And you are?”

The man leaned forward.

“I am Charles Davenport, chairman of Carter Enterprises.”

His gaze didn’t waver. “And you, Liam Carter, are the sole heir to this empire.”

The air in the room felt like it had been sucked out.

I stared at him.

It still didn’t feel real.

Everything that has been happening was real. I was not dreaming. 

Charles gestured toward the seat across from him. “Sit.”

I did.

The moment I did, the tension in the room thickened.

One of the women, a sharp-eyed brunette in her fifties, cleared her throat. “We were… skeptical when the will was executed,” she said. “Your existence was kept a secret from the public. Even from us.”

I clenched my fists beneath the table. “Why?”

“Because your father was a fool,” another man muttered.

My head snapped toward him. Anger bubbling beneath me, I haven't known my father, but insulting him before me felt impolite. 

“He abandoned his inheritance,” the man continued, glaring at me as if I were personally responsible. “Ran off with some woman and left all of this behind.”

My mother.

My stomach twisted.

Charles shot the man a warning look before turning back to me. “The board has spent years trying to stabilize the company after your father’s disappearance. His actions nearly destroyed everything we built.”

I met his gaze. “And what does that have to do with me?”

Charles folded his hands. “Everything.”

There was a moment of silence with everyone's gaze on me.

Then, he finally said the words that made my blood run cold.

“You are now the majority shareholder of Carter Enterprises. Which means, you control the fate of this company.”

I froze.

“What?”

Charles exhaled, as if speaking to a child. “The moment you accepted the inheritance, the shares transferred to you. You own 51% of Carter Enterprises.”

My brain short-circuited.

Fifty-one percent.

I didn’t just inherit money. I inherited an empire. I couldn’t breathe.

This was too much.

I came here looking for answers. Now, I was being handed power.

Real, dangerous power.

Charles studied my face. “Judging by your expression, you don’t understand what that means.”

I swallowed, trying to steady myself. “It means… I have control.”

“Correct,” he said. “And now, everyone in this room is waiting to see if you’re strong enough to wield it.”

I gritted my teeth. “And if I’m not?”

Charles leaned back in his chair.

“Then you’ll be eaten alive.”

The next hour seems to stretch on forever. 

Legal documents. Company reports. Financial breakdowns.

I barely processed half of what they said.

What I did process, however, was the resentment in the room.

These people didn’t want me here.

They didn’t think I deserved this.

And maybe they were right.

But then I thought of Ryan Blackwood.

Melissa.

The humiliation.

The suffering.

They thought I was nobody.

Now, I was somebody.

And I wasn’t going to waste it.

So when Charles handed me the final document—a contract officially transferring control of Carter Enterprises—I didn’t hesitate.

I signed it.

And just like that…

Liam Carter, the broke scholarship student, ceased to exist.

And in his place, a new king was born.

The meeting ended soon after.

As I left the boardroom, Charles walked beside me.

He said nothing for a while. Then, just as we reached the elevator, he stopped.

“You have no idea what you’ve just stepped into, do you?” he asked quietly.

I met his gaze. “I’ll figure it out.”

He smirked. “I hope so. Because now, you’re not just a target for your enemies.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

Charles took a step closer, his voice low.

“You’re a Carter. Which means, the world is watching.”

I stiffened.

“You think Ryan Blackwood was your biggest problem?” Charles let out a dry chuckle. “He’s nothing compared to the sharks who are about to circle.”

His blue eyes darkened.

“There are people in this company—in this city—who will do anything to take your throne before you even sit on it.”

A chill ran down my spine.

Before I could respond, the elevator doors opened.

Charles stepped back. “Good luck, Mr. Carter.”

I swallowed hard and stepped inside.

As the doors closed, his final words echoed in my mind.

I wasn’t just fighting for revenge anymore.

I was fighting to survive.