The Tycoon Heir

Chapter 5: Psyche Evaluation

Nathan’s hands trembled as he stared at the crumpled piece of paper, the address scrawled in uneven handwriting. He had walked past the small, unassuming house twice, debating whether to knock. His dreams had grown more vivid, the insignia haunting every restless night. The pull of those dreams had brought him here, even though he wasn’t sure what he hoped to find.

Finally, he gathered his courage and knocked. The door opened almost immediately, revealing a woman who looked to be in her late sixties. Her silver hair was neatly tied into a bun, and her sharp blue eyes pierced through him, as if she’d been expecting him.

“Nathan,” she said, her voice calm and warm. “Come in.”

Her familiarity made him pause. “How do you know my name?”

The woman simply smiled and stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter. The smell of lavender and aged wood greeted him as he stepped inside. The living room was modest, with old furniture and shelves full of books.

“Please, sit,” she said, motioning to the worn couch.

Nathan hesitated before sitting, his unease growing with every second. “Who are you? Why am I here?”

She sat across from him in an armchair, her movements deliberate and calm. “My name is Dr. Eleanor Hayes. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”

Nathan’s head throbbed suddenly, a sharp, splitting pain that made him clutch his temples. His vision blurred, and his knees buckled. He barely registered Dr. Hayes rushing to his side as he crumpled to the ground.

“What’s happening to me?” he groaned, his voice strained.

“It’s your mind,” she said softly, her hand on his shoulder. “It’s fighting against the truth.”

Nathan tried to speak, but the pain consumed him, pulling him into unconsciousness.

      

When he woke, he was lying on the couch, a blanket draped over him. His head throbbed, but the pain was duller now. Dr. Hayes was seated in her armchair, sipping tea.

“What… What did you do to me?” Nathan asked weakly.

“I didn’t do anything,” she said, her tone gentle. “But your mind has been through a lot. It’s only natural for it to react this way.”

Nathan sat up slowly, his heart pounding. “What are you talking about? What’s wrong with my mind?”

Dr. Hayes set her teacup down and leaned forward. “Nathan, you’ve been living a life that isn’t entirely your own. Your memories have been altered, your reality manipulated.”

Nathan stared at her, disbelief written all over his face. “That’s ridiculous. Why would anyone do that?”

Her expression softened. “Because you’re more important than you realize. Your father—”

“My father died when I was a child,” Nathan interrupted, his voice shaking.

Dr. Hayes shook her head. “Not exactly. Your father was killed.”

Nathan froze. “What… what are you saying?”

She sighed deeply, as if the weight of her words pained her. “Your father, Richard Voss, was the true owner of the company your in  laws now control. He was a brilliant inventor, Nathan. His greatest creation was a self  evolving operating system, a technology so advanced it could adapt to any threat. It was revolutionary.”

Nathan felt like the ground was shifting beneath him. “My father… owned the company?”

Dr. Hayes nodded. “Yes. And he was betrayed. Your in  laws saw his invention as a way to amass wealth and power. But there was a catch—a failsafe he built into the system. It can only function properly if someone from his bloodline is alive.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Nathan’s mind raced, trying to make sense of it all.

“So… that’s why they married me into the family?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

“Yes,” Dr. Hayes said. “You were the key to keeping the system functional. But they didn’t want you to realize your importance. They needed you to feel small, powerless. It’s why they’ve treated you the way they have.”

Nathan’s hands balled into fists. Memories of ridicule and humiliation flashed through his mind—his wife’s disdain, the constant scorn from her family, the way they’d always made him feel like an outsider.

“Why are you telling me this now?” he demanded.

Dr. Hayes hesitated, her gaze dropping to her hands. “Because they’re close to bypassing the failsafe. They’ve been working on it for years, and now they’re nearly there. If they succeed, they won’t need you anymore.”

Nathan’s stomach churned. “What does that mean for me?”

Dr. Hayes looked him in the eyes, her expression grave. “It means you’re in danger, Nathan. They won’t hesitate to get rid of you once you’re no longer useful.”

The weight of her words pressed down on him. “Why didn’t you stop them? If you knew all of this, why didn’t you do something?”

Her shoulders sagged, and for the first time, she looked vulnerable. “I was complicit, Nathan. I was the one who erased and altered your memories. They hired me to ensure you’d never uncover the truth. I regret it every day.”

Nathan’s anger flared. “You did this to me?”

“I didn’t have a choice,” she said, her voice trembling. “They threatened my family. I’m trying to make amends now. That’s why I brought you here.”

Before Nathan could respond, the sound of car engines outside caught their attention. Dr. Hayes stood quickly, pulling the curtain aside. Her face paled.

“What is it?” Nathan asked, his heart racing.

She turned to him, her voice urgent. “They’ve found us.”

Nathan joined her at the window and felt his blood run cold. Several black vans had pulled up to the curb. Men in suits stepped out, their movements deliberate and menacing. At the forefront were two familiar figures—his wife and her mother.

Nathan’s legs felt like jelly as he stumbled back. “What do we do?”

Dr. Hayes grabbed his arm, her grip firm. “Stay calm. There’s a back door. We can—”

Before she could finish, a loud knock echoed through the house, followed by a voice shouting, “Open up!”

Nathan’s fear paralyzed him as the walls seemed to close in around him.