The Tycoon Son-in-law

Ch 5

Drex was confused when he heard that.

But the name Aric Pierce rang loudly in his mind. He was the General Manager of the Knight Group, a trillionaire conglomerate and the empire that effectively owned Crestfall City, Valemont.

The Knight family was practically royalty here, holding shares in nearly every major corporation in the city.

What the hell was happening?

Is this an elaborate prank?

Because there was no way Aric Pierce would come to him and declare that he was his new master.

“This feels like a circus tent just dropped over my head,” Drex said tightly. “Or do I look like someone here to watch clowns perform? The only thing I care about is why I woke up in this place.”

Aric Pierce let out a slow breath before answering, “The place where I found you was the last place I ever expected,” he said. “You were left for dead in a dumpster.”

Drex froze, then blinked hard as memories rushed back in a flood. His breath hitched. “Damn it,” he muttered. “What the hell is the time? I need to get to the hospital right now.”

He swung his legs off the bed, standing up, when his phone suddenly rang.

His eyes dropped to the glowing screen.

It was a call from the hospital and it made his heart skip a beat.

He picked up the phone and answered, “Hello?”

“Hello, Mr. Easton,” a woman’s voice replied lightly, almost sing-song.

Drex frowned at the familiar tone. “Chloe? Why are you calling me?”

“Oh, right,” Chloe said, as if something had just occurred to her. “I’m calling to let you know that, thanks to your complete uselessness, your father is dead.”

Drex’s eyes widened in horror. “What? No. I wouldn’t put this past you, Chloe. I know you have no morals.”

“And who here is the nurse?” Chloe countered. “Who works for the hospital? Besides, if I lied about a patient’s death, you could report me and it would be my neck on the chopping block, wouldn’t it? Your father passed away a few minutes ago. He succumbed to his illness. I’m sorry for your loss.”

The line went dead.

Drex’s vision blurred as his eyes turned red, and his legs weakened, forcing him to stumble back, barely managing to keep himself upright.

“Master Drex,” Aric Pierce said anxiously, unsure whether to step forward or stay where he was.

Drex clenched his teeth and slowly sat back down on the bed, his head bowed as the words replayed in his mind.

“Master Drex, I’m… I’m sorry for your…”

“Shut up,” Drex said coldly, without looking at him.

‘It’s all their fault,’ he thought bitterly. ‘I had the money, and they stole it. They caused my father’s death.’

His eyes darkened. ‘I’ll kill them. I swear I will.’

He shot to his feet and headed straight for the door.

Aric moved instantly, spreading his arms to block the way. “Mr. Drex, I’m sorry, but I can’t let you leave.”

“Get out of my way,” Drex warned, his expression turning lethal.

Aric shook his head firmly. “I can’t. I won’t let you make a decision you’ll regret. You need to think before you act.”

Drex exploded. “What is this? Am I your prisoner now?! Why the hell are you stopping me?! Who are you, and what do you want from me?!”

Then he laughed sharply, a hint of madness creeping in. “Wait, I get it now. You’re one of Steven’s useless friends, aren’t you? Here to finish what he started?”

Aric shook his head again. “No. Like I said before, I’m Aric Pierce. And you are my master.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit!!” Drex snapped. “What am I in? A fairy land or the seventh heaven. Don't mess with me right now!”

Aric let out a long sigh, clearly struggling to find a way to make him believe. Then something seemed to click.

“Young Master Drex,” he said carefully, “are you aware that you were adopted?”

Drex froze, his anger faltering. “What?” His eyes narrowed. “Did you run a background check on me?”

Aric bobbed his head. “So you do know you are adopted.”

Drex frowned, confused. He had known for years that the people who raised him were not his biological parents, but he never confronted them. He never had the chance, especially after his mother passed away.

Still, this bothered him. Information like that shouldn't be easy to dig up.

“Where are you going with this?” Drex asked warily. “Who are you really?”

“As I said before,” Aric replied calmly, “you are my new master because I once served your biological father, Alexander Knight.”

Drex tilted his head, the words sounding unreal even as he heard them. He let out a hollow chuckle and looked down. “Yeah, okay. This has to be the head injury talking, because none of this makes any damn sense.”

“No,” Aric said quietly. “Your real father didn’t know how to be a parent after your mother died during childbirth. He thought he’d fail you, so he entrusted you to Harrison Easton. The man you call your father was once a butler for the Knight family.” He paused, his gaze lowering. “He planned to bring you back when the time was right, but…”

Drex looked up sharply. “But what?”

“He’s dead,” Aric said. “He’d been sick for a while and was overseas when it happened. He didn’t come see you because he felt guilty.” He met Drex’s eyes. “Everything he owned, the entire Knight Empire, was left to you. That was his way of saying he was sorry, and of being your father in the only way he could.”

Drex looked away, his thoughts a mess. He had seen the news about Alexander Knight’s death before, but it meant nothing to him then.

‘Dad never once mentioned that name,’ he thought. ‘And now he’s saying he’s my father?’

“I know this is a lot,” Aric said. “But don’t think for a second that he didn’t know about you. He did. He was watching from a distance, keeping track.” After a brief pause, he added, “And he was proud.”

Drex completely blanked out for what felt like several minutes, though only seconds had passed.

Suddenly, he raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face.

Aric stiffened in alarm. “Master Drex, what are you doing?”

Drex looked at him, his voice strained. “I think I might be dreaming. There’s no way any of this is real.”

“I understand how unbelievable this sounds,” Aric replied calmly. “But everything I’ve told you is true. I owe my life to late Master Alexander. He saved me many years ago, and I swore my loyalty to him. That loyalty now belongs to you. I will serve you the same way I served him.”

Drex let out a shaky breath, still struggling to process it all. The Knight Group stood in a league of its own, far beyond any billion-dollar company in the city. Its influence even reached into the underground world.

'And he's saying it all belongs to me?’ Drex thought, his brows knitting together.

Then he eyed Aric and asked, "Why now? Alexander Knight was reported dead months ago, right? So why bring this to me only now?”

“Next month is your twenty-fifth birthday,” Aric replied. “That was the condition. That was when everything was meant to be handed over to you.” He reached into his pocket and held out a black card. “But after learning what you’ve been going through, I decided not to wait. Even if it’s already late. The PIN is your birth date.”

Drex took the card, staring at it like it might disappear.

“And how much is in the account?”

Aric answered, "A measly ten billion dollars."