The Useless Heir Returns

Chapter 4: Battle Of Wits

Lucifer had his gaze locked on the door, his brows furrowed as he wondered who it might be. The door slowly opened, and a young woman dressed in a beautiful blue dress walked into the room. This was the same girl that slapped him outside a while ago.

She smiled and walked up to Lucifer.

Lucifer looked at her for a second before turning his attention back to the laptop.

"What are you doing here? You will expose yourself if you get caught coming in here."

"I'm sorry, but I can't help it," she said with a sad look on her face.

The girl approached him and hugged him from behind.

"Do you know how much I have missed you?" she said, and her hands slowly began to roam around his broad chest.

"Vivian, stop." Lucifer grabbed her arms and gently pulled her hands away, freeing himself from her embrace.

"Why are you always like this? Do you still not understand how I feel about you?" Vivian said with a depressed look on her face.

"Vivian, you know the kind of person I am. Do you think I can give you these butterflies you wish for? I'm a devil hiding in the darkness, and devils don't have anything good to offer," Lucifer said.

Vivian's face changed slightly after hearing that. She shook her head and hugged him again from behind. "I know the kind of person you are, Lucifer. You're not as bad as you appear to be; just give me a chance to be this light in your dark world, and I promise you, you won't regret it," Vivian said, with tears welling up in her eyes.

Lucifer stood up, forcing Vivian to loosen her grip on him. He turned to face her. "I don't have time for this nonsense. Just focus on the task at hand."

Vivian stared at him for a while and forced the tears back into her eyes. She forced a smile onto her face and nodded her head in response.

"Alright, boss," Vivian said and composed herself.

Lucifer tapped on the screen of his watch and brought it close to his mouth. "Come upstairs now."

Not long, the door cracked open, and James walked in and shut the door. "Boss, you called."

"Vivian, I need more information on those five men—the last time each of them met my father and the purpose of their meetings. Especially Mr. Langston, but be careful. Don't get into trouble."

"Don't worry, boss. I've got this." Vivian nodded in response and exited the room.

"James, what's the situation outside?" Lucifer asked.

"Everything is proceeding normal. All the burial rites have been performed by your stepbrother, and your father's corpse is about to be laid to rest," James reported.

"No one is going to rest," Lucifer said coldly and sat down on the bed. "Go back and keep a close eye on my uncle. Make sure to report every of his movement to me. I can't go out, I'm still drunk, remember?" He smirked at James.

Seeing that look on his face, James felt a shiver run down his spine for a second. He nodded his head in response and walked out of the room. James quietly shut the door behind him, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

'He can really be scary.' He wiped off the sweat forming on his forehead before walking down the stairs.

.........................

The sun had finally gone down the horizon, and the sky turned dark. Inside the Whitlock family mansion, at the dining table, everyone was present, including Lucifer.

"Lucifer," his uncle suddenly called.

"Yes, uncle." Lucifer raised his head to look at his uncle.

Martin calmly dropped his fork on the plate and faced Lucifer. "I just feel like bringing this up right now because we are already at a loss. Lucifer, since your father is no more, the company needs a new chairman to handle things as soon as possible before things get out of control. And since you're the next heir, I suggest you get ready to take over as the new Chairman tomorrow."

Hearing that, Anabel's face changed slightly, and Jackson angrily dropped his fork on the plate with a clattering noise.

Martin glanced at Jackson, but didn't say anything. Lucifer quietly observed their reaction and smiled internally.

"Me!?" Lucifer blurted out in shock.

"Yes, do you have any problem with that?" Martin asked.

"Tsk," Jackson, who had been quiet all this while, clicked his tongue in annoyance. "How could you say that, uncle? What does he know about the company? He is just a useless drunk, chasing women around. He will ruin father's hard work if he takes over the company."

"Jackson, don't speak to your elder brother like that," Martin said.

Lucifer glanced at his stepbrother before turning his attention back to his uncle.

"Anyways, uncle, you know I'm not capable of handling such tedious things," Lucifer said.

'Good, just as I expected,' Martin grinned internally.

"What do you mean?" Martin frowned. "How long do you plan on running away from your responsibility? And who do you plan on leaving it for?"

'Trying to play games with me? Fine, let's go along and see what you've got,' Lucifer thought to himself.

"How about this, uncle: why don't you take over the company for now until I'm ready?" he suggested.

Martin's lips twitched into a smile, but he quickly composed himself. But how could that escape Lucifer's sharp gaze?

"What do you mean?" Martin asked with a confused look on his face. "You know you're the—"

"He is right, Martin," Anabel cut him off. "We all know that Lucifer wants to enjoy his life and live a free life. He doesn't want to be tied down by these things. I suggest you consider taking over as the new chairman for now."

"Mom, what are you saying!?" Jackson quickly got up, and his chair crashed on the floor from the sudden movement. He glared at Lucifer and his uncle. then walked out of the dining room.

"Jackson!... Jackson!" Anabel tried to call him back, but Jackson paid no attention to her.

Lucifer stared at Jackson's retreating figure for a while before turning his attention back to his plate.

Martin sighed and looked at Anabel. "I understand what you mean, but he can't stay away from the family business no matter what. So tomorrow," he paused and shifted his gaze to Lucifer, "you will attend the board meeting with me and take over as the new chairman," Martin concluded.

knowing that his uncle was hellbent on making him the new chairman. Lucifer gave up and finally agreed.

"Okay, uncle, if you insist, then let's follow your arrangements," Lucifer agreed.

Some minutes later, the dinner was finally over, and Lucifer had gone back to his room, leaving only Martin and Anabel at the dining table.

Anabel cleaned her mouth with the white napkin and stood up to leave.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Martin said in a cold tone.

Hearing that, Anabel turned to look at him. "What do you mean?" she asked, feeling confused.

Seeing that look on her face, Martin chuckled. "Do you think I don't know what you're trying to do? I will advise you not to dare take another step further, or else you will regret it." Martin got up and left the dining room.

Anabel stood there, staring at the entrance where Martin had just left.

'Just you wait, it's just a matter of time.'

Anabel also left the dining room and walked up the stairs.

As she got to the hallway, she changed her direction and walked towards Jackson's room to check on him. She approached the door and raised her hand to knock but suddenly stopped. She sighed, turned back, and then walked to her room. She walked into her room and shut the door.

.................

Some minutes later, in Lucifer's room, Lucifer was sitting on the swivel chair in front of his laptop, with his index finger occasionally tapping the side of his head.

'From the conversation at dinner and eye contact, I think something is wrong with uncle Martin and Anabel.'

Lucifer thought to himself as he slowly swung left and right in the chair.

'But the big question here is, why is uncle burying someone else—possibly a mannequin—as my father? Is my father really dead? Or is he kidnapped by those business rivals or possibly... Uncle?'

Lucifer's eyes widened in realization, and he quickly sat up.