The undercover billionaire

Chapter seven

Arthur looked at the man in front of him. The man was tall and serious, dressed in a black suit with a silver pin on his collar. He seemed like someone very important and powerful.

Arthur’s lips moved, but no sound came out at first.

“My… father?”

“Yes, Young Master,” the man said, bowing his head again. “My name is Mason. I work directly for the Price Family Estate.”

Arthur took a step back.

Mason continued slowly. “Your real family.”

Arthur felt dizzy. Everything felt like a dream. First, the sudden money. Then, the truth from Madam Aiyun. Now this man was talking about a family he had never known.

Nights of going to bed hungry when the Harris family denied him food and his pride forced him to endure silently. That suffering made Arthur question every word Mason spoke now.

“You mean to tell me that my father abandoned me,” Arthur said with a low voice. “And I grew up believing that I was poor.”

Mason’s eyes were calm, but profound. “It was not his choice, Young Master. There is a long story behind your past. And now, it is time you knew the truth.”

Mason’s voice carried the firmness of a man used to loyalty. Years of serving under the Price Family had taught him that words must be chosen carefully, especially when revealing secrets long kept hidden.

Arthur clenched his fists. His emotions were heavy. He had just lost the only person he had ever called family. Now this stranger was offering to give him answers.

“Why now?” Arthur asked. “Why didn’t he come when I was homeless? When I was begging for help? When I was humiliated?”

Mason lowered his head. “He wanted to protect you. Your mother was powerful and loved, but many enemies rose after her death. There were people who wanted you dead. If he had reached out too soon, they would have found you.”

Arthur recalled Madam Aiyun once warning him never to speak proudly of his surname, even when mocked. She had known the danger, but he had always thought it was out of shame.

Arthur looked away. The sky was dark now and the street lights flickered to life.

“So, he sent money,” Arthur muttered. “But he didn’t send himself.”

“He is ill,” Mason said softly. “Very ill. His health is failing. And his last wish was to see you… before it’s too late.”

Mason had seen men of power fall. To him, wealth could never protect against time, and that truth carried weight in his words.

Arthur was silent.

“Will you come with me?” Mason asked.

Arthur did not reply immediately. He stared into the night sky, his chest full with emotion.

He thought of his marriage to Racheal and how it was forced by contract, not love. Three years of humiliation in her household had hardened him, making him distrustful of promises, even now.

He had a lot of questions. But he also had nothing left to lose.

“I’ll come,” he said finally. “But I want you to tell me nothing but the truth. All of it.”

Mason nodded and walked him to the car.

The black car was long and elegant. A luxury vehicle. When Arthur stepped inside, the scent of leather and cologne filled the air. A small screen lit up, showing a map and a timer.

As the car moved, Mason handed Arthur a small black envelope.

“Inside is a card,” Mason said. “Your new identity. From now on, the world will see you as you truly are.”

Arthur opened the envelope. Inside was a black metal card, smooth and heavy. It had his name engraved in gold:

ARTHUR PRICE: Primary Heir – Price Conglomerate

He stared at the card. It did not feel real.

The weight of the card in his palm felt like more than just metal. It was a symbol of the years of scorn he had endured, now replaced by authority. That contrast shook him deeply.

“The card gives you access to all private assets under your name,” Mason explained. “There are private accounts, luxury properties, vehicles, investments all of which are now under your control.”

Arthur blinked. “This is all too much for me?”

Mason looked at him carefully. “Because you have proven your worth. You were thrown into the lowest pit. But you did not give up. Even when humiliated, you protected the woman who raised you. That is what your father wanted to see.”

Arthur looked down. His hands were still trembling slightly.

“Your nanny,” Mason said after a moment, “was one of the most loyal servants of your mother. She risked her life for you. She kept your identity hidden for more than twenty years.”

Arthur nodded, his heart heavy. “She died without peace. She wanted me to find my sister.”

Mason’s eyes sharpened. “So, she told you.”

Arthur looked up. “Do you know her?”

“I do,” Mason said. “But she is missing. Has been for some time now. She went into hiding after your mother died.”

Mason’s eyes twinkled when speaking of the sister — a flicker that revealed concern. He had likely searched before but failed, and the failure haunted him still.

Arthur leaned back in the seat, staring at the black card in his hand.

“So I’m not just a poor son-in-law anymore,” he whispered. “I’m an heir.”

Mason said nothing. The car continued its journey into the city outskirts, where tall glass buildings turned into wide open lands.

After about thirty minutes, the car pulled into a private estate.

Tall steel gates opened automatically. A long driveway led up to a large mansion that glowed in soft white lights. Armed guards stood at each corner of the property.

Arthur remembered being ordered to clean the Harris driveway with bare hands while guests mocked him. Now, seeing guards salute at his presence, the memory burned with irony.

Arthur stepped out slowly. His eyes scanned the mansion in disbelief.

He had spent years living in the Harris family’s small servant room. And now… this entire estate was his.

Mason led the way. They passed a hallway with golden decorations, marble floors, and expensive paintings on the walls. Finally, they stopped in front of a large door.

“Your father is inside,” Mason said quietly.

Arthur nodded and pushed the door open.

The room was warm and quiet. There was a large bed at the center, and on it lay a thin, pale man connected to machines. His hair was grey, his face full of age and pain.

But his eyes were alive.

They looked up, saw Arthur, and immediately softened.

“You look like your mother,” the man whispered.

The voice carried both regret and tenderness, like a man who had rehearsed these words for years but feared he would never say them in time.

Arthur’s heart twisted.

“So, you’re my father.”

“Yes,” the man said. “I am Mr. Price. And I owe you more than I can ever give.”

Arthur stepped closer. He could see the sorrow in the man’s eyes. This was not the face of a cold-hearted billionaire. This was the face of a father full of regret.

“I thought you abandoned me,” Arthur said. “I thought I was nothing.”

“You were never nothing,” Mr. Price said, coughing slightly. “You were everything. But if they found out you were alive… you would’ve been killed.”

“Who are they?”

“The same people who killed your mother,” Mr. Price said, voice growing weak. “They are still out there. Still watching and waiting.”

Arthur had no memory of his mother, but hearing this, he felt an ache. He thought of how Madam Aiyun always wept silently during his birthdays. Now he knew — those tears were for the woman he had never met.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. “Then I’ll make them pay.”

Mr. Price smiled faintly. “That’s why I sent for you. I don’t have much time left. But I need someone strong to take my place. Someone who can bring justice to this family.”

The dying man’s smile was faint but resolute. It wasn’t merely the relief of a father; it was the passing of a torch, the final hope of a legacy that had endured bloodshed.

Arthur looked down at the man in the bed, his own blood.

“I don’t know anything about business,” he said. “I don’t know how to be rich.”

“You will learn,” Mr. Price said. “Mason will guide you. Everything is ready. You just have to accept it.”

Arthur nodded slowly. The fire in his heart had not gone out. But now, it burned with purpose.

He was no longer a beggar. No longer a fool.

He was Arthur Price — heir to a billion-dollar empire. And he was ready to take back everything they stole.

Even if it meant facing the darkest enemies of his past.