The underestimated heir

Maya's disappearance

Sarah smiled and extended her hand. Gabriel shook it, noticing her firm, confident grip.

"Mr. Carter," Sarah said, her voice warm but professional. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've been reviewing your account, and I must say, Mrs. Morrison set you up beautifully."

She sat down next to Mr. Mills and opened her own laptop. "I've taken the liberty of preparing some documents for you. First, we'll get you set up with your black card. Then I'd like to discuss some additional investment opportunities that might interest you."

For the next hour, Gabriel sat with Sarah and Mr. Mills, signing papers and learning about his new financial situation. Sarah was incredibly smart and explained everything in ways that made sense. She never talked down to him or made him feel stupid for not understanding banking terms.

Finally, Sarah handed him a sleek black credit card with his name embossed in silver letters. "Welcome to elite banking, Mr. Carter. This card will open a lot of doors for you."

Gabriel held the card, feeling its weight. It was heavier than a normal credit card, made of metal instead of plastic.

"Now," Sarah said, pulling up a chart on her laptop. "Let's talk about your next steps. You have substantial liquid assets and valuable real estate. What are your goals? What do you want to achieve?"

Gabriel thought about the Morrison family. About Seraphina's cold eyes when she'd asked for a divorce. About Dominic slapping him in front of everyone. About three years of being treated like garbage.

"I want to build something," Gabriel said slowly. "Something bigger than anyone expects. I want to prove that I'm not the worthless person they all thought I was."

Sarah's eyes lit up with interest. "They? Someone underestimated you?"

"A lot of people underestimated me," Gabriel said, feeling a spark of anger in his chest.

Sarah leaned forward, a small smile playing at her lips. "Mr. Carter, I think you and I are going to work very well together. I love proving people wrong."

Mr. Mills chuckled. "Sarah has a reputation for turning underdogs into powerhouses. You're in good hands."

Gabriel looked at Sarah, at her confident smile and sharp eyes. Maybe this was exactly what he needed. Someone who understood business and strategy. Someone who could help him become the man the Morrison family would regret throwing away.

"When can we start?" Gabriel asked.

Sarah's smile widened. "How about right now?"

She pulled out her phone and started typing quickly. "First things first. We need to get you proper clothes. You can't build an empire looking like..." She gestured vaguely at his outfit.

"Like a poor guy?" Gabriel finished.

"Like someone who doesn't know their worth," Sarah corrected gently. "Image matters in business, Mr. Carter. People make judgments in the first three seconds of meeting you. We need to make sure those judgments work in your favor."

She showed him her phone screen. "I've scheduled you with the best personal shopper in the city. Two o'clock this afternoon. She'll get you a complete wardrobe. Suits, casual wear, shoes, accessories, everything."

"How much will that cost?" Gabriel asked automatically, then felt foolish. He had fifty billion dollars. He could afford clothes.

Sarah laughed softly. "Don't worry about cost. Worry about quality and impact. Trust me on this."

Gabriel nodded, feeling himself relax slightly. Maybe he could get used to this.

"Thank you," he said to both Sarah and Mr. Mills. "For everything. For taking me seriously."

"Mr. Carter," Mr. Mills said kindly, "you're worth over one hundred and thirty million dollars between your liquid assets and property. We'd be fools not to take you seriously."

One hundred and thirty million dollars. Gabriel still couldn't quite believe it.

His phone buzzed. A text from Maya: "Where are you? I'm worried."

Gabriel stood up. "I need to go. My sister is waiting for me."

"Of course," Sarah said, standing as well. "But before you go, give me your number. We have a lot of work to do, and I want to be able to reach you."

They exchanged numbers. Sarah walked Gabriel to the door.

"Mr. Carter," she said as he was leaving. "One more thing. Whatever you're planning, whoever underestimated you, make sure your revenge is profitable. The best way to beat people who looked down on you is to become so successful they can't ignore you."

Gabriel smiled. "I like the way you think."

He left the bank feeling like a different person. The black card in his wallet felt like a weapon. His phone full of new contacts felt like armor. For the first time in three years, Gabriel felt powerful.

He was halfway home when his phone rang. Unknown number.

"Hello?" Gabriel answered.

"Mr. Carter, this is Thomas Wright. I have bad news. Your sister Maya has been reported missing."

Gabriel's heart stopped. "What? What do you mean missing?"

"Her landlord called me. Apparently, some men came to her apartment this morning and took her away. I think you need to get home immediately."

Gabriel was already running.

Chapter 7

Gabriel's hands were shaking so badly he could barely get the key into the lock of Maya's apartment. His heart pounded in his chest like a drum. He'd run the entire way from the bank, ignoring the taxi cabs, too panicked to wait. Sweat dripped down his face despite the cool morning air.

He finally got the door open and burst inside.

The apartment was destroyed.

The furniture was overturned. The couch cushions were thrown everywhere. Maya's textbooks were scattered across the floor, their pages ripped and crumpled. The small television was smashed. Glass from broken picture frames crunched under his feet.

"Maya!" Gabriel shouted, his voice cracking. "Maya, are you here?"

Silence.

Gabriel ran to the bedroom. The door hung open, barely attached to its hinges. Inside was worse. The mattress was flipped over. Maya's clothes were pulled from the closet and thrown around the room. Her laptop was gone.

Gabriel's chest felt tight. He couldn't breathe properly. This couldn't be happening. Not Maya. She was all he had left in the world.

A sound from the hallway made Gabriel spin around. The landlord, Mr. Peterson, stood in the doorway. He was a heavy man in his sixties with greasy hair and a stained shirt. He looked nervous, his eyes darting around without meeting Gabriel's gaze.

"You," Gabriel said, his voice low and dangerous. He crossed the room in three quick steps. "Where is my sister?"

Mr. Peterson backed up, holding his hands in front of him. "Now listen, I didn't have a choice. They offered good money. Real good money."

Gabriel grabbed the front of Mr. Peterson's shirt and slammed him against the wall. "What did you do? Where is Maya?"

"I sold her!" Mr. Peterson blurted out, his face going red. "I mean, I gave them information about her. About when she'd be alone. They paid me twenty thousand dollars!"

Gabriel's vision went red. His fist pulled back automatically, ready to break this man's face. But he forced himself to stop. He needed information first.

"Who?" Gabriel demanded, shaking the landlord. "Who paid you?"

"I don't know their names!" Mr. Peterson said quickly, fear making his voice high. "It was some rich family. The Nightingales, I think. They needed a young woman for something medical. A transplant or something. They were desperate."

"The Nightingales?" Gabriel repeated. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it.

"Yeah, big money people. Own hospitals and medical companies. Their daughter is sick and needs a transplant. They were looking for a match and someone told them about your sister."

Gabriel's blood turned to ice. "A transplant? You sold my sister to have her organs cut up?"

"No, no!" Mr. Peterson said frantically. "Not like that! Just a kidney or bone marrow or something. She'll be fine! They're doctors!"

"Where did they take her?" Gabriel asked through clenched teeth.

"I don't know exactly. Some private facilities. But I heard them mention a name. Reeves. Lucas Reeves was handling the arrangements."

Gabriel let go of the landlord so suddenly that Mr. Peterson stumbled and almost fell. That name. Lucas Reeves. The same man who'd slapped him at Seraphina's birthday party. The same man who'd been all over his wife.

"Reeves," Gabriel whispered. Everything clicked into place. The Nightingales must be connected to Reeves somehow. And Reeves knew about Maya because of the Morrison family.

This was revenge. Reeves was punishing Gabriel for embarrassing him at the party.

Gabriel pulled out his phone with shaking hands and called Thomas Wright.

"Mr. Wright," Gabriel said when the lawyer answered. "I need everything you know about the Nightingale family. Right now."

"I'm already looking into it," Mr. Wright said. "From what I can find, they're extremely wealthy. Theodore Nightingale owns Nightingale Medical Group, which operates fifteen hospitals across the state. His younger daughter Emma has been sick for two years. She needs a kidney transplant."

"Where would they take Maya?" Gabriel asked.

"Probably Nightingale Memorial Hospital. It's their flagship facility, and Theodore essentially runs it like his personal kingdom. But Gabriel, these people are powerful. You can't just storm in there and demand your sister back. They have lawyers, security, connections to judges and politicians."

"I don't care," Gabriel said coldly. "They took my sister."

He hung up and turned to find Mr. Peterson trying to sneak toward the door.

"If anything happens to Maya," Gabriel said quietly, "if she has so much as a scratch on her, I will destroy you. I will take everything you own. I will make sure you spend the rest of your life in prison. Do you understand me?"

Mr. Peterson nodded frantically, his face pale.

Gabriel left the apartment and called for a taxi. While he waited, he called Sarah Vivian.

"Mr. Carter?" Sarah answered, sounding surprised. "Is everything alright? You sound upset."

"My sister was kidnapped," Gabriel said bluntly. "By the way, the Nightingale family. Do you know them?"

There was a pause. "Theodore Nightingale. Yes, I know of him. Very wealthy, very connected. What happened?"

Gabriel explained quickly about Maya, about the transplant, about Reeves.

"This is serious," Sarah said, her voice concerned. "The Nightingales are known for getting what they want, regardless of laws or ethics. If they decide your sister is a match for their daughter, they'll do whatever it takes."

"Then I need to be more powerful than them," Gabriel said and soon, he was at the hospital. He didn't care for anything else. Once he was directed to the emergency room, he ran there but he was dumbfounded with what he saw. 

It was the Nightingales. Two older looking people and then Reeves at the corner with smiles on his face.  Gabriel's vision blurred with rage. This was all Reeves. He'd arranged everything just to hurt Gabriel.

"Mr. Carter." The voice was smooth, cultured, and cold. Theodore Nightingale.

"You kidnapped my sister," Gabriel said, his voice hard. "Where is she?” He wasn't interested in anything else. 

"Your sister is helping save a young girl's life," Theodore said calmly. "She should be honored. Emma is only sixteen years old. She's dying. Surely you understand a father's desperation."

"I understand you're a criminal," Gabriel shot back. "Release Maya now, or I'll destroy everything you've built."

Theodore laughed, but there was no humor in it. "You? You're nobody. A failed son in law thrown out by his own wife. You think your words can scare me?"

Gabriel said. "I can make your life very difficult."

"And I can make your sister disappear," Theodore replied, his voice dropping to something dangerous. "Permanently. Think carefully about your next move, Mr. Carter. You're playing a game you don't understand."