"My father....you have to be kidding me right now"
On the other end of the line, Sinclair spoke again. His voice was calm, refined, and showed decades of loyalty.
"I understand this must be difficult for you to believe, young master," he said gently. "It's natural to be skeptical. After we located you, we discovered that the Frederick Family who adopted you had always told you that you were an orphan. But that's a lie. You're Adrian Vale, the rightful heir of the Vale family."
Adrian's breath caught. "That's not possible. The Vales….. aren't they like one of the wealthiest families in the country. Why would I…?"
"Be separated from them?" Sinclair finished his sentence. "Because of a tragedy, sir. There was a fire in the northern estate twenty-one years ago. You were really small back then, you were barely two months old. In the chaos, you were presumed dead. But someone perhaps out of kindness, or greed, took you away before authorities arrived. We only got to know about you recently."
Adrian's chest tightened. The only thoughts racing through his mind were memories of his childhood, the endless chores, the dismissive tone in the voice of who he now knows to be his adoptive mother, the way his so-called parents avoided eye contact when he'd asked about his past.
He had always wondered why there were no photos of him as a baby. Why did his 'birth certificate' looked freshly printed when he was thirteen?
"But..." Adrian hesitated, his voice was barely audible, "if my real parents are alive, why didn't they come for me themselves?"
There was a pause. Then Sinclair sighed. "The Vale family is…..complicated, young master. The situation on the inside is not stable right now. Your return must be managed carefully else we risk total destabilization. Right now, introducing an adult heir suddenly could break the balance of power within the family. Your existence must remain a secret for your safety first then theirs."
Adrian frowned. "So I'm just supposed to believe all this? On a phone call?"
"I know it's hard but yes please," the butler replied. "That is also why your parents insisted on providing proof. They've already transferred one hundred million dollars to your account."
Adrian nearly dropped the phone. "I have seen the deposit but…."
"And," Sinclair continued, unfazed, "ownership of Vault Corporation, the largest financial enterprise in the City has been transferred to your name. The CEO will contact you shortly to handle the formalities."
Adrian stared at the ground, his reflection blurred in the puddle by his feet. One hundred million dollars. A multinational company. His entire life had just shifted in the span of five minutes.
"Y-y-you can't be serious," he whispered.
"I assure you, young master, every word I've said is true." Sinclair softened his voice. "I've served the Vale family for forty years. Your mother cried when she saw your picture. She wanted to call you herself, but we must proceed carefully. For now, she asks only that you take care of yourself."
Before Adrian could respond, the butler's tone changed to something more urgent.
"We've been on the line too long. It's risky. I'll contact you again when it's safe."
And then the line went dead.
Adrian stood there for a long time, surrounded by the hum of distant traffic and the February air.
Just moments ago, he had been humiliated, called worthless, discarded by the only people he thought were family. Now, he was worth hundreds of millions, an heir to an empire that could buy and sell the people who'd just spat on him.
The irony was almost cruel.
His phone buzzed again. 'Mom' flashed on the screen.
Adrian exhaled, his grip tightening. He answered.
"Where in tarnation are you?" his adoptive mother, Evelyn Frederick, yelled. "Do you have any idea what you've done? How dare you steal your brother's girlfriend and humiliate our family like that! Get back here immediately!"
The line went dead before he could answer.
Adrian looked up at the sky and laughed, his heart was bitter but all he could was laugh. Of course. Even now, even after he was betrayed, he was being tagged the villain.
When he arrived at the Frederick estate, the gate was already open. His belongings…..clothes, books, even his old guitar were stuffed into black garbage bags and dumped on the front lawn like trash.
Evelyn and her husband, Charles Frederick, stood near the porch, their faces twisted in contempt.
"Take a good look," Evelyn said coldly. "This is what happens when you bite the hand that feeds you."
Adrian clenched his jaw. "Fed me? You made me live in a storage room my whole life. You made me clean, cook, and work for every cent of my tuition. You never treated me like family."
Charles scoffed. "Don't be dramatic. You should be grateful we even took you in."
"Grateful?" Adrian's voice ladened with anger. "Grateful for being treated like a servant? For being reminded every day that I wasn't on the same level as Damon?"
Evelyn folded her arms, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "So you do resent your brother."
"He's not my brother," Adrian said through clenched teeth. "Also did you know, he stole my girlfriend and stood there laughing about it."
Evelyn's eyes gleamed with venom. "Watch your tongue. Damon doesn't need to steal from you. Why would he want something you had? He's everything you'll never be."
Charles added sharply, "Jealousy doesn't suit you, Adrian. Maybe it's best you leave before I lose it. Clearly, you don't belong here anymore."
Adrian took a step forward, his nails digging deep into his palms as he curled his fists at his sides. "I never belonged here. But one day, you'll regret how you treated me."
Evelyn's smile vanished. "Is that a threat?" She snapped her fingers, and several servants stepped out from the side of the house, men built like bodyguards, each one carrying a steel baton.
"Let's teach our ungrateful guest a lesson he won't forget," she roared.
The servants moved in, surrounding Adrian.
He braced himself, eyes burning with fury. Just as he was about to swing, headlights swept across the yard, blinding them all. A black Maybach roared to a stop by the gate.
The rear door opened.
A slender leg stepped out, matte black high heel striding the pavement with the kind of aura that made even kings stop and stare.
She was tall, poised, her black hair over a crimson coat that looked hand-made by angels. The silver pendant on her neck shimmered like something straight out of icebox. A line of bodyguards followed very closely behind her, their formation was sharp and very disciplined.
Her gaze found Adrian instantly, at first she looked fierce but was calm at the same time.
"Stop," she commanded.
Her voice sliced through the chaos like a blade.
Evelyn's expression faltered. "And who the hell are you supposed to be?"
The woman didn't answer. She walked toward Adrian with effortless grace, her heels clicking against the stone driveway. When she stopped in front of him, her eyes softened ever so slightly.
"Adrian Vale," she whispered as she leaned in, her breath grazed his ear "Your family sent me. I'm Selena Hart. The chief executive of Vault Corporation. I've come to take you home."