RICHARD’S POV I was finally getting some peace and quiet. Amelia had gone out to run errands, and I had the house to myself. I leaned back on the couch, eyes half-closed, trying to enjoy the silence. It wasn’t long before my phone buzzed on the coffee table, breaking the calm. I grabbed it, already sensing some drama on the horizon. Sure enough, it was one of the guards I’d assigned to keep an eye on my brothers. “Yeah?” I answered, not bothering with any formalities. The guard's voice was steady, like he was reporting something routine, but I knew better. “Sir, I thought you’d want to know—your brothers, they’re not cleaning the toilets themselves.” I sat up a little straighter, feeling my annoyance bubble up. “What do you mean they’re not cleaning?” “They’ve hired staff to do it,” the guard continued. “They’ve been showing up to the bathrooms, pretending to scrub things down, but it’s all an act. They walk in after the hired help’s already finished the job.” I couldn’t help bu
RICHARD’S POVI was sitting at my desk, staring at my laptop, waiting for the inevitable knock on the door. The message from Jonathan and William had come through an hour ago—We’ve finished cleaning. We’re coming for our money. Of course, they didn’t know I had been two steps ahead of them the entire time. Cleaning toilets? Yeah, right.I tapped my fingers on the desk, the amusement already building inside me.The door finally swung open, and in they strutted—Jonathan first, chest puffed out like he’d actually accomplished something. William was right behind him, looking smug, like they’d already won some battle they didn’t even deserve to fight.“Richard,” Jonathan greeted me with a grin that made me want to punch him. “We did it. We cleaned those damn toilets like you asked.”I leaned back in my chair, a small smile playing on my lips. “You don’t say.”“Yeah,” William chimed in, “we held up our end of the deal. Now, about the money and the company shares...” His voice trailed off, h
RICHARD’S POVI stepped into the house, already smelling something delicious. Amelia was in the kitchen, her back to me, humming softly while stirring something in a pot. The sound of home. Peace. After the kind of day I’d had, this was exactly what I needed.“Something smells amazing,” I said, walking up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist.She laughed softly, leaning back into me. “It’s just pasta. Nothing special.”“Pasta is always special when you make it,” I murmured against her neck, breathing in her scent.Before she could respond, my phone rang. I sighed, pulling it from my pocket. I didn’t recognize the number, but something told me to answer it.“Richard,” I answered, already annoyed.“Sir, there’s a fire at your father’s company!” a panicked voice said from the other end.I froze. A fire?“What the hell did you just say?” I asked, my voice low and dangerous.“There’s a fire, sir! The firefighters are on their way, but it’s spreading fast!”I didn’t even respond. I
RICHARD'S POVThe heat from the fire still lingered in the air, and all I could do was stand there, trying to make sense of it all. The smell of smoke, the flashing lights, and the sound of sirens were everywhere, but I felt numb. One of the firefighters had just told me they found a body inside, and my heart sank. I hoped—no, I prayed—it wasn’t someone I knew. Maybe it was one of the staff or some stranger who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.As they wheeled the body out, one of the firefighters, his face grim, stepped toward me. "He didn't burn... the smoke got him," he said, his voice flat, as if he’d said this a hundred times before.I swallowed, forcing myself to ask, "Who is it?" My voice didn’t even sound like mine. It was shaky, almost foreign.The firefighter looked hesitant. "We need you to identify him."They pulled back the sheet, and everything in me stopped. Jonathan. It was Jonathan. My stepbrother, pale as death, eyes closed as if he was sleeping. But h
Richard’s POVSitting on the couch, I tried to make sense of it all. I’d told Amelia everything, from Jonathan’s death to William’s pitiful breakdown. I thought by saying it out loud, maybe it would feel more real. But it didn’t. It just felt... heavy.“Richard, you can’t blame yourself for this,” Amelia said, sitting beside me. She reached over, her hand resting on my arm. “Your brothers brought this on themselves.”“I know,” I said, sighing. “But knowing it doesn’t make it any easier.”She shook her head softly. “You’ve done more than enough to clean up their mess. This... this is on them. You couldn’t have changed anything.”“I could’ve seen this coming,” I muttered. “I should’ve seen it coming.”Amelia frowned. “You couldn’t have known Jonathan would be stupid enough to—”My phone buzzed in my pocket, interrupting her. The screen flashed with an unknown number. I raised an eyebrow, then answered.“Richard speaking.”“Mr. Richard, this is Detective Wallace. I need you to come down
Richard’s POVThe next morning, I woke up to the harsh light of reality hitting me square in the face. My phone buzzed on the nightstand, and as I glanced at it, a notification popped up from the Ultra Billionaire system: Spend $10 million in 48 hours. Great, just what I needed. I was still reeling from my brothers’ mess, and now this.As I poured myself a coffee, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. “What the hell am I supposed to do with that kind of cash?” I muttered to myself, shaking my head. Just then, the butler appeared, his expression all serious, which only added to my brewing headache.“Sir, Amelia’s grandmother has arrived,” he announced.“Fantastic,” I replied dryly, rolling my eyes. “Let her in.”Moments later, there she was—Amelia’s grandmother, all pomp and circumstance, as if she was royalty gracing a commoner with her presence. She marched in, dragging a designer bag behind her like it was a pet she had trained to heel.“Richard, darling!” she excl
Richard’s POVI handed Amelia the check for $6 million. Her eyes widened as she stared at it.“Six million?” she asked, blinking rapidly. “You sure about this?”I chuckled. “Go crazy. It’s your party after all. And besides, I trust you won’t blow it all on glitter and champagne.”She grinned, pocketing the check. “Glitter is non-negotiable.”“I figured,” I said, smirking. “I’ve also assigned a couple of bodyguards to follow you around while you’re planning. You know, just in case anyone tries to crash your glitter parade.”She rolled her eyes but smiled. “You’re paranoid, but I appreciate it.”“Better safe than sorry.” I leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Now go get started. I’ve got some work to do at the company.”As Amelia left, practically bouncing with excitement, I grabbed my car keys and headed out. The renovations at the company were long overdue, thanks to the fire, and I wanted to make sure everything was on track.But as I drove, something caught my attention—just up ahead
Richard’s POV I walked into the city traffic department, feeling like I was on a mission. My mind kept going back to that little girl lying on the hospital bed, her mother’s tear-filled eyes, and the asshole who drove off like he hadn’t just destroyed two lives. “Can I help you, sir?” a woman at the front desk asked, looking up from her computer. “Yeah, I need to speak with the traffic commissioner. It’s important.” She eyed me up and down, probably trying to figure out if I was serious or just another guy making trouble. Finally, she gave a nod and told me to take a seat. I settled into one of the plastic chairs that looked like they’d seen better days. Time crawled, and after about twenty minutes of waiting, I started to lose my patience. When the receptionist finally called my name, I followed her into the commissioner’s office. The room was small but tidy, with papers neatly stacked and a couple of plaques on the wall. Behind the desk sat a woman in her late forties, mayb