Rise To Riches: The Rejected Son-in-law's Revenge

chapter 7

Lucas's POV

Nathaniel Hayes had a well-disciplined life. His day started at exactly five o’clock in the morning. Lucas was roughly made aware of that fact every morning when the alarm clock near his bed went off, disrupting his sleep. If he didn’t get up, then someone came to rouse him after fifteen minutes.

After waking up, he headed to the built-in gym in the mansion to work out for roughly an hour. Scott joined him on some occasions to merely run the treadmill and talk before leaving him to continue as he went to work.

He realized that Scott bonded well with his brother, Nathaniel, during those rare moments that they worked out together. He also saw that Scott was a damn talker in the morning while he still had his full energy like he was doing now.

"I'm saying, maybe it’s time you come back to the company you know. Keep yourself busy. I hate to confess this, but I know nothing about operating a company." Scott whined, coming to stand above him as he watched Lucas lift the weight, supporting him when necessary.

Lucas sighed. This has been Scott’s request for days; him coming back to the company. Was he even there in the first place? He thought.

From what he learned, Nathaniel’s father, Oleander Hayes, had left the company under Nathaniel’s name even though he had been in the hospital, anticipating that one day Nathaniel would wake up and take over from Scott, who was merely managing it temporarily. Scott was the COO of the company.

It was still puzzling how he got from poor and worthless to wealthy in just one day. He moved his eyes to look at Scott.

Scott knew how to operate a company better than him because he wasn’t Nathaniel, even though he was sharing a body with him.

He understood absolutely nothing about what to do in an office if placed there. "You've been doing it for the past few years, Scott. Trust me, you are doing the right thing,” he replied.

Scott scoffed, "I'm not. I’m just trying to keep up. You, on the other hand, were raised for this. Nathan, please," he said, batting his eyelashes.

He laughed hard. If doing that worked with Nathan before, then Scott had better devise a fresh alternative since it sure wouldn’t work on him; he was a different person.

"Dude, it’s not working," he remarked with a grin on his face.

Scott rolled his eyes. "I fucking know," he murmured.

Lucas laughed as he stood up, strolling over to the next exercise machine. He was expecting Scott to follow him, but Scott remained where he was standing, staring at him with a frown.

"What now?" Lucas sighed, raising his arms in exasperation.

Scott raised a brow at him. "Since when did you use the chest press machine? You don’t like it," he whispered.

Lucas blinked. "I don't," he asked, staring at the machine and back at Scott. He was under the impression that since Nathaniel was someone who remained fit, he certainly used all those machines, but that wasn’t the case. He had to make a list of what Nathaniel did and did not like if he was going to do this without anyone suspecting that he wasn't Nathaniel Hayes.

"Yes, you don't," Scott muttered, sliding his hands into his pockets and going closer to him. "I'll tell you what else you don’t like," he continued, a sheepish look on his face.

"... not going to the company.”

Lucas rolled his eyes and turned to step away, but Scott grasped his shoulders, blocking any movement. Another thing he had noticed was that Scott was highly expressive and affectionate with his brother, and he would have to adjust to that.

"How about you just come in with me today? Sit in and just watch me during some meetings, then you can make a decision." Scott suggested.

"Which meetings?” he asked, knowing that he would have to accept this offer to silently decline the bigger offer that was sure to come. At least he could come up with a better justification than that he wasn’t interested in business matters.

Scott gave him a sly grin and said, "Well, I have one with Timothy, then, I think, Mr. Elton Ross... and two others, I think,” he remarked with an air of nonchalance.

Lucas blinked, "Hold on! Did you say Elton Ross?" he asked in a rush.

Scott was taken aback at first before he smiled, knowing that he had succeeded in establishing intrigue in him.

“ Yes…” Scott nodded happily. "I take it, that’s a yes,” he exclaimed, clapping as he bounced out of the gym, having achieved his goal.

Lucas remained anchored in that position even after Scott left. There was no doubt that he would go to the company. He couldn’t wait to face his father-in-law, who had literally killed him. Even if the man might not recognize him, he would make sure that whatever transaction it was wouldn’t push through.

Was this the universe urging him to pursue his revenge against the Ross family? He thought.

"I'll make sure he regrets all he did to me." Lucas snarled, clenching his jaw in rage.

They both left for the company at exactly eight o'clock, and it took only around twenty minutes to get there. By the time Lucas was heading into the company beside Scott, there was a line-up of men in corporate clothing bowing and greeting him.

Scott came closer to him when he saw his perplexed look. "Board of directors and head of departments,” he murmured, answering the unasked questions.

Lucas blinks with amazement. Was this real? He was in Nathaniel’s body, so obviously they assumed he was Nathaniel Hayes, and they all worshiped him. It was a strange feeling.

He took a deep breath as he entered the company. It was far from what he had seen.

It was as if Scott had given them information before the time that he was coming, for everyone looked in their direction as they proceeded into the private elevator. The ones who were close enough to him greeted him with utmost reverence. He had never been regarded or treated as important in his life.

"Good morning, Mr. Hayes."

"Welcome back, sir!"

"It's good to see you again, sir!"

He heaved a sigh of relief as they entered the elevator, and the doors closed. Lucas couldn’t believe that he was living this kind of life. He closed his eyes, feeling overwhelmed all of a sudden.

Scott’s calm presence on the elevator helped to calm him, or he would have broken down. By the time they were stepping out of the elevator and headed down the hallway that went to the CEO's office, he was fine.

That was until he spotted the person who was standing beside the secretary's office at the end of the hallway. His pulse raced and his blood boiled in wrath as he peered at the face of the guy who had made his life a living hell, Elton Ross.

His father-in-law had a smile on his face, looking humble. Gone was his evil appearance, as he was now striving to please Scott.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Mr. Ross." Scott apologized, offering his hand for a handshake.

Elton clasped Scott’s hand and smiled. "It's not a problem, sir; I just got here," he answered, moving to Lucas and offering his hand for a handshake. "It's so good to see you again, Mr. Nathaniel," he added.

Lucas gazed at his outstretched hand before looking straight at his face in wrath. Elton must have realized his error because he dropped his hand with a bewildered expression.

He scoffed, feeling sickened by the man. He wanted to throw up and needed Elton out of his sight immediately, or he was going to kill the man.

"Get out!” he spat.

Elton blinked, staring at Scott, who likewise bore a stunned look on his face. "What?” he mumbled.

"I said, GET OUT!" Lucas thundered, walking away. He was shivering with fury. He could hear Scott calling after him but didn’t stop until he got to the restroom and pulled the door open, shutting it behind him.

This was an opportunity that he had been given, he thought as he moved over to the mirror, standing in front of it. Lucas turned on the tap, spraying water on his face to soothe his rage.

He studied the features on the face, staring back at him, seeing for the first time the eerie resemblance Nathaniel shared with Scott, his twin brother. They were identical.

He traced his face with his left hand. His nicely formed jaw, cheekbones, nose, and physique His brows were thick, with keen blue eyes that seemed to intensify when staring at the light. This body that had belonged to Nathaniel Hayes was now his.

The realization hit him instantaneously as he felt a calm overtake him. This is now his life. He was no longer the Lucas who was used, humiliated, scorned, beaten up, and killed by the Ross family and the like.

He had the entire world under his fingertips now, and he was ready to make them pay for what they had done to him; not only to make sure that Elton, Piper, and the entire Ross family suffered for what they did to him but to make sure that the real culprits for Nathaniel’s accident were uncovered and brought to justice.

He was Nathaniel Hayes, and he would make them all regret it.